3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? ² You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. ³ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ⁵ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.   --2 Cor.  3:1-6, ESV

Since I received Christ Jesus as my Savior and LORD (at age 9, in Vacation Bible School) and was drawn to His Word and learning all I could, I have loved the Word and house and worship and people of God.  When I was 13, I saw a poster for a journeyman evangelist position to do mission trips around the world. 

I was excited about that, and started desiring that as a full-time ministry.  Year after year, decade after decade, there would be something in the way of me getting my passport and traveling overseas to tell others about Jesus.  

I was discouraged many times, wondering when "The Day" would happen. Meanwhile, though, I ministered in many ways through the years, from praying for people in my city and across the globe; to teaching the kids and playing the piano at my church; to doing outreach at homeless shelters, eldercare homes, children's groups, and more; to writing books and songs and articles about God and sharing them in hard copy and online; to launching and managing 4 Christian websites and inviting people all over the world to publish their works about Christ; to worshiping and leading worship; to creating meetings to preach and teach the Word in my community; to giving many material possessions and finances to multiple ministries and missionaries through the years; and more.

When I turned 50, I realized that I had had a "full-time ministry in missions" all along; every person--whether across the world or in my back yard--was a mission for me, to both live as a Christian before them and, if the LORD led, for me to speak to them about Him.

So He had answered my prayer early on, and I finally had the spiritual maturity and perception to realize it!

So please understand that, perhaps you have not been able to minister in all the ways that your heart wants to, but that every day, you are influencing more people than you may realize for Christ--with your words, your tones, your deeds, your touch, your thoughtfulness, your help, your giving in other ways!

Ask the LORD to open your eyes to see how He has already used you, and to use you even more! He will!

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.