The Mission Field of the home

I read two books by Sally Clarkston "The Mission of Motherhood" and "The Ministry of Motherhood" and thoroughly enjoyed them. The books were really neat in speaking softly to the voice on the inside of many mothers. While many people are not religious, please take a moment to read beyond and hear the heart of this post.
When missionary's go our into the world, they goal is to bring a message to people that have never heard it before. They understand that before people are ready to hear that message, those people must first have their basic needs met. This is why most mission trips begin with the installation of water treatment facilities, food pantries, or schools and orphanages. Once those basic needs are taken care of, people are ready and open to heart your message. This is known by both saints and tyrants. Go into any area controlled by drug lords or mobsters and you will soon find the generous donations these people make - huge investments in forgotten areas. Once they invest - they generally have safe havens for crime and a ready slew of "foot soldiers" to carry out their bidding. So, this isn't a foreign concept on any soil. Most people with hearts set on winning the lost and better the lives of people know that one must be gentle, kind, caring, compassionate, and patient. Missionary work can be hard, dangerous, at times thankless, and a full life investment. You aren't thinking about sneaking away for a day on the beach or the hole up in a five star hotel - you live right along with the people you are serving, you eat last, you go to bed last, and you bear the weight of the responsibility of the people in your care.
This is why I like the concept of seeing ones home as a mission field. These people, these children - are not born with the knowledge of your culture or customs, don't have completely innate skills for survival and the ability to thrive in their environment. It is you with the burden to first feed and clothe them, then bring them into the knowledge.
When I look at my home as my mission field - it really opened my eyes. This is my ministry, my calling, my circle of influence. My charges are three of the most beautiful, compassionate, loving, caring, and kind people in the entire earth - and I have been trusted with their care. My husband and I have been chosen - out of billions of options - to look after these three. To teach them, instruct them, guide them, develop them, and most importantly, to love them. It was then that it became clear that I was not allowed to pass this responsibility off on others. I could not subcontract this responsibility. While I might "hire out" for a couple of tasks (hey, if you can't make a water purification system - you had better make sure you have someone on the team that can) - it should be occasional. However, the end results, the day to day operations, the heart and soul of it all rests with us.