The first day of school brings a cacophony of sounds – humming engines of school buses; children laughing, yelling, crying; moms laughing, yelling, crying; and Donna’s loud cheerful greetings.
Donna is my neighbor, my friend, and part of our neighborhood Bible study. One day, Donna announced that she just got her dream job – the crossing guard at our local elementary school, the school she attended as a child. I just love that of all the jobs in all the word, this was her dream. Through heat waves, cold spells, rain, hail, sleet and snow, and beautiful days too, Donna mans her post with a smile.
But she is more than a crossing guard. She is our neighborhood’s ambassador for Christ. Her focus is not just the physical safety of the children. Week after week, Donna brought prayer requests to our study group. Often she brought a friend, sometimes a parent she met at her post. If a neighbor was sick, she spread the news so that we could provide assistance. She could just focus on the required elements of her job, but instead she sees beyond the physical to the spiritual needs.
What is an ambassador?
“An authorized messenger or representative. Often, a diplomatic official, sent by one sovereign or state to another as its resident representative.”
An ambassador is someone who lives in a place other than his or her true home and serves to represent that true home to others. Ambassadors must live in foreign, maybe hostile, environments and convey the virtues of their native land, encouraging others to travel there, to invest/trade there, to move there. As Christians, our home is the kingdom of heaven. We are to encourage others to make the kingdom their home as well. We must represent the kingdom in a way that draws people unto our King.
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…” 2 Cor. 5:20
Perhaps we assume that it is someone else’s job to be an ambassador. A minister or a Sunday School teacher or a traveling evangelist. Someone better equipped to handle God’s Word. But in this paragraph, Paul says “if ANYone is in Christ, he is a new creation. … WE are Christ’s ambassadors, God is making his appeal through US.” Through you and me. If God can use a donkey and a crossing guard, I have to believe He can use me, and you too. We don’t need to preach a sermon. We just need to share our experience. “All I know is this – once I was blind, now I see.”
I am a Christian today because someone was His ambassador to me. Is there someone you can bring God’s grace to?
God bless this woman! I was encouraged to go to church years ago because of a babysitter who was His ambassador.
True words! Yes, there are people I can minister grace to; those under my roof, whoever cross my path via blog, at the coffee shop, in the grocery store, or through the pages of the newspaper. It's my desire to live as a faithful ambassador.
Hi Susan –
This post brought back memories of a song we sang at my grandmother's church: We Are Christ's Ambassadors. I can still hear her pastor's voice ringing out above the congregation.
Blessings,
Susan 🙂
Great post, Susan! I love being Christ ambassador. I was on a cruise last week and jumped at the opportunity to share the love of Christ. What a priviledge! God bless you.
Danie
Great post Susan and all so true, we are all ambassadors of a heavenly Kingdom, and present it here on earth!
your writing continues to astonish me!
That is so nice. I work in Union City and across the stret on the other side of Park Avenue is Weehawken NJ. The lady crossing guard is so nice. I recently told her she is the nicest crossing guard I ever met. Always a smile on her face too and greeting for every passer by. A real delight. It is a shame that there are not enough of these people to go around. I havn't seen her for 2 days hope she is doing well.
Good morning Susan – hope you don't mind, I forwarded this particular posting to our single moms group….. we do have a few that don't see themselves as Christ's Ambassadors and dont' seem to understand the calling on each of their lives. This posting was so sweet and so direct, I pray it will accomplish God's purposes. thanks . love in HIM, cathyo
"I loved it. It is sooo true!!!!"