Nano Missions

You know when you think of mission trip you think of going to Mexico or some third world country (ahem, developing country) to build a house or a church or something? Well most people do. At my church they have this thing they do called "Micro Missions" where they do something locally on a much, much smaller scale. Usually requiring an afternoon or something instead of your whole Spring Break. One Micro Mission that I participated in was that we went to a homeless shelter and we did a miniature "extreme home makeover" on the rooms that were being occupied. Basically we put on a fresh coat of paint, hung up a picture or two, and maybe brought in some new (or donated) bedding. It made a world of a difference. This was an overall very rewarding experience and one that I wish I did more often (or something like it). I think that this concept is cool because it is pretty low commitment, and may potentially have the same effect. I mean, really you are trying to show Jesus' love through an act of selflessness. Even if you don't believe in Jesus, you can still be apart of missions by just showing kindness in humanity and being giving of yourself.
I started thinking about it today and what if we participated in Nano Missions? So basically, a micro mission, but smaller. What if we committed ourselves to one nano mission a week? Let me give you some examples:
* Despite your apprehension, give the guy on the street a dollar, even if you're not sure what he'll do with it. Just believe in God's purpose and don't worry about it
* Use recyclable bags (eh? eh?) for grocery shopping because it makes you a better steward of the earth
* Send a card to someone for no reason other than to make them smile
* Buy someone else's lunch for no reason
* Be overly generous with a tip
* Offer to do something for someone that you don't necessarily want to do
* Let someone in during traffic
* Hold the door open for someone at every opportunity
* Make a donation of any size to an organization
* Save your pop tabs and give them to the Ronald McDonald House
* Buy flowers for no reason for someone
* Bring goodies to the office for no reason
* Never accept gas money from a friend (this might be hard for some people)
* Pick up someone else's mess and don't complain about it
* Burn a CD for someone
* Be friendly to people who work in customer service
* Compliment people
* Anticipate the needs of others

Okay, that's a quick list, and it was so easy to come up with. I think with just an ounce of effort, everyone could (and possibly does) participate in nano missions on a regular basis. Sometimes it's just the little things that count. I'm going to do more nano missions. Sometimes you can make some one's day for $5. What an investment! Their WHOLE day was better for $5. Think about what we spend for leisure and entertainment, and something so small can make such a big difference. Because YOU were selfless.

Posted in: Reflections