Neighborhood Missionaries

My two sons are like most 8 and 6 year olds. They love to play outside. The game they love to play most is Army. A couple of years ago, the befriended a couple of boys from down the street. One of those boys is a year older than my oldest, one is a year younger than my oldest and one is a year younger than my 6 year old. These boys gather together regularly to mount an offensive against the common enemy of the day. Over time, I've noticed that a few other boys have been added to the mix. Honestly, at times, I am not overly excited about some of the boys that wander in and out of our yard. This weekend as this motley crew gathered again to complete a new objective, I thought about something deeper. My two sons are neighborhood missionaries. They have engaged in the lives of those other ragamuffin boys from the block. My oldest surrendered his life to Christ a couple of years back. He is the representation of Jesus to these boys every time they get together. That is not to say that he gathers them together and the stands upon the perch of his fort and preach the gospel to them. But he does represent Jesus to them. Those boys act differently when they play with my sons. The mark of Christ is upon my oldest. He has set himself apart to be used by God. The amazing thing is that he does not even realize what he is doing. My youngest has not surrendered his life to Christ yet. He has begun to ask questions about salvation but has not come to that decision for himself yet. I pray often for his salvation. Even so, his behavior is such that it affects the lives of his friends. I am so proud of my sons. They are making an impact for Jesus in the lives of boys who need Jesus. They have invited these boys on numerous occasions to come to church. A few of them has responded a few times and come with them. Not only am I proud of my sons, but challenged by them. My sons are impacting their neighborhood, but what about me? Though I know the people who live around me, how am I impacting them for the gospel? God has called me to love those around me and that proves that I am one of His disciples (John 13:34-35).