For he has died to us, the leader of nations who guarded the living, he has died to us, who was our chief of the needy, he has died to us, who was our messenger of the Lord...

  - Dallán Forgaill, “Amra Choluimb Chille,” Irish, 6th century

So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas had made while she was with them.

  - Acts 9.39

I have always found this account of the raising of Dorcas to be very touching. The image of those widows weeping – lonely women loved, cared for, and clothed by one whose primary claim to fame was her ability with a needle – is a testimony to the power of good works.

Doing good to others is an important aspect of the work of our Personal Mission Fields.

Whether our good works are humble and on a small-scale, or dramatic and far-flung, like those of Colum Cille, we each have the opportunity to touch others with the grace of God and to leave a legacy of love to the future.

Where good works are concerned, consistency and sincerity are more important than magnitude. And we can always improve in these two areas.

We have been saved in Jesus Christ for the sake of others, to minister His grace to them, to refresh them with the living water of Christ’s grace and Spirit (Eph. 2.8-10; Jn. 7.37-39). Salvation that ends only with our feeling forgiven, relieved, and hopeful, but which never reaches out to others is no salvation at all. Jesus saves us to move us toward others, that we may leave a legacy of love with those to whom He sends us each day.

What kind of legacy are you building? Today, what will you contribute to those whose lives and souls you will brush against? Your Personal Mission Field consists of the places to which God sends you each day, together with the people you encounter there. The more intentional we are about doing good to others, the more sincere and consistent we will be in showing the love of Christ to others.

We will not leave a legacy of love by mere chance; legacy-building is resolute, visionary, self-conscious work. And we are all called to it.

The grief in Dallán Forgaill’s lamentation at the passing of Colum does not differ from the grief of those poor widows for whom Peter felt such compassion, even though the works of Dorcas never reached the scale or impact as those of Columba. 

We do not know what God intends to do with our works; we only know that we must do them, for love’s sake, in imitation of Jesus, toward a legacy of love for the generations.

Today, now, is it your intention to build a legacy of love as a hallmark of your Personal Mission Field?

Psalm 40.6-8 (Dix: “For the Beauty of the Earth”)
Off’rings You do not require – open now my ears, O Lord –
What from me do You desire? Firm delight to do Your Word.
Take my life in ev’ry part; write Your Law upon my heart.

Lord, give me love for You and for my neighbor, that holy actions may issue from me to touch others with Your grace. Adapted from Colmán mac Beógnai, Aipgitir Chrábaid

Getting Started in Your Personal Mission Field
Here’s a link to a worksheet you can download to map out and begin working your Personal Mission Field. Print it on two sides of a single sheet, then fold it into three panels. The instructions are on the back. This can become a way of life defining you as a Kingdom-seeker in all your waking moments. Susie and I, and the Members of The Fellowship, pray that this community, The Ailbe Community, will become known for its commitment to leaving a legacy of love in the lives of the people to whom God has sent us. So if you’re not working your Personal Mission Field, why not start today? And if you’d like to improve and enlarge your work in that arena, we can send you A Field Guide to Mission, which includes the Personal Mission Field worksheet and three small booklets to help you develop and pursue a comprehensive approach to your calling. A Field Guide to Mission is free for your gift in any amount to The Fellowship of Ailbe. Use the donate button here or at the website, or sent your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452. Blessings!

T. M. Moore, Principal
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