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PROGRAM D-8271
I have a question for you: What is your banana ministry? What is a banana ministry, you ask? Let me explain. My friend, Judy, is a missionary living in Nairobi, Kenya. She travels a good deal in and around Nairobi, and if you’ve ever been to Nairobi, you know that it’s pretty much a continual traffic jam. There are always people lined on the streets selling everything you can imagine—including, to my horror, puppies.
Recently, Judy was traveling with her driver, Baraza, and she saw a woman selling bananas, with a baby strapped to her back and two others playing at her feet. Judy told Baraza, “Pull over; I want to buy some bananas.” She gave him the equivalent of about two dollars and told him to buy all her bananas—about 20.
“But Sister,” he said, “why are you buying 20 bananas? You can’t eat that many.”
“Just buy them,” she told him.
He was baffled as to why Judy would want so many bananas since she lives alone, but he did as she insisted. When he paid the lady for all her bananas, her face lit up with a huge, incredulous smile. That probably represented two days food for her and her family.
Baraza said, “Sister, did you see how happy she was? You did a good thing for her.”
Then they traveled on. Judy saw a crippled man with only one leg by the side of the road and she told Baraza to stop and give him some bananas. Once again Baraza saw how thrilled the man was to get the bananas. This went on for their entire journey until Judy had given away all the bananas.
Baraza—who by the way is a wonderful believer—said, “Sister, this was so good. I can do this. I can give away bananas.” As a result, Baraza now carries bananas, apples, and other fruit with him to give to people randomly as God leads him. He now has a banana ministry!
So I want to encourage you to discover what your banana ministry is and become very intentional about giving away your bananas as God leads you to share his love with others. What do you have in your hands that could easily become gifts of love to the people in your life—strangers, coworkers, family, friends—whomever? I’d love to hear what your banana ministry is, so please let me know.