The day the Inspired to Action email came I was having doubts about whether I should do this series; #doJUSTICE. I am still very much in the process of allowing God to reconcile my heart as a mama and the desire to pursue justice and all that it means for me. But I wasn’t sure you would think of all that processing. The title in the subject line caught my eye and my heart: Naps Can Change the World. I immediately clicked in and read the post. Kat had a guest that day named Elizabeth, and her words about being a mama and doing justice became confirmation to me. I especially hung on these.

“My children aren’t a season, they are my motivation.”

Yes. This. Amen. I knew right away I wanted to not only do the series, but invited Elizabeth to guest post for it. She said, “Yes!” And here she is…

Meet Elizabeth Griffin from Lark and Bloom.

Well, it is nice to meet you! I don’t know your name, where you live or if you have gotten out of your pajamas yet. But, I do know one thing about you. You were made to do justice. <– Click to Tweet

That is why you ache at the Compassion International child sponsorship materials, cry at the YouTube video of a special needs high school student being allowed to play in the big game and smile when you hear about an adoption story. Justice is in your heart.

Now, you may not consider yourself one of those “justice” types. The activists, the PETA members, the family on Extreme Makeover Home Edition that has adopted 19 special needs children… Well, don’t worry. I’m not one of them either. I am just an average girl trying to make a difference.

The Bible says in Psalm 97:2 that righteousness and justice are the foundations of God’s throne. Justice is FOUNDATIONAL to our faith. That is why I know you were made to do it. But how?

I love that Michele is doing this series because I think the idea of justice trips us all up. I get a lot of emails and questions asking how I started my work with human trafficking and what advice I can give them. This is funny to me because I actually have no idea. God just does it.

I don’t know what God has put in each of your hearts. I don’t know where He is leading you or the path He has laid out to take you there. But, I do have three tips that I have learned over the years.

1. Start where you are. Peter walked on water because he got out of his boat. Right where it was. He didn’t row to the most ideal spot or wait for the weather to change. He saw Jesus on the water and wanted to be with Him.

Jesus is in the middle of a broken world and He is picking up pieces and bringing restoration. He is in the middle of the storm being a Father to the fatherless, a Rescuer to the enslaved and a Savior for the downtrodden. We get out of our boat because we want to be there with Him.

So, don’t worry about what season of life you are in. What amount of time or resources you have. You are where you are because God has placed you there for a reason. Get out of your boat and help your elderly neighbor. Babysit for the single mom at your church. Teach your children how to stand up to bullies on behalf of others. Start where you are!

2. Use what you have. Moses used his staff as a tool to see slaves freed. This wasn’t a magical Gandalf staff. Everyone had a staff back then. It was normal, average and ordinary.

I am a mom of two little kids and when I look at what I have to offer, I see one thing. Naptimes. I can use naptimes to do justice. So, I do. I work for UnBound, an anti-trafficking agency when my kids nap and after they go to sleep. I have been able to speak to groups, lobby for new legislation and participate in the rescue of two women who were victims of human trafficking. Hopefully, this is just the beginning.

I don’t have a killer resume, a law degree or a crazy flexible schedule. However, I do serve a God who can make much of my small offering. Whatever God has put in your heart, He will make a way for it to come to pass. Use what you have to do what He asks and you will be amazed at what He can do with it!

3. Ask, “What if?”

I think “What if?” is a question that will change the world. You should ask it often. <— Click to Tweet

What if God could use me?
What if I really risked and went out on a limb?
What if failure wasn’t something I was afraid of?
What if I had faith and God moved mountains?

When I feel stuck, I begin to ask myself this question. It stirs my faith and increases my vision.

I don’t know what dreams are in your heart or what aspect of justice calls out to you. Imagine what the world would look like if we all stepped out of our boats, wherever we are, and worked with what we had.

Justice is in you, just step out of the boat. You can do it, girl. You were made for this.

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Do you ever wonder if you were made to do justice? We’d love to know your thoughts.  Will you tell us in comments?

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Elizabeth is a church planter, speaker, writer and naptime abolitionist. She lives in Texas with her husband & two little kids. Her other hobbies include wasting time on social media, trying to remember where she parked her car, and browsing Pinterest for DIY projects she will never actually make. You can visit her over at Lark & Bloom or on Twitter @larkandbloom.