So, I am with my children all the time. I am totally fine with that. This is a decision that my husband and I have made and we are so thankful that they know me…the good, the bad, and the hangry! (y'all know that's a combination of hungry and angry, right? Mamas need to keep their blood sugar squared away!) The only problem with this is that it makes it difficult to serve, sometimes. There are many things that I cannot do because I have assumed this role in the lives of my children. I have, however, learned that there is always something for someone to do. We deliver flowers.
We go to a beautiful church that places flowers on the altar every Sunday. The next day someone comes to the church and takes the flowers out of the big arrangement and rearranges them into smaller vases to be delivered to shut-ins or lonely or sick or…you name it. So, we are the someones that show up on the 4th Monday of every month to serve our congregation in this way. May I tell you that this blesses my heart, and the hearts of my children…but every Monday is a struggle. It's hard. We must leave early in the morning in order to get down to church and get our vases (we arrange them…bless our hearts) and decide with our favorite choir director who will receive said flowers. Then we hit the road. Oh, and we have to pack our lunches because, well, remember, I get hangry. We do not school the day we do this, so I lose a day, and until today I have gotten so turned around that we usually spent an additional hour to an hour and a half attempting to deliver these flowers. One time I sent Anson into a Hardee's to figure out where on earth we were! I grew up here! I just cannot find my way…most of the time. One time, I wish I were making this up, I called Mike (at work…since somebody's gotta work around here) to tell him how mad I was that he didn't get me a GPS and when I was finished that day I was going and getting a new plan and a new phone and he couldn't stop me. My insanely calm, kind, and working husband said, "That's fine, Babe. I'll be excited to see what you get." UGH! Needless to say, I didn't get the phone that day. Mostly, because I'm afraid to do that stuff without him!
So, at last, we turned our Fred Flinstone phone in and upgraded to a phone that could navigate my tail around town. Now, please know that it's a Wal-Mart family plan phone, nothing fancy. But, today…it revolutionized my deliveries! Also, I loved being able to use the internet when I couldn't find a house and had to look up the church's number. (I'll say I couldn't find it NOT because my navigator…we call her Tina…but because I was looking on the wrong side of the road.) It's amazing what having all of that information at your fingertips can do. I know, most of you have had this technology for YEARS…so…remember way back to your first time. :)
I want to trust Jesus. I'm sure that someone has made this connection before, but I loved just doing what Tina told me to do. I said where I wanted to go (who doesn't LOVE voice text???) and then I followed her directions. At one point I was a little nervous and my boy said, "Mom, just do what she says." Uh, alright. I want to fall back and relax and allow the Spirit to guide me. Tina just tells me a little bit at a time, but it's always just in time for me to turn. Doesn't the Lord do the same thing? He never gives us more information that we NEED. He will typically give us less information that we WANT, but we always have what we need, every single time. Everysingletime! Now, of course I can't tell God where I want to go, like I can Tina, but you get the idea.
Last night at Bible Study the Lord prompted me to invite a new person to come with me. I thought of a million reasons why I should wait and ask her next time, but then I remembered how I felt every single time I didn't obey…and I asked her. She couldn't make it today, but she's coming with me in February. That was little, but it was a victory. I am also stepping out and starting a small co-op with some friends and I'll be teaching 7/8 graders. I'm going to be needing a GPS. I would also love to do more with this blog. I'm going to be needing a GPS. I'm so thankful that God's word really is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. It's just enough, isn't' it? I bet I'm not the only one that gets a little lost sometimes.
On another quick, want to encourage you note…what is something that the someones in your house can do? Stop making excuses. We all have something to give. Something to share. Usually it will cost you time or money…most of the time it will cost you both somehow…but do you know what the watching world needs to see? Us. They need to see us moving and putting feet to words. Hands to the plows. It's not going to be big. But to someone it will be the biggest blessing of their day. It fills me up every time and makes me so thankful for Jesus. Because, you see, when a bunch of someone's needed a rescue from their sin and misery, someOne came up with a plan. SomeOne put on garments too small for his Holiness and took up tasks too filthy for Kings. Yet he bent down low, to lift us up. We are the someones that needed SomeOne and now we have the opportunity to serve others.
Let me be clear to Mamas with little ones. I get it…I get you…you are serving your children and your family and that is what you are called to. Here is where the struggle is…you need to serve together. They will never know how to serve if they don't practice. It starts in your home. Serving each other. Serving your family and neighbors. It starts with talking about how we put others first and how that is loving Jesus. Years ago we went to a church and they would serve on certain Saturdays the entire church together and I wouldn't go…couldn't go. I said that my children wouldn't serve outside my home until they could serve inside my home. I think that's important. So, I want to encourage you to train your children in your home so that you can serve together outside your home. Maybe right now it's baking cookings for a sibling that is celebrating a victory or struggling with sadness. Perhaps it's meeting Grandma for lunch. Maybe it's making a meal and having them come with you to deliver it to a new Mom…perhaps one of their friends. Just don't lose sight of this. We attempt to train their minds academically, we hope to train their hearts biblically, we must train their hands. We must. We must train their hands to eagerly look for something to do…for someway to reach back to the One who reached for them.
We do this with GPS. Ask Jesus and then sit back and do what He says. You'll certainly end up where you want to go.
I hope to be back soon. :)
Caroline with one of the neighbors chicks. We are waiting on the rest of ours to hatch!
Our 4 gems after Eleanor's recital at a nursing home in December. She was the Star of Bethlehem
Mike and I at the beach this summer with the family. So grateful for this man!
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