WOW hard to believe I have not posted in nearly a week! It's been busy around here, not running around type busy just doing stuff at home and spending time with my family!
Sunday evening at church our Pastor spoke about doing things for the Lord, not to please ourselves or others....BANG! It was like God put a neon sign up there just for me. I do all sorts of volunteer stuff through the kids school and scouts, everyone is always telling me how wonderful etc things have been, I have been trying to organize the scouts more etc. As soon as the Pastor mentioned that I thought, I have not been doing these things for the right reasons at all. I have been doing them for my own glory and that is just not right. I thought perhaps I should just stop all my efforts, but realized I can still do these things, God has put me where I am for a reason. Others did not volunteer to do the things I am doing so apparently they need me. When I first volunteered the cubmasters words were "Praise God! He knows just when to send us our angels, I had no idea how I would get this stuff done" WOW, someone thought of me as an angel and a blessing ! I can't say I looked at it like that at first. God has enabled me to do them as far as time goes. He has given me the ability to be a people person who will take in others ideas and apply them when planning events etc. Planning events and parties etc is something I love to do, so God is giving me the oppurtunity to do things I love to do as well as better the group at the same time. If I can do these things with the heart of a servant and be sure that each and every event I plan is one that will honor God then its not wrong for me to continue doing so. By me volunteering with scouts, I am a help to my dh, who is one of the leaders, who would have to do much of this himself etc.
I thought long and hard about all this and realized it's not always what we do with our time, but how we are doing it, and who we are doing it for. I want to do things that make people see me, but not me.....but Christ through me. Often people will say you're crazy for doing this you have a toddler and three others how do you find time? I have always just laughed etc and said I don't know...but you know what? I can do these things because I am doing it to help my dh and by helping him I am pleasing God. Who wants to be involved in things when things aren't planned well or chaotic? If God has given me the ability to do this to help dh and to help the others, then I should do it willingly and give God the credit for it and not take it for myself. I know I will react differently to the comment of how I do it from now on.
I do it to help my husband and somehow God gives me the patience and time to get it all done effectively.
Well, that's what the Lord has placed on my heart this week.
Lisa
Comments
2006-Jan-12 - Too Much of a Good Thing
Posted by YPAmy5
About 1 1/2 yrs ago I found myself at this crossroads. I found that I was involved in too much outside my family and also not spending enough time with the Lord. One of my mentors told me "Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing. Sometimes we have to say No to a good thing. And don't forget to go to the Lord in prayer before you say YES!" I found it felt good that others "needed" me and my abilities but I wasn't "checking in" with God about whether or not I should pursue the task. Let's just say I had a bit of a "crash and burn" to get my attention. Now when someone asks me to join a committee or run an event or just take on one more thing. I smile and say "I'll pray about it and get back to you." And then that's just what I do. My heart and schedule are much lighter now!
Amy W
2006-Jan-12 - Untitled Comment
Posted by DonnaJoy
Lisa - you are so right - sometimes our priorites get askewed - even in doing "good" things - thank you for reminding me - to be very careful in my "good doing"
Donna
2006-Jan-14 - Untitled Comment
Posted by HillmanAcres
I can see what you are saying. And if you are able to keep it all together, then that's great. I know that in the past when you have felt like it was too much you've slowed things down and that's good too- you should never feel as though you 'have to' do these things all the time. You do a great job, I read your posts on family homestead and think, if that was me I'd just collapse in an exhausted heap right on the floor LOL
Leah