* Are you signing up for that 3rd PTO committee position or being a youth mentor at your church?
* Is your son/daugher involved in 3 different sports teams (school, club, city-wide) or volunteering at an after-school program or special needs camp?
* Are you involved in all types of Bible studies (your church one, BSF/CBS, & Precepts) at the same time or taking time to mentor a younger mom and visiting her to provide help?
* Are you involved in several Mom's groups & play groups or taking time to invite that unsaved neighbor over for coffee?
* Are you committed to your weekly time hanging out with your girl / guys friends or visting the nursing home, prison, or center for the disabled.
*Are you spending countless hours rabbit trailing through cyberspace of blogs, facebook, & myspace or writing a Thinking About You, Praying For You, or Encouragement card to someone.
OUCH! It's not that the former things are "bad" things, but are they "better" things for the sake of Christ and His kingdom. God is patiently trying to teach me this. I love just sitting and being spiritually fed. But the Lord is calling me to focus more on ministry to others. For example, this semester I made a very hard decision not to return to the MOMS group at my church. I love the ministry and it's so nourishing for my soul. However, I felt that the Lord was telling me to loosen up my schedule, in this season, for more random ministry opportunites. This Tues when I would have been at MOMS, a younger friend asked if she could come over to hang out before she leaves for the 1st time out-of-state for college. That time was a blessing to both of us! I was grateful that I was available.
Ask God to help you discern how you can best serve others in this season of your life. Believe me, He'll let you know what needs to remain on or be taken off your plate.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Phil 2:4
4 comments:
What a great reminder. I praise God that He has slowed me down in this season of life so that I recognize opportunities to SERVE others and not just coddle my own desires. I love knowing the JOY of Christ and bringing JOY to others.
The LORD has convicted me of just this thing recently. I've had to cut some things out of my life that were all good, but crowding out some other valuable things that I feel may be more important at my stage in life. Thanks for this encouragement.
Never underestimate the value of availability!
Oh, how we tend to do and work like Martha, while God calls us to quiet ourselves and to sit like Mary.
Also remember, dear young Mama, your home and family is your ministry!
To everything there is a season.
May God artfully arrange only the nourishments needed on our plates!
Caryn,
Thanks for the timely reminder! I plan to take a good look at the way I spend my time.
Thanks also to Laurie Lynn for reminding this young mom that there is a season to everything.
Finally, if I may, I would like to encourage all the older, experienced and wise ladies to consider mentoring a younger lady. As a mom of 3 boys between 2 1/5 and 5 (one with special needs) I see how this kind of ministry is so desperately needed. Where I live, most women (including moms) work outside the home and are really busy. I have often longed for the advice, teaching and guidance of an older woman as described in Titus 2.
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