Making Life Smaller

God has a way of growing us that is pretty awe inspiring. We can be so hard-headed and intent to work in our own strength. Many people complain about getting older; we share platitudes about how it isn't for sissies and things along that line. It is true. There are things that go along with getting older that are not better than when you are younger!! But there are things that go along with getting older that are better. One is that you just can't stress to hard when you make mistakes. It happens. And it happens more and more at certain seasons of life.

It has taken over 50 years for me to slow down, and not because of a physical problem. That was a couple of years ago. But now my body is better, not like when I was younger, but far improved over the set-back 2 years ago. No, this slow down is more of a mental simplifying. A necessary simplifying. No one looking at my days would say I'm slowing down, but my ability to juggle many things well is slowing down rather. My world needs to shrink. I'm making mistakes that are surprising. I'd say alarming if I were younger or living a different life. 

So I autoshipped to a relative something I never intended to have on autoship. So I ordered double an expensive vitamin, possibly 4 times more.... Cleaning a house on a day I don't usually do it because of thinking I was traveling sooner than I was, and probably forgetting to tell the home owner, now that is a big deal. It certainly appears I forgot to notify them. The kicker is, I am not even gone their normal day! That was a mistake also, but I stayed with the adjustment because now I've got work to do the day before that has to be done then. This last one is a total alert to PUT ON THE BRAKES!

This is the reality of when you are over-loaded. This is when you must pull in the reigns hard and not make any plans with people. It is time to cut more from the schedule. Take things off the plate. Be home more. Slow down, double check, send reminders like I used to....make lists. I can't keep up with all the people I'd like to keep up with. I can't add coffee dates or lunch dates. Making plans with people is giving me heart palpitations. It has to be last-minute or not at all, and more often than not, it is going to be the latter.

God is good to bring me to this point. I've never been here; it is epic honestly. I know why I'm to this point, and thankfully so does my husband of over 28 yrs. 

Have you found yourself at your full capacity? Doing all you can, but obviously slipping? What do you do? Zero in on the must-do's. In all arenas of life. You can't have FOMO! Do the work that has to be done. Draw near to God, spend daily time with Him. Step away from responsibilities you can step away from. Carefully budget your energy and mental/emotional resources so the essentials get your best. 

My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

When We Stray From What's Right, We Complicate Things and Miss Out

Ways change and often we fail to really look at why. Should we just go along with the nouveau without considering the underlying reasons? The world certainly has ideas that justify why they do what they do. Are we careful to examine the 'why' if we're going along with the current trends?

How many couples do the things only married people should do, and so to make their wedding special, they turn it into something far more elaborate than they need to? Why is this?

I submit it is because what should have made it most special has already been done, and so they have to create other things to try and make it feel special. Sadly, all of the trappings can never replace what God designed. Trying to create a substitute for God's best just doesn't work. 

There should be nervousness and anticipation at a wedding-- innocence. A man and a woman coming together to live out what they've already demonstrated (hopefully) in their dating: him leading her in a loving way showing his care for her, and her doing what she can to show she'll be a suitable helpmeet. They should both have been showing a willingness to die to themselves and build a life that is truly pleasing to the Lord. They shouldn't look like professionals with how they are physically with one another.

Just as the engagement ring is a young man's gift demonstrating the best he has to offer, the couple is a gift to one another for after they say, "I do", offering all of themselves to each other. 

There are only a few opportunities in this life when you get to joyfully anticipate something wonderful that has some unknowns. Enjoy experiencing them. They are for a season that passes far too quickly.

Music I Love

Revival Came, George Whitefield

Where You've Never Been Praised, David Livingston

Attempt Great Things for God, William Carey

Consumed for Lost Souls, David Brainerd

Another Death

My family has a small ministry to widows. We love them. It's a joy to spend time with the ladies and invest in them. Of course, I wish I had more time to visit them in their homes or when they are in the hospital. 

Something the Lord has been teaching me this past year is that I simply can't do all I might wish to do, but I need to prayerfully consider how to use the available time He's afforded me. There's only so much time in a day, but there's also only so much bandwidth mentally and emotionally available to expend. Certain fixed responsibilities consume what we have to offer, and after that, we must divide up our resources carefully. This is a reality of aging for this writer, though others who know me best might say it's always been true, apparently I'm just now realizing it. Probably because I'm at capacity, or very near it, most of the time. 

I think in terms of "big rocks in the jar", and that is the monthly gathering for this ministry. There's planning and shopping, plus texting and emailing. Sometimes there are phone calls, but those are the smaller rocks. There's cleaning and food prep, the event, and then more cleaning and laundry and rest. There is card writing, because at least I can do that when the health challenges come. 

Goodbyes are hard. Seeing the strength of the ladies and their love of God is a gift, even as they diminish here. One sweet friend got to say goodbye to us all and that was precious. Another passed and we thought we'd see her again. And now another has left this temporary home and is with her King. In about a month's time, our group has lost these three sweet friends. It's helpful knowing our loss is Heaven's fullness! Each widow had beloved family that had gone on before them, and each loved God and was a born again believer. 

I hope I'm brave like those who were brave. I hope I love like these girls love. They have become such inspirations and a source of comfort to me the past 2 years. I'll miss JG, AMB and TL. It was a privilege to be involved in their lives in a small way. 

Grace- beautiful song from The Wilds

Grace from The Wilds

Our choir has sung this song and it's so beautiful. I'm finding less encouragement from CCM lately, and much more in songs or hymns like this. 

Singing praises to the Lord is a great way to bless Him each day. It is important to praise Him many times each day I'm finding. He is good. 

Funerals

We have had a couple of funerals recently, and they are always different, aren't they? Whether held at church or the funeral home, the music, the order of service, speakers, Gospel presentation...those things seem to set the stage so to speak. I've been really impressed by how the funerals capture the people being remembered and honored. Some are almost high energy with so much to say and see and learn. Others are quieter and more serious. Some have a holy reverence to them, others are trying to cheer us as the person did in life. Some make you think about how your own funeral will be; how will I be remembered? Have I done my best for Jesus? Still others are just a time to mourn and finally get to reflect on the life you will miss here on this side of Heaven. At todays, the seating was such that I just got to stand for a minute looking at many precious saints whose lives have touched my own tremendously the past two years. 

I am thankful for our precious church family. We've been through a great deal together. Not being involved in a church, serving, living, loving, and toiling together is choosing to miss out on the greatest blessing in the life of a Christian. Church life should fill most of our time outside of taking care of our family and work. It doesn't leave tons of time for other things, but it is so worth it. Those other things ideally will be serving your community and trying to reach them for Christ, or strengthening families God puts in your path. 

In this age of social media and internet, it can be easy to ignore the reality of serving in our community, but good societies are built on strong communities and communities are built on strong families. We're so fragmented in the USA for a variety of reasons, but we can counteract some of those if we will take the time to give of ourselves in person with the people living, working, and dying in our town.