"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17 (NLT)
A dear friend and I try to get together about once a week for coffee. During that time we share our hearts and news about whatever is going on in our lives. It has become a very important couple of hours in an otherwise hectic or humdrum week. If for some reason we are unable to get together, the week just doesn't seem complete. That may be the one time we speak with each other until we meet up again but we both look forward to it and are disappointed if it doesn't happen.
Last Friday, while speaking with her, I heard a common theme as she related her day to day life. She is overwhelmed by household responsibilities to the point of not being able to motivate herself to get anything done. Laundry and dishes seem to multiply and because of that she feels inadequate. Her focus becomes locked on what she hasn't been able to do to the point that she misses what she does accomplish. She is a registered nurse who works in a nursing home. She is in charge during the overnight hours and takes care of some very precious souls. She is a wonderful mother and very involved in her children's lives. She encourages them to reach for their dreams and does whatever she can to make it possible for them to do so. She is an adored wife whose husband is proud to walk through life beside her. Yet, she feels she is letting them all down.
As I listened, I felt the Spirit moving inside my heart. When she finished, I took her hands and told her to listen closely. "Your husband and children will not remember you for how well you washed the dishes or did the laundry. They love YOU. The impact that you are making on them goes so far beyond housekeeping. And you are loved totally and completely by Almighty God. He was with you in your mother's womb and knows each cell in your body intimately. The Holy Spirit carries your thoughts and feelings to Him so He knows exactly what you go through and He desires for you to walk in freedom and joy, not inadequacy." As she listened, tears fell from her eyes. My prayer as I saw each tear was for her to accept the truth and reality of Jesus so that she can be released from the turmoil she faces daily over her self-worth.
Each of us has expectations of what life is supposed to be like. We all have our own ideas of how to perfectly fulfill our responsibilities and relationships. The problem is that life's twists and turns rarely fit in with our perceptions. We have a choice. We can either blame ourselves for not living up to our own views of what we should be, or, we can allow the Lord to guide us through whatever our lives bring us. Life isn't scripted. It doesn't come with a perfect beginning, middle and end the way a good novel does. So we have to learn how to stay close to the One who knows what's coming next and allow Him to show us how to make it through.
We are so much more than our daily activities. Yes, there are duties to perform, jobs to go to, obligations to be fulfilled. All these things are temporary. We are created to live eternity in Heaven with our Father where we will have no tears, no sadness, no sickness. There we shall be as we were created to be and we will know how much we are loved and feel no inadequacy. For now, we need to keep our focus on the eternal rather than the mundane and listen for His encouragement along the way. God bless.
No comments:
Post a Comment