Sometimes it's the little things....

I was talking with a wonderful woman "Karen" the other day who I’ve known  for over 11 years.  I’ve watched her go from standing on stage singing in our worship team to slowly loosing her ability to walk, to being wheelchair bound due to the ravages of MS.  She has had quite a journey.  She was a pillar at an International corporation, has since retired and now volunteers in our church office and our handwritten card ministry.  I had the awesome pleasure to be able to sit with her for about an hour the other day.  I hadn’t planned on it, but you know how God’s schedule can differ from our own sometimes.  She kind of looked sad so I was just trying to find out what was going on and encourage her a little bit.  Since I’m studying to be a Life Purpose Coach and it’s my hearts desire to help women find their purpose, of course I asked her what she was passionate about?  She thought about it and said she really didn’t know.  Not unusual. We talked a little more and as she started to verbalize what she likes to do and how she sees God using her (we women need to talk things through don’t we?). She told me how God has used her service dog, Emmy, to meet so many people!  Emmy is an adorable yellow lab and my friend's canine soul mate! People love to come up to Emmy, pet her and start talking with my friend.   She was amazed at how people opened up to her.  "Karen" has a HUGE capacity to love and it gives her an  opportunity to listen, empathize and minister to hurting people. She realized if it weren’t for her MS, she wouldn’t have Emmy and she wouldn’t be meeting all these people.  She calls it her “Emmistry”!!! I love that!!!  But what struck me was something she shared with me that God has been dealing with in my own heart.  She felt that unless she was doing something that effected a huge group of people (like speaking before an audience), or was impacting hundreds of peoples lives it really wasn’t that significant!  I’ve struggled with this myself.  When I first started this journey a year ago, I thought I had to be the next Beth Moore in order to be effective for the kingdom.  As if fame is the only marker for eternal success.  Now, in my head I know better, but I think the culture we live in fosters this idea that fame=success.  And I bought into it.  I’m not proud of it, by any means, and it ended up scaring me to death.  I can’t live up to that? I’m not qualified, I’m no expert!  So I would be frozen in fear and not do anything!  And God gave me this amazing word, “don’t look at the ministry, look at the heart of my people.”  And that’s what it’s all about isn’t it?  It’s not about the marketing, or the number of “likes” you have on your page.  It’s about the people you encounter in your daily life.  The lives you touch and influence by being in relationship with them.  Yes, Jesus spoke to multitudes, but mostly he ministered one on one.  When He healed people it was my touching them, up close and personal.  Don’t ever downplay the ministry you do day to day, with your kids, with the people you work with or even your spouse. Bigger is not always better.  “You were born to make a Christlike difference in hundreds of ordinary ways, not to ignore or avoid the present opportunities  while looking for a bigger, more noticeable project.” - Katie Brazelton.  I can't tell you how this resonates with me.  Each day I have to die to my expections and just ask God, "what is it you want me to do today for You?"

So I hope to encourage you to be mindful of the little things you do, the people you meet day to day and recognize that they are all divine appointments! Do today what God is calling you to do. Let God handle the “big picture”.  Glorify God in EVERYTHING you do, no matter how big or small.  But most importantly, when we invest ourselves other peoples lives, the payoff is not only eternal, it’s priceless!

The Circle of Life

My daughter is leaving for her first year of college. As the time get closer and closer I couldn’t believe the overwhelming sadness.  Really?  I mean, thousands of mothers go through this every fall and somehow survive, why is this taking me by surprise?  As I was walking two days before she was to leave, I came upon a house that I frequently pass by.  Every morning when I drive or walk by this particular house, I see this young mom outside with her two little girls.  Her hair is a little messy, dressed in sweats/pj’s with a cup of coffee in her hand and a smile on her face.  You can tell she just loves being with her little ones. Whenever I see those girls out riding their bikes or playing outside, mom is never far away. It so reminds me of when my kids were little.  Her house is even the exact same kind of split-level we lived in! When my kids little and we were outside, I was ALWAYS with them.  I may have been too protective, but they were never out of my sight.  And I loved playing with them! We did everything together, wash the car, gardening, baseball, baby pool.

So yesterday, when I was struggling with the grief of Nicki going away to college I decided to walk and really ask God “how am I supposed to navigate through this difficult transition?  I mean, this is way harder than I thought it would be.”  Well, there I see the young mom and I’ve always wanted to stop and talk to her, and today seemed like the day.  I walked up and told her I always noticed her out with her kids.   I said “My oldest daughter is leaving for college in two days….”  And with that I burst into tears!  She was very understanding.  I quickly recovered and started to tell her the joy I get from seeing her with her kids because it instantly takes me back 16 years ago.  I told her what she is doing, the time she is spending with her girls is one of the most important things she can do with her life.  I encouraged her that when it’s so hard staying at home with your kids because it can be mind numbing or tedious, don’t ever doubt you are making the biggest contributing to our future society! Even though you don’t get a raise, a promotion or award, the REward she will receive when her girls are older is immeasurable.  She agreed and said there’s nothing else she would rather do.  I could tell that she got it.  So I quickly went on my way, and that's when it hit me.  It’s the circle of life!  I felt like God was showing me how life goes on. It has to! I HAVE to let my girl go.  I can’t afford the luxury of being sad because she is leaving.  It’s her time.  It’s her journey now.  She has to go and start her life, apart from me (not too far apart :) It’s her turn to learn from life; experience the tough things that make you grow and the joys that are richer than you ever thought possible.  And who knows, maybe some day she will have the amazing honor of seeing her daughter go off to college.   Maybe she too, will raise a daughter smarter, stronger and lovelier than her.  Just like I did. 

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss