Sitting in the den and looking around at the plastic tubs that were sorted through today. Stacks and stacks of stuff to take to Nicaragua, a tub of clearance office supplies I have picked up since I work from home, a tub of items I've saved from my trip to Thailand a few years ago & stuff I've saved from living in NYC. Piles of Bible Studies. And stacks of files that I'm currently working on. The room looks like that TLC show about Hoarders-Buried Alive. The cat even got scared as she was investigating! Thankfully, it's all controlled chaos, and much of it will be leaving soon.
Monday I got to babysit for a new family. I watched the cutest little 18 month old boy while his mom ran to a Dr appointment. He was sure busy, but a lot of fun. It was a good morning. Staff meeting in the afternoon was pleasant and informative. That sure makes things nice.
Yesterday's Bible Study was great, as always. Can you believe that I'm finding the book of Numbers interesting?? Studying the Bible chronologically really makes a difference. Large group lecture and small group discussion was so good. I joined Donna, Anita and Monica for lunch at the old location of the Crumpet Tea Room. It was a lot of fun and tasty, too! I came home mid-afternoon and got a lot of work done throughout the evening. It was fun to think about all the different projects that I'm currently working on. God called me to International Missions and allows me to be involved even from the good ole USA. Last night I was working on the new Friday Community Lunch program for here in Rogers, the College Mission Team to Dubai UAE, the Youth Mission Trip to Nicaragua, and planning for my trip to work with missionaries from FBCR in India and Dubai. Even though I'm not living overseas full time right now, I can be involved in sharing Christ around the world. God has blessed me so much.
Today I was blessed to work from home all day. The reason for the tubs all over my den! I had my list of items to accomplish, and actually checked most of them off, but still ended the day feeling behind. Lots of phone calls and emails. But I like being busy. Although, it's starting to interrupt my sleep, when I wake up at 4 and 5am thinking of all the things I need to accomplish before I leave for Nicaragua in 2 weeks. The important thing is to pay attention to what God is asking me to do and when. When it's His plan and His timing, it's not stressful.
One thing that God showed me in Bible Study this morning has really hit home for me. The Israelites were traveling around the desert at God's direction. It seemed uncertain and purposeless to them. They never knew when God would direct them to pick up and move to another place. They never knew how long they would be there. They needed to live as mobile as possible, not encumbered by lots of 'things'. The Bible Study author said it was like 'boot camp' for them, to prepare them for the things to come and be endured in their future.
I thought back over my life of moving and starting over again and again with nothing much (due to long distance moves, divorces that left me with almost nothing, sleeping on people's sofas or screened-in porches, etc). These times have really brought me to the place in my life where I don't want to own much at all in material things, I'm able to sleep just about anywhere on any type of bed or sofa, and embracing the feeling like I'm a citizen of God's world and willing to go wherever God sends me. I'm not sentimental over things anymore. I care more about relationships. I don't get too sad when I have to leave people for awhile (there are some exceptions), and I have a grateful attitude about interacting with people that I might only meet once on this earth. I know that I will see every Christian when we get to Heaven. It's more like all being in the same big house and going into different rooms for a while. You don't see each other, but you know you are together in God's eternal Kingdom. A friend used to say 'see you here, there or in the air'. I just loved that! God's kingdom is not limited by man's territorial boundaries. If we are all children of the King, we are in His creation together forever more!
Tomorrow morning I get to babysit for a short time for Deanna's great-granddaughter until she gets home from taking other grandkids to school. Allie is so cute. It will be fun to play with her little self! Later in the morning I will be talking by phone with a new friend in South Carolina. We were introduced via facebook by a mutual friend that I met while serving in nyc. This lady is beginning a journey in full-time missions and is wanting to discuss support-raising. That's a very humbling subject and a very serious opportunity to fully rely on God for EVERYTHING. I look forward to getting to know MaryLu, even though it's long distance. How fun to meet Christians in any way that God presents them!
Time for bed. If I can find my way through all this 'stuff' in the room. I'll be glad to get it all out of here and to places where it will be put to good use. For now, I'll thank God for His blessings in letting me be involved in blessing people with it. He knows everyone's needs and how to provide for them. What fun to be included in the process!
No comments:
Post a Comment