Live Simply

I do not have TV, Internet or phone service at the new house until next Monday. I also do not have rugs or sofas until my old house sells. (I am writing this post from the old house while the children are at Mothers Morning Out...but even my service here is going to be disconnected today.)

As much as I long for softer surroundings and some normalcy to our schedule, this simple, back-to-basics existence has been a nice reminder of what really matters. The children have been playing outside a lot--and there have been raucus soccer matches that have gone from empty room to empty room. We sit on the floor on pallets and pillows. This morning, we played shadow games on the bare kitchen floor. All the beds were made before we left for school and there was still time to play in the driveway for a few minutes.

I have been struggling for months with how to find the balance of ministry and motherhood. I am involved with 3 ministries that require at least 12 hours outside the home each week. I HATE missing the time with my children, but I feel like this is good work that is bearing fruit. I have prayed, sought wise counsel, searched my heart and what God keeps bringing me back to are the basics:

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)

Why do we make it so complicated? Jesus spoke very plainly: Love God with everything you have, then love others as much as you love yourself. The noise of life can distract us from the basics. God shows up when we get quiet and look for Him.

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. I Kings 19:11-12 (NIV)

Yesterday was a HUGE day for one of the ministries we support. People in our community have been praying for a ministry called Young Life to be established here for 10 years. My husband & I have been very involved since we moved here 4 years ago. It has been very difficult to be patient. We (and the rest of the committee) just wanted to know what we could DO to MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Last night, we interviewed the prospective new Area Director and spent time with his amazing wife. It was an awesome evening, as we sat around another committee member's living room and shared our testimonies, our hearts for youth, and how God had brought it all together. It had taken much longer than we thought it would, but peace permeated our meeting. God had worked out so many little details that it was like a beautiful, intricate machine with countless moving parts. As we sat together it was incredibly clear to me that THIS is what life is all about. Life is not about just getting through the day, the week, the month, showing up at our activities and marking things off our to do list.

Scripture is clear, the overflow of our love for God is to be used to love others. There is such need in this world. There are countless ways to show love--spiritually, emotionally and practically. Oh, how I long to model this for my children--and involve them in loving others even as young children.

I'll be offline until (SHUDDER) Monday...I might even have to break out an old journal and write the old fashioned way. I will be grateful for the return of my technology, but I do hope that the Lord will continue to remind me of the lessons I am learning in this season.