Reason #616
Oh my word, today was ridiculous. I left work an hour late, full of frustration and completely stressed out. I thought about all of the things I wanted to get accomplished tonight and the fact that I had already lost an hour didn't make me feel any better. I decided to grab a sandwich for dinner and waited in line FOREVER only to find out, when I got home, the sandwich I thought I was ordering was not the sandwich I received. Oh well. I told myself to stop. To quit stressing out. Things would either get accomplished or they wouldn't, but either way, it wasn't the end of the world.
My bible study group is going on a retreat tomorrow. As tired as I am, and as much as I would like to lay around and do absolutely nothing all weekend, I am really looking forward to getting away. There's just something really incredible about getting away from your home to a place that's secluded. A place where you aren't distracted. Where nothing is competing for your attention. A place where you can just spend a good day and half focusing on the Lord. Where you can just soak up His presence. A time that is set aside to do nothing other than encounter Him.
I used to go on retreats at least once a year, but it has been a few years since I've had the opportunity to get away and be fed. Today, I realized I am in serious need of this weekend because I am just so worn out. Feeling as if I am pouring myself out in so many different directions, and I desperately need to be filled. I need to be poured into, rejuvenated. And so I can't wait. I am expecting and confident that God is going to do incredible things, as He always does.
You know, I'm really starting to learn a lot about serving others and about how bad I am at doing it. Seriously, I am. I don't always have an issue with serving others, but I don't always have a joyful heart about it. Just like at 5:30PM today. Not a joyful heart about staying at work late to serve the late comers, but it's my job to do that. Ideally, I'd like to magically disappear at 5:00PM or just do it Post Office style and tell people too bad so sad. But that's not what a servant does. And a servant does not whine about serving people other. They seek to serve. Look for opportunities to serve and gladly do it. Yet so often I find myself serving and complaining about it because truth be told, I want to be served instead. And this week, I found myself doing something out of the norm by serving people in the evenings. The first hour or so was fine, but by the third hour I was done. My feet hurt, I was sweaty, my head ached, and I was tired. Tired of smiling and asking what people would like. Tired of being uncomfortable and unhappy about giving up so much of my free time. But isn't that was true service really is? Giving of ones self, time, energy, and efforts regardless of how fun, convenient, or comfortable it might be.
So I don't know that I quite have a servant's heart, or at least an authentic one, and do you think serving really counts if you complain about it (even when you don't voice it)? Well, that's why I am really looking forward to this weekend. I am looking forward to being in the Lord's presence and being filled. Because I think the Lord desires to pour into our lives. After all, Jesus came to serve. To meet us at the well so that He could fill us. And if we want to follow His example of serving, we've got to meet with Him so we'll not only know what to do but will be able to actually do it. Because when we meet with Him and He fills us, serving not only becomes so much easier, it comes naturally.
#616 - For time to get away and be filled.
"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically." - Romans 12:10-11
My bible study group is going on a retreat tomorrow. As tired as I am, and as much as I would like to lay around and do absolutely nothing all weekend, I am really looking forward to getting away. There's just something really incredible about getting away from your home to a place that's secluded. A place where you aren't distracted. Where nothing is competing for your attention. A place where you can just spend a good day and half focusing on the Lord. Where you can just soak up His presence. A time that is set aside to do nothing other than encounter Him.
I used to go on retreats at least once a year, but it has been a few years since I've had the opportunity to get away and be fed. Today, I realized I am in serious need of this weekend because I am just so worn out. Feeling as if I am pouring myself out in so many different directions, and I desperately need to be filled. I need to be poured into, rejuvenated. And so I can't wait. I am expecting and confident that God is going to do incredible things, as He always does.
You know, I'm really starting to learn a lot about serving others and about how bad I am at doing it. Seriously, I am. I don't always have an issue with serving others, but I don't always have a joyful heart about it. Just like at 5:30PM today. Not a joyful heart about staying at work late to serve the late comers, but it's my job to do that. Ideally, I'd like to magically disappear at 5:00PM or just do it Post Office style and tell people too bad so sad. But that's not what a servant does. And a servant does not whine about serving people other. They seek to serve. Look for opportunities to serve and gladly do it. Yet so often I find myself serving and complaining about it because truth be told, I want to be served instead. And this week, I found myself doing something out of the norm by serving people in the evenings. The first hour or so was fine, but by the third hour I was done. My feet hurt, I was sweaty, my head ached, and I was tired. Tired of smiling and asking what people would like. Tired of being uncomfortable and unhappy about giving up so much of my free time. But isn't that was true service really is? Giving of ones self, time, energy, and efforts regardless of how fun, convenient, or comfortable it might be.
So I don't know that I quite have a servant's heart, or at least an authentic one, and do you think serving really counts if you complain about it (even when you don't voice it)? Well, that's why I am really looking forward to this weekend. I am looking forward to being in the Lord's presence and being filled. Because I think the Lord desires to pour into our lives. After all, Jesus came to serve. To meet us at the well so that He could fill us. And if we want to follow His example of serving, we've got to meet with Him so we'll not only know what to do but will be able to actually do it. Because when we meet with Him and He fills us, serving not only becomes so much easier, it comes naturally.
#616 - For time to get away and be filled.
"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically." - Romans 12:10-11