...you are bored.
You have heard of those parents who when hearing their kids are "bored," immediately respond by assigning the bored child some kind of a chore. Maybe you grew up in a home like that.
I don't remember experiencing boredom as a child. I have the blessing of having a sister very close in age. In our young years we were always using our imaginations in creative play, whether it was running a "restaurant," performing a two-person talent show, or making "handcrafts" that our parents felt obligated to buy from us in our little "bazaar."
I am also realizing you should not tell God you are bored. It falls in the same category as asking God for patience. :) You are bound to receive the answer to your prayers - but in unexpected ways.
Anyway, when I first came to Uganda, I had one primary job - to serve as the coordinator for the Child Development program (the ministry's sponsorship branch). But, I found myself being idle and having too much free time on my hands, which I did not like. Since then God has placed other roles and responsibilities in my arena. And I usually say, "I would rather be busy than bored." I think God heard me say that one too many times.
The Bible said God will not give us more than we can bear in terms of temptation. But I also believe that the same principle could apply to the responsibilities He gives to us. He won't give us more than we can handle - with His strength and grace to accomplish it. That is the key.
I am always mesmerized by juggling acts and have noticed that when there is more than one juggler in the act, they can handle multiple balls, even knives and other objects - more than one person could handle.
Timing and knowing your partner are crucial, otherwise you may miss a step, embarrass yourselves terribly, or worse suffer an injury.
My previous post was about not letting busyness and work come before my relationship with God. I am still learning this lesson - slowly. Again, I am grateful for God's graciousness and patience with me in this particular "classroom."
With what you are juggling today, are you in sync with your Heavenly Father?
I juggle often. Part of my character, let alone the everydayness of life. My thought re: you is that it's good that you are young-ish still. You'll have energy and understanding and a great desire to help others move forward with and for the Lord. Bless you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joanne, your comment and ever-present encouraging words! I, too, am thankful for the energy God provides - though sometimes I feel old. ;)
ReplyDeleteI always feel like I'm juggling a hundred things at once! It's good for me,though, if only because it draws me closer to God. Thank you for your testimony on that! As a side question, are the Ugandans just as addicted to "juggling" as Americans? (-:
ReplyDeleteWhat am I juggling? So much that I am guilty of doing a lot of time-wasting because I'm not sure where to start, or how to finish, all those things I'm tossing about.
ReplyDeleteDid that make sense?
I like the image of more than one juggler. I think Joanne and I help you juggle via our prayers. ;-)
Thanks for the good reminders.
Blessings.
Ha! I have also learned that you have to be careful for what you ask of God.
ReplyDeleteA few years back, I asked for "structure" in my life because I felt like, having no set schedule, it was hard to measure progress. But then God gave me a job teaching preschool, which was a little too much structure. I just don't seem to be created for a 9-5 job (or 8-12 in that case, which with me ended up 8ish-12ish). Plus the paid hours did not include prep time, which ended up taking away time from my volunteer ministries that are very important to me. So I only did that job for one school year.
Since then I have simply asked God that I may be "useful" for Him. My days may have no set structure, and I may not know what each day will bring, but my prayer is that I may not get in the way of them being used for His glory. After all, I remember a missionary once saying, "Sometimes... interruptions are the ministry."
Thanks for the blog, Ruthie. I really enjoy your posts.
May the Lord give you His strength and grace to accomplish what He wants for each day, and may He give you His peace as you trust in Him for those things that don't get accomplished.
~ Jennifer, Andy's friend from The Dalles.
Lauren, yes, one good thing about "juggling" is we realize even more our dependence on the Lord. No, Ugandans for the most part are not as "addicted" to juggling as Americans. I think sometimes they watch us and think we are a bit crazy with all of our running around. :)
ReplyDeleteDarlene, I can identify with those feelings of not knowing where to begin. I like the advice I received once at a journalism conference in reference to not knowing how to begin a paper. The instructor said to start with a paragraph. If you can't start with a paragraph, start with a sentence. If you can't start with a sentence, start with a single word. Sometimes, taking small steps can be the best start. Thanks, too, for your prayers! They are greatly appreciated. :)
Jennifer, it is great to hear from you! God certainly knows how to answer our prayers, most of the time, better than we can imagine. :) I like your prayer of asking God to help you be "useful" to Him. I believe He wants nothing more than for us to be willing vessels in His hands. And, yes, interruptions can definitely be the ministry. I just need to remind myself of that when I become frustrated with them. :) Thanks for reading and commenting!
Holding those little lives and praying 0ver each one as you send blessing for a future of them knowing Jesus is a full time job.
ReplyDeleteMay the Lord grant you wisdom and strength as you minister as His messenger.
Joyful Noise, thank you for the comment. I appreciate your prayers and blessing.
ReplyDelete