It is
Thursday, September 10th. I am sitting here in the loft of the house
we are staying in this month. I have been sick for several days (with a head
cold mostly and exhaustion and feeling extremely weak). Through all of this
though, God sure is teaching me a lot!….
It’s
funny that our ministry this month is “serving” and God is teaching me just the
opposite: “receiving.” Certain aspects of serving (cooking, cleaning, chores,
household things) come very natural and easy for me. However, receiving is
something that I do not do well. I don’t really know how to receive
compliments, receive gifts, receive rest, etc. I am also not the best when it
comes to “nurturing” and serving someone when they are sick or in pain. So I
know God is stretching me in these areas.
Laying
here in the “attic” not being able to help out or serve really bothered me at
first. It’s hard to have two people on our team sick (Renee and I) and not able
to help out. And it’s really frustrating to feel my teammates frustrations with
us down two people. However, I know that it is just as stretching for me to not
be able to serve as it is for my teammates to have to step up to serve. I am
convinced that God has each of us exactly where He wants us.
Throughout
this race I have noticed that Renee, Jenni and I are very busybodies. Our whole
lives we have always been the “go-go-go” type people. We have always been very
independent and could always handle everything on our own without the help of
others (so we like to think). So we have found it quite humorous that Renee and
I have been put in our place of rest for a bit. We keep teasing Jenni that if
she overworks herself she better watch out b/c God will make her rest.
I am
thoroughly enjoying serving our squad. It is really nice to have more of a
normal day to day “American” lifestyle here in Romania. Many of us feel like
this month is preparing us for our re-entry back in the States. I look back to
my last year of living in the States before I came on this trip and wonder how
the heck I did all that I did. I filled up every single minute of every hour in
every day and never stopped. It is nice to finally incorporate a true Sabbath
day into my life now. That is something I will definitely bring back home with
me. I never realized how vital it is in my relationship and intimacy with God.
I am definitely learning how to balance my relationship with God with my life
of ministry.
Praise
God for continuing to teach me and mold me into the daughter He created me to
be.
