Learning to Rest

   I don't know about you, but I am very good at doing things. By doing things I don't mean I do a lot of things well, though I do some well. What I mean is I am good at keeping myself busy. I am good at reminding myself of what needs done in my life and doing my best to get it done when it needs to get done. I may not like doing it but I am good at getting it done.

   I'm good at staying busy. I'm good at overthinking every little thing I need to do and sometimes thinking about the things I've gotten done. When I think about the things I've gotten done it is an encouragement, usually. Sometimes it is a burden because I think I could do those things better. But the point is, I'm good at staying busy.

   I'm good at being a Martha. You remember Martha from the Bible? She's the one who cooked and cleaned for Jesus and his disciples. She's the one whose sister, Mary, sat at Jesus' feet instead of helping Martha. She's the one who Jesus reprimanded for yelling at her sister to come help her with the food. Jesus wasn't upset at Martha for all the things she was doing. He was saying that all those things were getting in the way of what is really important: spending time with him.

   Sometimes I think we use busyness as an excuse. We have a long to do list and we want to get it done asap. But, have you ever noticed that our to do list just keeps growing. No matter how much we get done, more still comes that we need to do. That to do list has a horrible habit of getting in the way of spending time with God. Think about the last time you tried to spend time with God. Were you actually present and focused on him or were you focused on the things that needed to get done? I've done it both ways, as I'm sure you have as well. 

   I think many of us could all use a lesson in stopping, spending time in silence, being present with God, and resting in him. When we rest in him, we regain strength to do what needs to get done. We are polishing our armor, if you will, to prepare ourselves for what we need to do and the battles we may face each day. That's why resting in him is so important: it gives us a relationship with him, gives us rest, and helps us grow in him.

   So, have you been too busy lately? How can you spend time with God each day?

The Sacrifice of Mothers

   Last year, on Mother's Day, I delivered a sermon on Hannah's story from the Bible. During that sermon, I said something that scared my father. I said, "I am not a mother, YET." After the sermon, my dad questioned me and I just rolled my eyes. This year is different; I am technically a mother now as I am carrying a child in my womb. There are times it doesn't feel like it, but it is true that I am currently a mother to a child I haven't met yet. There are even times when I ask my husband, "do you think I'm going to be a good mom?" He usually says, "you already are."

   The prospect of being a mother is scary. I mean, you are bringing a little child into the world who solely relies on you for everything. On top of that, the world we live in can be scary. Then there's all the things you don't think about or know until they happen. I didn't research anything on pregnancy, childbirth, or raising a baby until I became pregnant. There's a lot to think about and there are a lot of opinions out there. 

   Then you have the fact that complications arise. In past Mother's Day blogs and sermons I have talked about how much mothers sacrifice. While no one may tell you this, the sacrificing begins once the baby is in the womb. Aside from all the symptoms you may hear about, there are the ones you don't want to think about. Symptoms like Gestational Diabetes. This is what the doctor diagnosed me with.

   Gestational Diabetes sounds like you just have to focus on not eating sugar but there's more to it than that. I need to count my carbohydrates at every meal, eat half a plate of vegetables at every meal, eat protein at every meal and snack, and eat small snacks throughout the day. I'm only allowed to have 30-45 grams of carbohydrates at each meal. I'm pregnant; this is the time I am to be enjoying being able to eat pretty much whatever I want (I was avoiding sugar most of the time before this) but instead I'm hungry most of the time. 

   Before I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, my husband kept saying something to me whenever a symptom would come up or when I would get overwhelmed. He would say, "we've entered our time of sacrifice." Being parents, being a mother, requires sacrifice. You give up your time, money, and health to do what is best for your child. And, yes, it can be annoying at times. I don't like the fact that I have to say no to sugar when we are at family get togethers. I don't like that I feel tired a lot lately. But I know that I'm sacrificing for someone I love, even if I haven't met them yet. That's what love requires: sacrifice. 

   Jesus was the one who ultimately sacrificed for all of us. He loved us enough to give up his life. When I am struggling with things happening in my life, I can look at him and thank him for what he did. I can try my best to emulate him and show his love to others. That's what we are all called to do each and every day.

   Happy Mother's Day to all mothers and mother figures out there. I hope you know how appreciated you are, even if you don't always hear it. Know that your sacrifice is worth it.

Active Listening

    Listening: it is not easy for some people. We talk a lot about listening with students. When you work with 3–5-year-olds listening is hard. Children don't like being told what to do. They want to do what they want. But that's not how the world works. Many times, we cannot do what we want to do whenever we want to do it.

   That's why we teach the skill of listening to students. We tell them their ears need to be open wide. Their mouths need to be zipped. Eyes are looking at who is talking. And their body is still. That's how you are an active listener. But listening doesn't just involve hearing.

   Listening involves doing as well. When we are asked to do something, we should do it right away all the way. That means we don't wait; we try to listen as quickly as possible. And we don't do things part of the way we complete what we are asked to do. 

   It sounds easy in certain ways, if you are used to listening, but how are you at listening to God? Romans 10:17 says: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." That means to be listening to God we need to dig deep into his word, so we know what he is asking us to do. It means we need to be in communication with God. Communication is not a one-way thing. We don't just talk when we pray. We need to be actively listening for God’s nudging. No distractions. No talking. No doing other things. We are in silence and solitude.

   Then, when we do hear from God, we need to listen right away all the way. James 1:22 says: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Yes, we are to take time to be and be still. But if that's all we, do we are missing out on the mission God has given us. That's why it is so important to be actively listening to God.

   So, are you spending time with God each day? Are you actively listening to Him? If he calls you to do something, will you listen right away all the way?