It's YOUR job

The past couple of weeks I have had my plate made for me, you know like when you were 10- and your mom would fix your plate at the all-you-can-eat buffet, but made sure it was portioned just right with all that you liked? God has been doing that to me.

God has called us all to be servants, not to be served... check Galatians 5:13. With that being said, God laid that calling on my heart at a very young age. I have always enjoyed serving others, whether it was my family, church, friends, or my husband. God has called/commanded us all to greatness.

In the past two weeks a friend of mine was re-injured and it affected an earlier injury from a few years back. Because of this I stepped up to the plate as a friend and co-worker and took over her work voluntarily. Also, I felt called to do it, you know, if I don't help then who can? Our school is low staffed with 40% being American teachers who volunteer. I also gave my word to help in anyway outside of school hours if she needed a meal, or an errand ran. I was and still happy to help!

A few days after this began, my husband then got sick. If any of you have ever known a man while he is sick, then you know the definition of pitiful, and what it feels like to lose all sympathy. (I am not a sympathetic person anyways! Ha!) But, our vows are "through sickness and health" like most marriages, so I gave myself day and night (literally through the night) as his care-taker, making sure he had everything he needed, and also taking care of his job while he was out of school.

If you are keeping up, that makes me doing my job at the school teaching Phonics to my 2nd graders and running a library, teaching a 3rd grade class for my friend, and also giving time to my husbands 6th graders who needed a teacher. Can you spell S-W-A-M-P-E-D? After a few days I was mentally and physically exhausted and didn't want to be wanted, especially by my needy, sick hubby.

On top of keeping up with all of that, I also had a personal life to take care of.

The day before yesterday (Monday) as I am headed home to a hubby who was getting over sickness, God asked me why it was I was doing all that I am? (let me add I also started a girls bible study for our 4th-6th graders this week, and I'm applying for college) It caught me off guard, because I'm like, "God, You know why I am doing it all. You have called me to be a servant. It's my job, and if I don't do my job then You will "fire" me and find someone else who will do the job...Your words says if I don't obey then You will say "I never knew you; depart from Me..."" (Matthew 7:23)
(fun fact: Tuesday while giving my friend's 3rd graders their Bible lesson this verse showed up; talk about God making Himself real!)

I NEVER, ever want to hear that, and I pray you don't either! I never want to be "fired" from a job/command that God has FIRST told me to do. I refuse to be like Moses and have my brother get the call.

John 14:15 
If you love Me, keep My commandments. 

1 John 2:3-4
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

Quoting a dear friend and mentor, "We have to be so careful..." not to throw God's commandments to the wayside. Not only is it disobedient as God's children, but it also makes our very jealous God angry. Our greatest obstacle is ourselves when we limit God and how He wants to work in us.

Exodus 4:10-13
Then Moses said to the Lord, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." So the Lord said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing or the blind?  Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say." But he said, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send."

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Here are the few girls that came to the first Bible Study meeting.
(It's an all girl Bible study)

"Ursula"

Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, [according to the power that works in us.]

The power in me is a power of healing. It is the same power that has performed miracles (Talitha Cumi; Luke 8:49-56), raising the dead to life (Lazarus; John 11:38-44). It is the same power that has power to give us financial support out of thin air. It is the same power that makes this journey possible, when in shouldn't even be possible. If THAT power can do all of that, then it can heal a 3.13cm, ovarian, Chocolate cyst, named "Ursula". Jesus bore stripes for this very reason. What Satan might want to use as a weapon to steal my joy will actually be the thing that draws me nearer to God. I mean, I serve a Jesus that rose AND conquered the grave! That is power!!(Luke 24)

I don't know what any of you might be struggling with, but take a moment and remember all the MANY things God has brought you through. He is a God that is for us. (Jeremiah 1:8)

James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

His word doesn't say IF we fall, it says when. We are always going to face trials, some may be simple, one day trials; others may go on for months. I love that His word says to have joy, not because God is keeping tallies on your emotions, but because He wants our faith to GROW.  Will it still grow if we let our trials put us in the dumps, yeah, maybe, but not efficiently, and not with the perseverance you will need for the next one.

In verse 4 it says, but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  Patience is a word and definition that I have not yet grasped as well as I would like to admit. However, it says let patience have its perfect work, because we all know that God's timing is perfect timing, and when it is His timing every thing is perfect and complete. It also says I will lack nothing. SO... when it's in God's timing it will be perfect, complete, and I will lack nothing.

.........WOW!!!

Maybe you have asked God to help you be more patient, and for that, I applaud you, especially if you handled the test He gave you like a boss. You deserve a standing ovation. I have asked for patience more than once, twice.... about 20,000 times in my 22 years, and each time there is a ridiculous test ( because God likes to test, and then show you the lesson ). I fail that test, every. single. time. So I learned recently, and by myself, to ask for peace and acceptance of what He wants. It worked. I felt peace immediately about what the outcomes could be, and I accepted it........

John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.