Thursday Freewrite

Today I sit quietly. I wait and listen. I am back on even keel. I counted about seven days lost because of "robbed joy" after the most joyful of summers. When I sat and listened, I put a plan in action. Then came the test. All that was within me wanted to give in to my need to be helpful! But God had given me a service plan that did not include the request before me. I told my accountability people that I almost gave in and would do the service quietly so they would not know about it. (I could make the time, but it would have been at the expense of other things. Not a God's plan, my own. Good things, but they were not GOD'S BEST THINGS.) But I prayed some more, and God was very clear that He had given me those orders that I specifically wrote out in my last "well-watered soul" update on this very blog. So, I must obey, even though disobeying would look like servanthood.

So, I said, "No." Then there was this amazing sense of freedom and peace. Had I said, "Yes," it would have led to dread. 

Sister Joan had said that I could modify and set time limits to my service. I always think that is so selfish. Where does that come from? I do think that my mom would serve and give and give and give some more. So, I know that she had trouble setting boundaries when it came to service too. My dad, no so much. He was a big servant, always towing people's broken down boats as we sat in the hot boat. But it was always such an adventure of servanthood. He always made it so fun! He always made a friend through the service, and we received blessings (like the time the houseboard overturned and dumped all its new contents into the water, and my dad coordinated three boats that towed an upside-down houseboat to the nearest dock miles and miles away. The owner told us we could have all the contents we could find at the bottom. My brother and I dove down to the bottom and pulled a treasure trove of contents up. Forty cans of POP was our biggest joy, but I think my dad was more excited about the Sears Battery that he traded in for $40! Hey, it is just dawning on me that my dad had us do all the pulling up. Free labor! HEY! LOL!)

So, obedience is better than sacrifice. It is best to chose the best rather than the good or better. God's plans are always the best.

So, here I sit with an agenda for today.

I will start a new ministry season. It started out with just two people, but now there are two more who are interested in joining us. I love this ministry that God has given us, and I get to do it with the two women that I invested in 10 years ago.

Then, I think we will be going on.

Got a very sweet message from my other boss this morning telling me how much she loves the "positive energy" I bring to the gym. That was nice to hear. 

Well, I only have 1:45 left to go, and the last freewrite I did ended up being more 45 minutes than 15! SO, I will end this and . . .

1) Meditate on Psalm 46:10 AGAIN (Theme verse for the rest of the year)

2) Upload the rest of my pictures to Shutterfly

3) Lifts weights

4) Walk with Katherine

5) Work on ministry manual

Peace out!