When Planning Steals Your Joy

 

Any planners out there?  I'm one.  I love to plan.  I have daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, yearly goals, ....  well, you get my drift.  When I worked outside my home, I'd go into the office before my classes began and make my "to do" list for the day.  And, I'd check it off as the day went on.  I'd also add to it as needed, because let's face it, there's always something else that needs to be done.

As a stay-at-home, home-school mom and wife in ministry, my life may be vastly different than before, but my to-do list still exists.  And, sometimes, I get up in the morning and am already tired just thinking about what I need to get done around the house, with Ethan and Emily's schooling, and in preparing for ministry.  And, sometimes, I'd go to bed at night frustrated because not much got checked off that to-do list that day.  Please tell me you can relate, right???

As I was having one of those days where the to-do list seemed to be getting longer but every interruption kept making me put it off and I just got overwhelmed, frustrated, and started having myself a little pity party.  So, you know what I did?  I sat down on the couch, grabbed my cell phone, and started scrolling through Facebook (spiritual, right?? productive, yes??).  Sometimes, that app makes things worse...but, on this day, I saw a blog and read it and it was just what I needed from God on that day:  a gentle reminder to "do the next thing."

Elisabeth Elliott returned to the field where her husband was killed with her small child and continued the ministry God had given them there.  When asked how in the world she did it--she answered, "I did the next thing." (You can read the entire post here: Interview with Elisabeth Elliott: Do The Next Thing).  It also reminded me that we can plan our ways, but the Lord directs our steps (Proverbs 16:9). 

My days are filled with home schooling responsibilities, household chores, preparing for ministry (usually children's lessons), and managing our home.  Our ministry is very busy with church services five out of seven nights, late nights, and unexpected needs.  There are times when I'm so focused on my to-do list that I forget about why and for whom I'm doing it.  When this happens, the most important thing to do--build relationships with my Savior, my family, and others--falls to the wayside and suffers.

This reminder has been a game-changer for me in my life.  I still make my lists sometimes, but I've stopped obsessing over it.  And, when I do get up in the morning and look around my house and hear my kids make their never-ending petitions and start getting overwhelmed, I remember, "Do the next thing..."

So, single mom trying to hold it all together: do the next thing.  Young wife, going to school, working, and trying to meet the needs of those around you: do the next thing.  Mom of four, five and under, trying to manage your home and meet the demands of those needy, little munchkins: do the next thing.  Pastor's wife, youth pastor's wife, layperson in ministry, when the planning and the weight of ministry overwhelm you: do the next thing. That next thing may mean playing a game with your child, washing dishes, planning a lesson, sitting with someone and drinking coffee, or taking a few moments out of your busy day to simply rest.  Don't be like I was (and still am many days...because I'm just clay being molded in the Potter's Hands...): don't let the tasks of the day steal the joy that day awaits to bring you.  Every day is a gift.  Every cookie baked, conversation had, dish washed, and meal put on the table is a gift given to us by our loving, Heavenly Father.  Resting in Him and allowing Him to guide our steps to complete the next thing He has for us, will bring a daily peace and joy in the mundane and ordinary.  So, make your to-do list if you must, but allow your mind and day to be directed step by step by simply doing the next thing, finding joy in each task and a peace resting in your Savior's strength to get everything accomplished.  And, remember, sometimes that "next thing" that you need to do isn't on that to-do list you've made, and that's okay. It could be divine appointments set up to make the ordinary day extraordinary.

God Goes Before

I’ve mentioned here before a Bible study I do that was introduced by Mardi Collier.  This study (What Do I Know About My God?) has had such an impact on my life.  This week as we had our first mission conference of furlough, I was drawn back to this study and witnessed first-hand as God took care of me and met my needs. 

My God cares for me.  “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  ~ I Peter 5:7 

As we were headed out to our first conference, I must confess that I had lots of questions running through my head.  I had to confess the sin of anxiety for sure.  What would be expected of me?  Where would we be staying?  Sometimes it is difficult for me to sleep in a strange bed.  I have food allergies, so I wondered, would I be able to eat the food?

BUT…

My God goes before me.   “And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” ~Deuteronomy 31:8

I didn’t need to be anxious.  God reminded me once again that He goes before.  He knows my needs.  He cares personally for me.  

There were no overwhelming expectations of me at this conference and we had wonderful fellowship with the people of the church and the other missionaries.  We had a lovely place to stay and I had a great night’s sleep every.single.night.  The pastor’s wife and our hostess were very accommodating with my food allergies and I had more than enough food to eat!  

God is so good, but too often I forget.  I’m so thankful for the wonderful conference the Lord allowed us to participate in at the beginning of this furlough.  It was a special reminder from Him to me that He will take care of me.  

If you haven’t yet started your own knowing God notebook.  I would like to encourage you to do so.  It will help you to change the way you think during the everyday events of life.  

*photo is taken at the Kyoto Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Japan

Dog - A Family's Best Friend

Lassie

"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:" Proverbs 12:10a.

Our sassy Lassie has been a fifteen-year blessing. A friend surprised us with this Icelandic sheepdog / border collie blend when she was just a puppy. We think of her as part of our family.

Camping in Grundarfjörður

Is she worth it?

In a word, yes. 

Lessons

The children have learned so many lessons from caring for Lassie. When they were younger, care focused on daily chores until those chores became habits. Daily responsibilities included feeding, brushing, and caring for her outside needs. The kids have less-than-fond memories of cleaning up the backyard toting plastic bags after the snow melted in the spring. The amount of dog hair to sweep up every day is too much to explain. The care has shifted now that Lassie is older. She is either mostly deaf or just ignoring us - we are not sure which. At this age, it doesn´t matter. Her eyesight is cloudy, and her limbs are tender from arthritis. Their care for her now is focused more on comfort.

Fun

Saturdays at our house are rest or family days. Almost every Saturday morning we sit around the table sharing stories from the week, talking about politics, or arguing (family-friendly style) about some Bible doctrine. Lassie is always a part of this. She always cons one of us into sitting on the floor to pet her or into giving her breakfast left-overs. Most Saturday mornings end with our laughing at some silly thing that she has done. This dog has provided more entertainment for our family than any expensive entertainment system.

Comfort

Summer in the North Atlantic

Somehow she can read our spirits. My spirit was so sad after our Sarah Ann was still-born almost twelve years ago. There were days that performing basic mom functions like clothing and feeding the kids was all I had the energy to do. I remember sitting on our outdoor stairs with Lassie at my side. She knew I just needed someone to sit with me. Her quiet presence was such a comfort.

Protection

One evening when the kids were young and my husband was not home yet, a drunk man tried to break into the house. He was yelling, kicking, and trying to open the door.  I was holding it shut and trying to get it locked. Meanwhile, one of my sons ran downstairs to lock the other door. That was just in time since the man had also run downstairs and was trying to get in down there as well. He came back up and tried to get in again. The kids and I were scared. Lassie was barking.

As the man went back downstairs to try that door again, I put Lassie on her leash. She and I went outside while the kids locked the door behind me like I told them to do. They called their dad. Our sweet, gentle Lassie turned into a fierce warrior-dog. She chased that man away while pulling me on the leash. She and I chased him down the street. Wow, could that drunk guy run! Lassie and I went back to the house and stood guard outside until Patrick came home.

You might wonder why I didn't just call the police. I did. The guy on the phone laughed at me and asked what country I was from. They helpfully sent a patrol car to drive by the house six hours later. 

This was not the only time that Lassie warned us of intruders.

Lassie

Why talk about your dog?

Well, people often wonder what life is like living in a different country. Sometimes it is a real adventure. Sometimes, it's just normal. We have a dog. Her name is Lassie, and she is part of our family. This hairy beast has a part of our hearts and our memories. I don't know how much longer we will get to have our sweet, sassy Lassie, but she has been such a part of our lives, that she is worth mentioning.

Patrick and Vicki Weimer, in Iceland since 1999

Too far?

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

Jeremiah 29:11

Picking up my son from pre-school garden, I informed him that we needed to walk to the drugstore.

"I don't want to go. How far is it? Can I walk home by myself instead? It's too far!"
The whining and excuses seemed to just roll off his tongue as if practiced. As we walked, I was surprised with myself to find myself reasoning with him. He had to obey, but sometimes it helps if he knows the reason why we have to go and so forth.
"Son, we have to go. We need some things for the baby."
He replied, "Let's go to [the grocery store]... that's better." 
To which I cut in, "-But, we need some things from the drugstore. We also need milk, so we could go to [the grocery store] too."

The irony? The grocery store is a longer walk than the local drugstore.

This little conversation with my son got me thinking. Sometimes I have a similar conversation with my Heavenly Father: "Lord, I don't want to do that. I'm scared. It's too much to ask. What if I make a mistake/something goes wrong? -How far do you want me to walk????" Of course, I too have to obey, yet I am still somewhat timid- even knowing His promises.

Christ asks us to follow Him. It's far. It's hard. It's lonely. Many times, it seems too much to ask, and we are not told all the answers. Like my four year old, we demand the plan laid out before us like a map to follow. And then, so many times, we give up. We decide the price is too high. Whether it's finances, family, or pride, we deduct that something else is worth more than God's way. "It's too far. It costs too much. How about I do [this] instead." The irony? Our way is infinitely more difficult, further, and costly.

This is God we're talking about! -Not the whims of mere man. When God says, "Follow- there's an expected end" He means it!

Thankfully, each time I fail to make the right choice, God is standing by with forgiveness and grace. He doesn't leave me to pick up the pieces. He guides, teaches and directs me to follow Him yet again.

Some day when we reach heaven's gates, we, his disciples, will see just why it was worth it to follow Christ. And, on occasion we are given a glimpse of the rewards of our devotion.

I was delighted to find that my son understood tangibly that obedience is sweeter- the cashier gave him some candy. He even helped me carry the things home, having found the joy in obedience. May he always remember that there IS cost on earth to doing right, but there IS also sweet eternal reward.

Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off. Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. 

Proverbs 23:17-19

Hold on for Dear Life

   

    The following was written by my soon-to-be 16 year old daughter.

     Have you ever been on a ride and felt like you had to hold on for dear life, because you were afraid that you were going to fall off it? Maybe it was a literal roller coaster ride or maybe it was more metaphorical like a spiritual or emotional roller coaster. I personally have been on both and would like to share both of those stories with you.

     I first want to share the story of a literal fair ride that I rode when I was about 11 or 12 years old. I went to a fair with some family members and decided to go on a ride that took you upside down. The best way that I can describe the ride is that it was like a giant hamster wheel, and the long string of cars that all the people sat in was the like the hamster; and, of course, the ride took the "hamster" around and upside down in the "hamster wheel". I sat down in the seat, and a thin metal bar came down across my lap to secure me for the ride; and, yes, that thin metal bar was the ONLY thing securing me in that ride! I remember being a bit freaked out right before that ride started, knowing that was the only thing holding me in, but that small fear I felt, was nothing compared to the sheer terror I felt when I was hanging upside down at the top of the ride, realizing that my legs, which were braced against the small car I was in, were really what was holding me in that ride. I just remember screaming and praying the rest of that entire ride, that my legs wouldn't give out and that I would safely make it off that detestable ride. Once I was safely off the ride, I ran, completely shaken up, to my mom; and after I had relayed the whole story back to her, she then showed me a sign that was posted near the ride. It said that if you had trouble with your legs, you shouldn't go on that certain ride, because you had to use your legs in order to brace yourself! Honestly, to this day, I am still mind-boggled to think that people were actually allowed on that ride!

     Moving on to the next story I want to share with you. This metaphorical ride happened a few days ago. Just the other day, I was hit with a debilitating fear about my future. (Maybe you've been hit with a fear about your future too. Maybe it was a fear of going away to college or God calling you to a foreign mission field or never getting married or changing jobs or just a general fear of the future or something else.) This fear about my future, that hit me out of nowhere, was like nothing I had ever felt before. For two days, I flipped between having little snippets of peace and a type of fear and anxiety I'd never experienced. Interestingly enough, when all of this happened, my relationship with God was the strongest it had ever been; and when this fear came about, it caused me to be irritated with God. I felt like I couldn't even talk to Him or pick up my Bible, because when I did, I would have a sense of terror about it. After feeling so scared and helpless, I went to someone I knew I could trust and that I knew could give me some sound wisdom on the subject (at this point, my fear was pretty irrational and barely made sense). Once I explained everything I was wrestling with, and how anxious and scared I was, this person assured me that these feelings, restlessness and fear, that I was feeling, did not come from God.

     This person encouraged me to pick one of the names of God and think of him in that light. I decided on two, because they both pertain so well to my life right now. The first one is "Author of Life" which I thought was so fitting; because I was worried about my future, when I really don't have to be, since God already has it written out for me from beginning to end. The second one is "Prince of Peace," because he gives us "peace which passeth understanding" which is something that I definitely need to be reminded about.

     Finally, what I have learned is—life really is a roller coaster, and you really have to learn to hold on tight to God. I also saw these verses just today while reading my Bible, and I thought they went so well with everything I've written. They are a powerful tool to fight the kind of fear I have been feeling.

Proverbs 3:25&26 

Be not afraid of sudden fear (terror), neither of the desolation (trouble from) of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken (caught). 

Parenthesis added to provide extra definition

Doing It Again

Image by mohamed hassan, Pixabay

It seems like forever ago that my husband and I were young, and we moved to Spain with our baby, leaving our families, country, and everything we knew behind. We were ready—after all, we'd spent two years of deputation working towards that day. But, when we got buckled into our seats on the plane, we just stared at each other. This was real. This was awful. We began to talk about our feelings, none of them pleasant. What had we done?

That first day on the field was mostly spent in travel. Nothing looked like the slides we'd seen.

Our coming-to-the-field, whole-life change was over thirty-four years ago.

And now, we're doing it again. We're transitioning the church to a young, energetic couple. We're going through twenty years of accumulated stuff at home, sorting, pitching, asking others if they want things, making lots of trips to the recycling center, and packing up what we want to take.

As soon as we sell our house, we'll be moving back to our home country—though we feel more at home here. We'll once again be stepping out into the unknown and starting another adventure.

This time, we're old people. (How weird to actually say that!)

We've poured out our lives on the field of Spain, striving to be faithful, doing whatever was at hand. Between the two of us, we've built, cleaned, evangelized, made friends, planned camps, taught, preached, and worked with children, young people, and adults…. God has brought some souls to Himself.

The Lord has made His will clear to us that it's time to retire. (A misnomer, since we'll still be working.) But we'll be retiring from overseas missionary service. Someone once told us, "Re-tiring is getting tired again." We'll probably find that to be true.

My husband and I believe God makes His will clear and works out the details (Proverbs 3:5-6). Though this is a step of faith, we have already seen the Lord do the "impossible" in order to hasten our departure. Since we see His hand in it, we are following.

Honestly, my husband and I will always have a huge chunk of our hearts in Spain. We love the land, the people, the cultures, the lifestyle, the food…. We could go on and on. We'll miss it.

But, God is moving us.

When the Apostle Paul got moved around—which was frequently—he obeyed God's call. He was needed over here? Yep, going. He was needed somewhere else? On the boat, Lord. God told him to go somewhere else? On my way, entourage in tow. Preach all night? That, too.

So, what's our response? I'm getting real, here. My husband and I had two different responses. My husband's was more deliberate. He waited to be sure God was indeed moving us. My first response? Total panic. Though my head said it would be okay, my heart response was, "Oh my!"

Thankfully, after prayer, several obvious almost-miraculous confirmations, and many details coming together, we can clearly feel the Lord's nudge—towards a totally different life.

What's ahead? We have no idea.

Seriously.

But we can trust.

And, we can go, just as we did more than thirty-four years ago.

And, you know what?

God remains equally faithful.

My life verse is Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24). I'm clinging to it now.

Would you pray that God would sell our house, help us find a new one that will be good for us as we age, and that He would get the glory each step of the way? Would you pray for us as we start over again?

Thank you, and God bless.