Any one in my family will tell you I love the water. There is something about a lake or a country creek. It's peaceful. I was thinking about one day many years ago. I had sat on my front porch looking across the street at the house where a young woman lived with her two little girls. She was there temporarily while her husband built her a new home. I was overwhelmed at the time. I had an angry husband, a growing church with tons of demands with three very small boys full on energy and very strong willed. If life would have let me, at that moment, I would have traded places with her in a heart beat. Just one lady who has a new home, who's parents lived nearby to help.She had her job and her family and that was it. Small little world all wrapped up in a pretty little bow. When she did go to church she just sat with her family. Then after that they would all leave together and have a great family dinner on as a Sunday tradition.She didn't have to receive mail from a few disgruntled people. Her mailbox was filled with nice magazines to buy beautiful things for her "NEW HOME." She never had to endure the long complaints from her husband listing the amount of things bothering him about the church.She didn't have all her time soaked up with meetings for the many hats she wore at her church.I'm sure she didn't have people complain about how unruly her kids were. For she didn't have to concentrate on anything but her small simple life. Her nails were done, her hair curled in every place.She could spend all the time she wanted on training her kids. Her time was their time. I watched her plant her garden with her girls.I sat and stewed. While her husband worked on their home mine was busy at the church working on people.They both had great careers and focused on family. We had the salary from the small church which wasn't much and spent our time nursing religious wounds and building the church. I read a quote today that I really loved.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Theodore Roosevelt
That day I was defeated in my calling.Today I stand called and ready to fight. Stop beating yourself up. Life has it's ups and downs. Ministry had a price. SELFLESSNESS Then I needed to sit by the still waters and I needed my soul restored. From time to time I still need my soul restored.
Let me read you Psalms 23
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
That day my need was great and I did WANT. Today my need is still great but I turn to my savior in whom all my needs are met.
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