Hat Tricks - Encouragement Café - October 29, 2015
Hat Tricks
Café Menu for Thursday, October 29, 2015
Today’s Special is: Being the Best Version of You
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Aj Luck
Main Ingredient:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10 ESV
Entrée:
Life is a giant hat rack. How many hats do you wear daily? Me?
Supportive wife
Thoughtful daughter
Encouraging mother
Reliable friend
Trustworthy employee
Inspirational author
Creative Illustrator
PTA supporter, carpool member, short order cook, household shopper extraordinaire, budget balancer, dog walker, cat pleaser, pooper scooper, and lastly, as my husband loves to call me, president of the ascetics committee.
Some days I want to hide under my covers and ignore my responsibilities all together. Responsibilities I’ve prayed and asked God for.
Am I the only one?
Exhausted, I climb into bed at night, my mind reels over all the things I should’ve done, could’ve done or even failed to get done. I beat myself up way worse than anyone else would ever do.
I wake up and start all over again. I want to be all things to all people. I mean isn’t that what the Bible says to do? Be all things to all people?
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:22-23 NIV
But if I’m being totally honest, trying to be ALL things to ALL people is extremely exhausting.
I feel guilty if I say no. I mean, what kind of CHRISTIAN would I be to deny someone who needs my help?
For me, my health took a turn for the worst in the last few years where I’m now unable to say yes to every request that comes down the pike. I feel terrible, literally, about having to say no; but sometimes, if we don’t learn to BE STILL life has a way of causing us to be still whether we want to or not.
The times we live in put a lot of demands on us as well as our time. We need to be able to look at all the requests objectively and honestly answer within ourselves if this is REALLY something we can take on. Will it add to the quality of our lives without sacrificing in another?
And on this final note, might I add… ask God what HE wants you to do.
Enjoy the life, time and family He has given you. J
Take Out:
The Bible says Let peace be the umpire of your soul. Allow Him to show you what to pick up and what to lay down.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 NIV
Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Nothing more, nothing less.
Dessert:
Dear Heavenly Father, remove anything in my life that is taking away from the life You have planned for me. Help me to say yes where I need to say yes and no to where I need to say no. Enable me to accomplish the tasks You have placed in front of me with grace and ease. Allow me to hear Your Voice and Yours alone when it comes to Your Plans for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
© 2015 by Aj Luck. All rights reserved.
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