Is it Good?

Today, in a world of hustle and bustle, we tend to think that the busier we are the better.  Is that always the best for us?  What is our duty as Christians?  Is it to be busy in His work?  Our churches seem to get bigger and bigger. With that growth many people can be consumed by every church activity, every day of the week.  Many of these ARE good and the people running them have wonderful intentions.  I have just been thinking if these churches and their activities were effective, wouldn't we see a change in our community?  Is our work and our busy-ness really communicating the gospel?   Or have our churches become something like a spiritual bar on Cheers where "everyone knows your name" but no one knows your heart?

The world is full of hurting people.  We are disconnected, alienated and alone.  Many people are looking for community in the social media only to be let down by the lonliness inside their own hearts when the computers are turned off.  Many people go to church week after week leaving unchanged.   Even ministry leaders are not immune.  Eighty percent of ministers believe that pastoral ministry negatively affects their families and seventy percent do not have someone they consider to be a close friend according to a study by Fuller Institue of Church Growth.  The Christian has lost touch with who we are.  We have focused only on the Great Commission, "Go and make disciples of all the nations. (Matthew 28:19-20) but forgetting the Great Commandment.  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37-40)  What does the Great Commandment look like?  It looks like taking the time to hold a hurting child.  Answer the phone call of a crying friend.  Rejoicing with a parent.  Encouraging your husband on a hard day.  All of these things don't ever fit into a busy schedule.  Our schedule needs to bend to them.

This is what has been on my mind today as I start another year of homeschooling. This year I have one trying to figure out college, two in high school, one in 5th grade and one crazy busy preschooler. Oh! And my niece joined us. She is trying to graduate in December. Some days I feel that I'm a human ping pong ball meeting the demands of all the different ages, all the different activities, oh! And the massive amount of food! Sheesh! And yet......

And yet, my God has said "Be still". Be still and let Him lead. Breathe and enjoy the treasures that have been given. Enjoy GETTING to be the one who tells a broken hearted child that he is loved. Enjoy being the one to tell these precious people that they are loved by the One who matters most. Enjoy leading these growing kids in loving each other. As I lean on the One who is in control of time itself, I can only then be effective in leading them to His throne! And THAT is good!