Accomplishments, disappointments, goals....
Tonight in our College Coffee House Bible study Eric asked three questions:
1. What are you proud of that you accomplished this year?
2. What are you disappointed that you didn't follow through with this past year?
3. What are your goals for the upcoming year?
As I sat in the midst of everyone pondering these questions I came to a few answers:
1. I became MDO Director this past year. This was a difficult task for me because first of all I have never worked with young children and really never saw myself in that sort of ministry at all...ever. It takes special people to get in the trenches and work with other peoples' kids. Snaps to all who do it on a regular basis because you have more patience than me. But, I got in there and got a dose of God in the midst of doing a "job". He showed me that children are truly a blessing. They are intelligent, compassionate, and wonderful people who do not need to be overlooked in the church. They need a voice to speak for them and proclaim how wonderful they are. God showed me that I CAN work with kids and be just as effective as if I were working with youth or college kids. I found out that He can use me however He chooses and I cannot set up fences and say, "I'll never do that...", or "God didn't equip me for that ministry...".
2. I am a little disappointed in myself for making promises that I didn't keep. Ryan and I purchased the Topical Memory Verse kit and committed to memorizing a verse per week. We got to about 4 I think. I'm not sure why this is such a struggle for me, but it is. Memorization of any kind is difficult for me...but, why can I remember the words to silly songs that I haven't heard since I was a child? Or, why can I recall what happened when we traveled to the Grand Canyon when I was six years old? I so desperately want to follow through with memorization because there are so many opportunities to share Jesus with people I come into contact with on a daily basis and I know there is a verse that will speak to their need and I know sort of where it's found and can kind of quote it, but it's definitely not spot on. **mental note: need to work on this**
3. Goals for this year. One of my main goals is to let go of stuff. I need to let go of what I think God is trying to show me and just let Him show me. So many times I try to force God's hand when He may be trying to lead me down a different path or no path at all. He may just want me to be still for a moment instead of running around doing "stuff". He may be calling my name and I'm too busy to hear Him. I just want to know WHEN He is calling and not make it into MY will....I want HIS will.
Tonight was my last practice with our praise and worship band. I have sung with them now for like 7 or 8 years. It's been my ministry (on top of all the other stuff I've done). I have been so involved in so many things (youth, college, music, MDO, womens' ministry, Sunday School, etc.) that I think that I have forgotten to just be still and listen. Not that I have forgotten HOW to listen...I have just NEGLECTED to listen. Sunday will be my last official day to sing with them and I will miss it terribly, but I'm pretty sure my focus has moved from God to myself. I have begun to focus too much on the music and technicalities of the sound of what we are doing and have forgotten to focus on who I am worshiping. It's sad, really. God is moving me to be someone different. My second goal for this year is to find out where God will use me next. I want to see where He will use me differently and who I will influence in a new circle of people.
I hope that you will ponder these questions for your own life. Write them down somewhere that you will remember to look at them and in a year from now look back over how God is working in your life. I know it helps me to see where I have followed and where I have failed, but makes me more dependent upon my Creator and keeps me in tune with what He really is doing for and through me.
1. What are you proud of that you accomplished this year?
2. What are you disappointed that you didn't follow through with this past year?
3. What are your goals for the upcoming year?
As I sat in the midst of everyone pondering these questions I came to a few answers:
1. I became MDO Director this past year. This was a difficult task for me because first of all I have never worked with young children and really never saw myself in that sort of ministry at all...ever. It takes special people to get in the trenches and work with other peoples' kids. Snaps to all who do it on a regular basis because you have more patience than me. But, I got in there and got a dose of God in the midst of doing a "job". He showed me that children are truly a blessing. They are intelligent, compassionate, and wonderful people who do not need to be overlooked in the church. They need a voice to speak for them and proclaim how wonderful they are. God showed me that I CAN work with kids and be just as effective as if I were working with youth or college kids. I found out that He can use me however He chooses and I cannot set up fences and say, "I'll never do that...", or "God didn't equip me for that ministry...".
2. I am a little disappointed in myself for making promises that I didn't keep. Ryan and I purchased the Topical Memory Verse kit and committed to memorizing a verse per week. We got to about 4 I think. I'm not sure why this is such a struggle for me, but it is. Memorization of any kind is difficult for me...but, why can I remember the words to silly songs that I haven't heard since I was a child? Or, why can I recall what happened when we traveled to the Grand Canyon when I was six years old? I so desperately want to follow through with memorization because there are so many opportunities to share Jesus with people I come into contact with on a daily basis and I know there is a verse that will speak to their need and I know sort of where it's found and can kind of quote it, but it's definitely not spot on. **mental note: need to work on this**
3. Goals for this year. One of my main goals is to let go of stuff. I need to let go of what I think God is trying to show me and just let Him show me. So many times I try to force God's hand when He may be trying to lead me down a different path or no path at all. He may just want me to be still for a moment instead of running around doing "stuff". He may be calling my name and I'm too busy to hear Him. I just want to know WHEN He is calling and not make it into MY will....I want HIS will.
Tonight was my last practice with our praise and worship band. I have sung with them now for like 7 or 8 years. It's been my ministry (on top of all the other stuff I've done). I have been so involved in so many things (youth, college, music, MDO, womens' ministry, Sunday School, etc.) that I think that I have forgotten to just be still and listen. Not that I have forgotten HOW to listen...I have just NEGLECTED to listen. Sunday will be my last official day to sing with them and I will miss it terribly, but I'm pretty sure my focus has moved from God to myself. I have begun to focus too much on the music and technicalities of the sound of what we are doing and have forgotten to focus on who I am worshiping. It's sad, really. God is moving me to be someone different. My second goal for this year is to find out where God will use me next. I want to see where He will use me differently and who I will influence in a new circle of people.
I hope that you will ponder these questions for your own life. Write them down somewhere that you will remember to look at them and in a year from now look back over how God is working in your life. I know it helps me to see where I have followed and where I have failed, but makes me more dependent upon my Creator and keeps me in tune with what He really is doing for and through me.
Comments
A word of advice: think about your focus. You mentioned that you are ready to look for where God will use you next - your next ministry opportunity. By all means, keep your eyes open to what He's doing. But may I suggest that your focus be on Him alone? Just your relationship with Him...the "ministry" stuff tends to grow out of that. When I've gotten ahead of God or forced my will over His, it has almost always been because I felt the need to "find where He would use me." (as if He'd hide it from me and it was dependent upon me to figure it out!)Hang out with Him. Love on Him. Let Him love on you. And you'll find that your eyes are more perceptive and your heart more willing when he says, "Hey, let's do *this* together!It'll be fun!"
Just a thought from a stranger! Merry Christmas!