Spend Yourself

Well, we made it back from the Bluegrass state.  My old Kentucky home.  Love that place, but love coming home more. Driving back, I kept thinking about our trip up and how much my older kids pitched in.   I kept replaying in my head how Brynn stood right by Aubrey with a trash bag as she vomited.  All the while, I was trying to drive and screaming instructions from the front seat.  I even annoyed myself.  On the ride home, Anna must have picked her sister's blankets and toys off of the floor 50 times, never saying a word.  There was a gentle sigh after the tenth time or so.  It made me think about how having 2 babies back to back has required my 8 year olds to go above and beyond...alot.  And quite frankly, I feel guilty about it sometimes.  Mommy guilt.  It's the worst!  And yes, before you email me I know it's not from God.

Ironically, the day after returning from Kentucky I had Bible study at church.  We are studying Beth Moore's The Fruit of the Spirit.  By the way I highly recommend.  Okay maybe not so ironically, I kinda felt God nudging me a bit as Beth spoke about how selfish the world is.  She said we often shelter our kiddos from the wrong things by not requiring them to pour out for others.  In doing this we reinforce self absorption.  She went on to say that often times when we are in a pit in our lives, if we pour out for other people our problems don't seem so big anymore.  So true, isn't it?  I couldn't help but think of all the times I have asked my twins to pour out for the good of our family or their sisters over the past few years.  It was like God was saying to me, "It's okay."

Doesn't meeting people's needs make you feel good?  It's because we were designed by God to show kindness and goodness to others and when we do, it fills us up as well. It meets a need in us. We were created this way.

God really testified to my spirit that my kids would probably be very spoiled.  Yes, they are required to help out more because we have four children, but this is teaching them to be a servant, to be like Jesus. Do we possess God's heart of kindness and goodness? Do we share it? 

I'm so over lip service. I'm over religion. I am all about a relationship with Christ and the overflowing peace, blessing, contentment and goodness it brings.

I learned a verse this week that I have never read before.  I love it.

 If you spend yourself for others...

The Lord will guide you always, He will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.   
Isaiah 58:11

Beautiful.