Today, as I walked around my neighborhood admiring God’s color scheme for this time of year and feeling the fresh cool air against my face, I found my heart filled with thankfulness for the peace of this time for me. It seems that my boundaries have closed in a bit (I’m not traveling to Nepal, I’m not commuting to Idaho for work; I am serving my local neighborhood in Spokane) and I find peace. I guess it was time for me to make my rounds a little closer to home, and I am blessed in this. There is no lack of need in my very own neighborhood and God has brought students (elementary, high school and college), moms (of biological kids, of foster kids, of adopted kids) and refugees to my door, that I might serve them in their need. And I cannot fail to mention that it is a privilege and a joy to be my husband’s wife (help-meet) and my sons’ mother….cooking, cleaning, organizing, driving, listening, cheering on, photographing, praying and loving.
We even had an opportunity recently to rejoice in the baptism of the mom of the infant that we once thought we would adopt; we truly rejoice in the newness of her life and the hope that she has for the future. She also has a wonderfully supportive church to help her raise up her beautiful children. So…I have peace in my current work and in the opportunity to say “Yes” to people right in my neighborhood. Still, I remember those throughout the world who suffer, and I pray that God is scattering His children such that those suffering will find “neighbors” in their corner of the world. Also, I do miss medicine. Something stirs in my heart whenever I consider human health. At the moment, I do not see where practicing medicine fits into my life, but perhaps someday it will.
In this unique time for me, I have had plenty of time to consider what is important in life. I am sorry to say that too often, I have run around expending much energy trying to serve others as if I were trying to prove something…perhaps my love for my heavenly Father? Guess what! He doesn’t seem to want me running myself ragged performing all sorts of antics as evidence of my love for Him. I sense Him wooing me to His side, that I might hold His hand and walk along with Him. Sometimes He will help me to do hard things; sometimes He will fill me with His joy just because He loves me. The critical point for me is that I trust in His sovereignty and that I walk WITH Him, not running ahead and not lagging behind. This requires the discipline of quieting myself, and all the noise of this world, so that I can invest in what is most important: relationship with God. Nothing else seems to ring true as a right purpose. Nothing else seems to make me feel so alive.
His peace sometimes surpasses my understanding. I simply give thanks.
We even had an opportunity recently to rejoice in the baptism of the mom of the infant that we once thought we would adopt; we truly rejoice in the newness of her life and the hope that she has for the future. She also has a wonderfully supportive church to help her raise up her beautiful children. So…I have peace in my current work and in the opportunity to say “Yes” to people right in my neighborhood. Still, I remember those throughout the world who suffer, and I pray that God is scattering His children such that those suffering will find “neighbors” in their corner of the world. Also, I do miss medicine. Something stirs in my heart whenever I consider human health. At the moment, I do not see where practicing medicine fits into my life, but perhaps someday it will.
In this unique time for me, I have had plenty of time to consider what is important in life. I am sorry to say that too often, I have run around expending much energy trying to serve others as if I were trying to prove something…perhaps my love for my heavenly Father? Guess what! He doesn’t seem to want me running myself ragged performing all sorts of antics as evidence of my love for Him. I sense Him wooing me to His side, that I might hold His hand and walk along with Him. Sometimes He will help me to do hard things; sometimes He will fill me with His joy just because He loves me. The critical point for me is that I trust in His sovereignty and that I walk WITH Him, not running ahead and not lagging behind. This requires the discipline of quieting myself, and all the noise of this world, so that I can invest in what is most important: relationship with God. Nothing else seems to ring true as a right purpose. Nothing else seems to make me feel so alive.
His peace sometimes surpasses my understanding. I simply give thanks.
Kimberly
