Hey friends! This is a long one, but maybe it's one you can relate to. It's all about what happens when your schedule is full, but God asks you to add something new into the mix. TL;DR: God will always equip you for the things you are called to.
But there's a lot more to the story than that...
I moved from a small town in Illinois to Southern California to go to college.
Freshman year, I started dorm life, got involved with a ministry on campus, and went through the rollercoaster that many freshmen go through -excitement, doubt, freedom, frustration, growth, anxiety... the works.
Sophomore year, those hours volunteering with the ministry turned into a part-time job, and I started dating my now-husband.
Junior year, our involvement with the ministry grew when he graduated and joined full-time staff.
Senior year, we joined our now home church which added a whole new level of community to our lives. It was such a huge answer to prayer.
After I graduated, I joined the ministry full time and raised my support (6 months of full-time fundraising, working to raise over $4,000/month).
Just days before reaching my fundraising goal, Devin proposed, and just like that, we were propelled into 9 months of wedding planning.
*Poof* now I sit here 6 months into marriage.
Okay, you can take a deep breath. I know I had to! I look at that paragraph that summarizes the last five and a half years of my life, and I think, "Woah. No wonder I feel like life is crazy. It's because it is!" I didn't even add in all of our traveling back and forth to see family, getting a dog, or working on fundraising together after we got married. I share all of that just to say, I get it. Life can be crazy sometimes.
Life is busy. And you know what? I don't know that it will ever stop being busy.
The crazy part is that we all have
the same number of days in a week,
the same number of hours in a day,
the same number of minutes every hour.
Yet somehow there are those who make life happen, and there are others who let life happen to them. In reality, we all have the same opportunity to make life the best it can be.
A while back, in the midst of fundraising and the "I-think-we-are-getting-engaged-soon" nerves, we had lunch with our pastor and his wife and they challenged us to pray about becoming leaders in our church's youth ministry. I really appreciated their confidence in us and the healthy challenge to use our gifts in the church. But honestly, we shot down the idea pretty quickly. We were busy. Too busy. And we didn't want to jump in unless we could give 100%. I gave that excuse for a long time.
Just before we got married, some other youth leaders approached us again and basically asked, "Okay, so for real. When are you going to join the youth ministry?" At that point, Devin was ready to jump in and he agreed to start serving in the youth group on the condition that it wouldn't be until after we got back from our honeymoon. Honestly, I was kinda frustrated. He didn't commit to doing that for both of us, but it felt that way. All I could think was, "Are you actually insane??" We were already juggling the transition to married life, doing ministry together (which requires a lot of traveling for us), playing on the worship team every now and then, and trying not to burn out in the process. And my sweet, sacrificial, husband-to-be had just committed to another thing, not realizing that in my mind we were saying goodbye to any possible free time we would have as a newly married couple. Even so, we agreed that we would begin serving in the youth group starting with summer retreat a couple of months after we got married, and I felt that commitment coming closer and closer like a due date on a project you haven't even started.
I remember one Sunday not too long after we got married... I woke up and started getting ready for church. I stood in front of the mirror and looked down at my make up. Mascara: regular or waterproof? I probably chose the regular because I was too prideful to admit how stressed I was after what was likely a long and busy week, with another busy week ahead of me. We got to church and I stood there during worship and asked, "God, how am I supposed to add in something new? There's already so much. I can't." At that moment, the Lord gave me so much peace. He told me, "If I call you to do something, I will take care of you." Tears began streaming down my face and I regretted my decision against the waterproof mascara that morning. "He will take care of you," I told myself. It was at that moment that He not only confirmed in my heart that He was, in fact, calling me to help lead in the youth group, but He calmed my heart and reminded me of His great love and care for me. His care for the WHOLE me. He cared about my marriage, my "free" time, my work, my friends, my hopes and dreams. He cared about all of it, knew every detail of my life, and still said, "I want you to do this." And God always knows what is best for His people.
We are now in month 5 of being involved in the youth group and we have never. looked. back. God has guided and blessed us. It's been an incredible gift, and we are just getting started. I'm not saying that everything has been easy, but never once has God called us away from our marriage, friendships, or other important things in life to accomplish His will. And even if He did, it would be okay. But He hasn't forgotten about the many other things He has called us to. Instead, He has allowed them to propel each other. Leading in the youth group has been an outlet for strengths that I didn't know He had been building up in me: vision, fostering intentional community, creativity. Sure, there are nights where we only have a few students, but sometimes those are the nights where we are able to learn the most about our students and see them grow. And this is all just the beginning. Aaaaaaand we're starting to redecorate the youth room, so you know I've found my happy place. ♥
So. What happens when life is busy and God says, "One more thing..."? Well, something beautiful happens. Because when you surrender your schedule to God, time doesn't even matter. All that matters is following Him and building His Kingdom. God will always equip you for the things you are called to. And who knows, you might end up with some awesome friends to do ministry with.
Well, there you have it. That's probably my longest and most personal blog post to date. If you've made it this far, thanks so much for being here! Blogging has been such a blessing for me, and I hope the way that God has worked in my life can speak to you too. If you want to hear more about my faith journey here on the blog, let me know! I'd love to hear your thoughts. May the Lord go before you as you keep your eyes on Him through your ever-changing, crazy, beautiful life.
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