Boundaries

I love this spider. He's been in my garden or in my lavender all summer long. He's huge and a bit intimidating, but so very useful. And look at that web! It reminds me of how I've been feeling lately. Sort of like I'm weaving a web around me, hunkering down, closing in, and holding on tight. Life is FULL and I'm needing to set some boundaries (mostly within my own frame of mind) in order to keep my priorities where they belong.

God deserves the first fruits of my days, not my email replies. God's calling on my life deserves my time, not responding to those seemingly "urgent" needs brought forth through phone calls, answering machine messages, schedules to be orchestrated, and outside activities which serve little purpose.

Every moment of our days is filled with choices. Isn't it amazing to think through what yours have been today?

At this stage in my life, this means I don't have as much time to build relationships and meet the needs of others outside of my immediate and extended family (and I hardly do a service to the latter). This is where I struggle. I see others in need and I SO desire to help in any way I can. I want to drop everything. Provide a meal. Go mow that lawn. Babysit with no notice. Go for long walks and be available to listen. Pay the unexpected bill. Ahhhhh ... this is my gifting. But it can wait.

For now, I'm learning ... learning to choose wisely. Learning that being available to the needs of my family means that I can't always be available to everyone else. Learning to pray through those urges to just drop everything and go and DO. Learning to trust that the Lord isn't counting on me to do everything. He's fully capable to save the world -- even without me on the sidelines.

Smile.

I must trust that He uses many servants to accomplish His will. I'm just one small part.

And so, I turn the answering machine off during the day now. I wait and reply to my emails once a day. I virtually never answer the phone. When I hear of a need, I pray first. The Lord will make it clear to me if this is where He wants me to step in. And in the meantime, my calling is ever before me. They call me by this precious, God-given name -- "Mommy".

Pray with me that the path of our priorities would be clear and unburdened. May our "webs" be strong. May our hearts be girded up and strengthened for the journey ahead. May your individual boundaries be useful and purposeful to allow you to fulfill what God has chosen for you right here ... right now.