Replinished or Depleted? It's a choice.

Angela Hunt has a marvelous post on Charis Connection about Life Fillers and Life Drainers. It is astounding to me what she points out. Of course I knew this. I took a course on time management. I forgot a lot of that since it was 10 years ago, so I prayed and asked God all about it and He gave me some pointers that I wrote down. So why was Angela Hunt's article so startling?

Because life isn't about time management. [shock].
Life for Christians is all about living for Jesus and bringing Him glory. That's perfectly lovely to mouth that platitude, but come on, how many of us actually wake up every single morning with this plan in our head? Coffee is on my mind the first thing. I used to be good and wake up every morning with a prayer on my lips thanking God for all that He has given me. But this morning, I woke up as Spiritually depleted as this piggy bank.

"Why?" I can hear you ask. Because I am in a ministry that I know is not my minsitry. I know it is not my ministry because it does not give me that mental rush as I get ready for it. It doesn't give me any extra energy and I am flat out not motivated to get in the car and go. I have a sense of dread that I cannot overcome by myself. I've been in this ministry for 3 years now and I have this feeling just about every Saturday morning during the school year and I do not have a passion for this ministry like I have for Refreshment in Refuge and for teaching my ladies in Sunday School or even teaching Discipleship Training on Sunday evening. And, most especially, not like the passion I have for writing.

It's called Sonshine Kids and these are really precious kids. We've had 10 accept Jesus in 2 years. That doesn't seem like a lot, but when we consider that on a normal Saturday morning from 10AM to 12 Noon, we have about 15 - 20 kids on a regular basis, it is a lot. They love it. When I get there, I love them, and I have a really good time. For God to bless me in ministry, I must have the right attitude and right heart intent. So, I pray for that. He looks kindly on me and gives my heart a tune-up so that I can keep going.

I cannot help but wonder who's ministry I am working. Who is it that is missing out on a blessing from God that will give them zest for life, energy without stopping and a huge smile in their Spirit?

So, I pray that God will give whoever it is the boldness to come forward and volunteer in this ministry.

Paul talks about various gifts, various ministries and various expressions of power in 1 Cor 12. The various ministries are the good works that God has provided for us to do from the foundation of the world. The various gifts are the motivations that God gifted us with in order for us to gravitate to the works He has planned for each of us individually.

These gifts are what make us who we are in Christ. These gifts drive our personality and define our souls so that we may all work together to make a whole. One body, one Spirit, one Baptism formulate the unity of Jesus. This is something that I believe Christ’s church is forgetting. We are so caught up in political correctness that we forget Christ’s Correctness.

So why don't I quit Sonshine Kids and open the door for whoever is supposed to be doing this?
This ministry is what God gave my Mom after Dad died. There were several memorials given and God nudged her heart into starting a children's ministry to meet the needs of these kids that don't go to church or have a church to go to. It's a place that takes them away from some of the ugly things they live with and gives them hope that things will be better in the sweet by and by. Every time I try to quit, I just can't. I can't let my Mom down, I don't want to let the kids down. You ought to see them on Halloween. My office has these huge windows on 2 sides and I'll be studying or typing away and they stand at the window smiling and yelling, 'Hey, Miss Gina! Hey! Trick or Treeeeeeat!' I just have to laugh and hug them and give them all a treat. And sometimes they drop by just to say hello.

David Jeremiah said something so profound last Sunday that it just knocked me off my feet, thank goodness my bed was close by to sit on. It is simple. He said, "Your prayers draw you into God's plan."

Maybe it's my ministry after all and my prayers are drawing me into God's plan because this life certainly isn't about me, it's all about Him.

(My cousin sent me that picture saying that's what her bank account looked like after buying gas today.)