Don't Waste the In Between

As the 2 of you who actually read these posts know, this year has already not gone the way that we planned. On January 9th, I found myself without a job.  While the past couple of weeks have been full of resume writing and job hunting, they've also been full of reflection and thinking. God's already teaching me a lot of lessons - on faith, grace, forgiveness, and trust. Most of all, He's teaching me how to use my time no matter what. He's pressing me...forcing me to realize...that I shouldn't waste this time. That this "in between" can be used to accomplish great things, if I make sure I put in the effort to make the time count.

Don't get me wrong, some days I want to ignore my plans to shower and get ready every day before I have to take Mason to school. I would love to wallow in my own self pity and stay in my PJs and lounge on the couch all day long watching Netflix and girly movies or reading my books while bandaging my wounds with heaping bowls of ice cream (isn't it about time for Thin Mint ice cream, by the way?!). Don't get me wrong there either - there have been several afternoons when the kids have been out of the house and I have done very similar activities. I'm giving myself a break and letting myself relax too. I'm learning that, when I make my "active" days count well, I am actually able to relax a bit on those other days.

But I know the timing on all of this isn't a coincidence. There's a lot of work to be done. We're planning women's ministry events for 2014, I'm working with Melissa on lots of Mercy for Mamas items for this year, I'm planning some birthday activities, and there's lots of other little things in life that happen at the beginning of the year. It has been such a blessing to be able to have the time to actually sit and plan things out and scratch things off my To Do list in a fruitful fashion.

There are relationships worth growing that I've been able to focus on. I've been able to share lunches with family and friends who I don't normally have more than an hour for and that has blessed my heart (and I THINK theirs too) so very much. I've even been able to minister to friends of mine in a way that I wouldn't be able to if I was working (can you say afternoon babysitting and lots of baking?!).  And as Randal and I work to mend our relationship and use our marriage to His good, I am so thankful for the way that he's been able to show his support and encouragement during this process. The time with Mason and Madison has been invaluable. I know that God has kept me working outside of the home and using that as my mission field for several reasons (that's a whole different post), but this break to spend more time with them has been so very special.

My point is this: I don't want to waste this opportunity. Wherever we are, whatever our circumstances, we can't waste the moments that could count for so much...

I was scared when this started...I didn't know what this would look like. But I'm seeing Him carry me through in grace and I see Him using these "empty" days to accomplish much in His name, and I'll embrace that with everything in me.