“That’s disappointing,” I thought as I looked at the dry, brown leaves of my favorite succulent plant I’d left on the windowsill. We’d been gone for two months, but I still clung to the hope that perhaps the plant would have survived. Apparently, the extended ministry trip to the eastern side of the country came with a price.
“You look awfully worn out,” my friend commented when she saw me. “Difficult trip?”
Awfully worn out? Did I really look as exhausted as I felt? Did my face give away my inner feelings? Did the people around me see the same thing in me I saw in my parched succulent–a desperate thirst and longing for the most important need: nourishment?
Did they see me, a woman in ministry, parched for lack of time with my Savior?
The two months were a whirlwind of back-to-back projects and church services. There were camps to conduct and ministry gatherings to lead, physical jobs to be done and large events to be planned.
The truth is, there will ALWAYS be needs. There’ll be people to care for and hungry mouths to feed. There’ll be anxious souls and hurting hearts that, by God’s grace, we’re called to serve. We’ll often find ourselves going out of our way to answer those needs and serve those He’s given us, even when it’s beyond our abilities.
But our goal is not to merely survive. Our goal is to flourish, no matter our circumstances, and to be faithfully joyful in our everyday walk with our Lord.
Thankfully, we’re given the means for that true and lasting joy, for “the precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart…”
When we choose to make time for fellowship with Jesus, soaking in His promises and meditating on His words, we find many things. We find ourselves back at the cross, acknowledging our greatest need in Him. We find ourselves realizing God is interested in who we are becoming more than what we are accomplishing.
We find our thirst quenched and our dry roots moisturized. We walk away filled and ready to give away what we’ve received from Him.
Do you find yourself sacrificing your time with God for other things?
I’m guilty of coming up with excuses like, “I’m doing this all for Him.” But then I’m back to the brown-leafed succulent situation, tired and weak and thirsty for time with Him.