Sheila M. Hupp is a lovely virtual assistant and mommy to some beautiful little ladies. I am so happy to have her here today! Thank you Sheila, this is a treat for me, too. Please show Sheila so me love and leave an encouraging comment! I'm linking up with Kelly who has an excellent series going on the apparitions of Mary for May! Have a blessed weekend!
I have three little girls at home with me every day. Life is never dull with these gals and one (or two or three) almost always needs something. I spend my days hopping like a monkey on fire from one need to the next. As soon as one nose is wiped, another has a booboo in dire need of kissing.
With the best of intentions I will start my day with a fresh attitude and a determination to be a patient and loving mama; but, end up so grumpy I could give Cruella de Vil a good fright. The service that I am called to now as a mama of little people is not easy but these gals are not going to raise themselves.
How I approach this calling can make all the difference in my experience as their mother and their experiences as my daughters. The diapers will be changed, the meals will be cooked, the laundry will be done; but, I have the choice on how I show up to serve my family. Each day I have the choice to show up with love or with contempt.
Mother Teresa once said, "It is not how much you give, but how much you love you put into giving."
Dang. She can throw down some truth that can snap my eyes back into focus. I've been blessed with the three little ladies and it should be a joy to spend my days with them. They need me to teach them, to guide them, feed them, and nurture them. This time I get with them is a blessing and although it doesn't always feel that way, I need the reminder that what I am doing is showing my girls a glimpse of the love Jesus gives to us.
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells a story that gives indisputable guidance on how and who we should serve. In this parable, he said that the King will divide people like sheep and goats, putting the sheep to his right and the goats to his left.
To the sheep on the right, he will praise them for how well they cared for him. He says that they now have an inheritance prepared by the kingdom long before the creation of the world. The King goes on to say how they satiated his hunger, quenched his thirst, welcomed him into their homes, clothed him, nursed him to health, and visited him in prison.
Confused, the sheep asked him when did they do those things because they had no recollection of being in the King's presence and serving him. The the King told them, "Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:40).
Could it be that our job each day is to simply open our eyes to see the needs in front of us? Should our prayer be that God would give us the guidance to use our unique skills and gifts to serve others as if we were serving Him? Is it possible to make a difference serving where we are right now?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
One June evening a friend of mine showed up in the best display of love and service. She arrived at my house unannounced with a pot roast in he crockpot. When we were surprised she wanted to bring us dinner and hug our necks.
The day before I called her asking for prayers as my little girl and I were in a bad car accident. The events of the previous day threw my life into a whirlwind and my thoughts were all over the place. That day was spent mostly on the phone recounting the accident multiple times to insurance representatives and police officers, each time reliving the horrific details.
As my friend stood there with an amazing dinner in her hands, my heart burst. What an incredibly beautiful surprise. I had not thought once about how I was going to feed my family, but she did. To her, she was delivering a meal, but to us, she was nourishing our spirits. Completely drained from the chaos, a warm, delicious dinner allowed our family to sit together and be fed.
Our friend Mother Teresa hit the nail on the head when she said, "When Christ said, 'I was hungry and you fed me,' he didn't mean only hunger of bread and for food; he also meant hunger to be loved."
Sisters, we aren't called to the glamorous life but rather to the life that honors God by loving like He loves us.
My prayer is that we have eyes to see where we can be used and open hands willing to do the work. The people we serve may never be able to return the favor and what we do may seem insignificant to us, but to those being served and loved, it could be a front row seat to heaven on earth.
Sheila is a wife, mama,
homeschooler, and believer. She and her husband love raising their three
girls in the woods and taking each day as slowly as possible. You can follow her on Instagram @sheilahupp.
Yass!!! I have had a friend do the same and it was the most unexpected, wonderful surprise...I was in tears!
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