As a teaching parent our primary mission is to the children that we serve, to our own individual cottage and to our family. And as a mother to my little brood I work hard keeping that mission going. It's easy to get bogged down by carpool, homework, athletics, counseling, meal prep, cleaning and the countless other jobs we are doing for our own family and to become close-minded to the mission field that is all around us as well.
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| Carlos and Campbell making breakfast for the cottage. |
These last few months my eyes have been opened to the world of possibilities for service not just to my family, but to my community as well.
I have been studying the verse in scripture where in Mark 12:30-31 Jesus is asked what the
greatest commandment is. He replies,
"To Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind," and then He adds that the second greatest is,
"to love your neighbor as yourself."
This verse has struck me lately because I feel like I have been trying fervently to do the first in my home with my cottage family, hoping to model to them a love for God through my love and service to them, but I have been convicted of the fact that I have neglected the latter.
Two things about this second half of the verse have caught my attention. One being that I need to make a more intentional effort to love my neighbor, but also that the Lord compares loving your neighbor to loving yourself. Therefor my second take away from this verse is that even as a busy, overworked parent to a cottage full of kids, I must take the time to love myself first.
I think that sometimes in our modern western world we think of loving ourselves as being equal to self care, as something that pampers us. I know I sometimes think of it as making time for long hot baths, getting a mani/pedi or splurging on something like a new outfit. However, as I have studied this verse I have realized that the Lord meant for us to indulge in a much deeper type of love for ourselves. I was reminded of the passage in Corinthians that speaks of the body as a temple and that urges us to honor God with our bodies.
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| My man taking the time to get some exercise and play a little b-ball with our boys in the gym. |
As I explored in my mind what this means I thought about my children. What do I want for them most of all? Because I love them, I want for them to reach their very best and fullest potential. This means that I want for them to grow to understand their spiritual gifts and to find ways to worship God throughout their lives by using those gifts for His glory. I want for them to figure out what they were created to do, and to find the true joy that comes from doing those things to the fullest each day.
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| Campbell is finally realizing he likes to paint and create artwork! |
And when I then apply this to my own life, I realize that loving myself is not just about self care, and it is definitely not about self indulgence, it is more about using my spiritual gifts to honor God with this temple He has constructed for me to walk around in everyday.
I know that I was created to be a mom, (and this a wonderful part of who I am that I focus much of my attention on daily) but if I only focus on that one aspect of my calling then I miss out on other opportunities to honor God through His creation that is me.
This blog is a part of that.
I am learning to find ways to explore other parts of my spiritual gifts as well.
And as I have explored what else I have been gifted with and how I can use those gifts I have realized that when we truly are loving ourselves, using our spiritual gifts as they are intended, we can't help but love others in the process. Our spiritual gifts are designed to bless others, not us.
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| My precious hubby teaching our boys one of his talents, cooking. |
So loving ourselves equals becoming all that we were created to be. Using our spiritual gifts equals loving our neighbor. And loving our neighbor through those gifts as a way to honor God through our bodies equals loving God heart, soul and mind.
I am so thankful for new administration on this campus who have helped me to open my eyes to this.
I feel like in some ways I am more physically exhausted than I have ever been as I have started to step out there into my community and get involved in more, but in other more important ways I am totally renewed as my soul is overjoyed with the spiritual act of worship of loving others. And when my head hits the pillow at night I can rest easier knowing that my physical tiredness is worth it because I have spent my days loving God, loving myself and loving my neighbor to the fullest!
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| Bug shows off our Easter decor at the front door. |
Please pray for us as we step out on faith to love our community here on campus.
Pray for our boys to see us modeling this to them and pray that they will mimic it in their lives.
Pray for our new singles, NaShawn and MiSchelle Edwards.
Pray for us this week as we go into Holy Week that we can find the time to stop and reflect with our boys what this Easter season is all about.
We love ya'll and thank you for your prayers that keep us going!!
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