Building Takes Time

We're building. Nothing huge or fancy, but something I think is amazing! We're building a cottage office for me. In the process, I'm learning lots about building and lots about me. The two most glaring lessons to date.... Building takes time. I'm impatient.

This applies not only to my cottage, but also to my ministry. Someone told me recently that I'm a "big idea" person. They are probably right. I can envision Cypress Arts in a much different place than it is now. I'm excited about the potential that is there. But, I want to see it all realized now.

The reality is, of course, that that won't happen. And it shouldn't. There are too many lessons that I and others would miss along the way. So, I've been starting to pray - to pray that the Lord will help me to stop fidgetting and squirming and being unsatisfied with the right now. And to instead, hold on really tightly to the vision that He's given and know that the day will come when I move my desk in and I'm working in my office, and that the arts are flourishing at Cypress with even more people's lives being changed weekly as a result of it.

Keeping your chin up really does keep your head above water

There are days when, let's face it, cliche's just work. And, to be honest, they are often right on the money. I remember learning to swim. It's a long, stressful and somewhat painful recolection. :) But I remember with unbelievable clarity the coach taking me from the shallow end to the deep end (somewhere along the line even he couldn't touch the bottom which was cause for great concern). I was kicking and paddling with all my might to tread water... which really was more like flailing and struggling... and he kept saying to me keep your chin up. Keep your chin up! And it worked.... if I made the effort to lift my chin, I was able to consistantly keep my head above water.

I'm definately not the world's best swimmer. But I can keep my head above water... in my pool and in life. Right now, with my ministry there are so many ways in which I feel like I'm flailing. Exerting an awful lot of energy to kick and paddle but I still keep going down occassionally. This morning, through my devotion time, God reminded me of my swimming lesson... Keep your chin up! It will keep your head above water. And I even feel encouraged that I might take some strokes today -- make a little progress. If my ministry is a little better tomorrow because of my efforts today then I will sleep well tonight.



....so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Eph. 6:13 b (NIV)

Priorities

It seems to me that each day is a constant battle of priority juggling. This morning I wonder how something that should be so basic can continually be in question. Of the 24 hours I've been given today, almost half are gone. I can't afford to spend much time contemplating the use of the previous 12, but must rush head on into the remaining 12 and pray that I'll use them to their greatest potential. So, not much more time to ponder, but for now, I commit to loving the best I can for the next twelve and using as much time as is left to finding creative ways to share the message of God's love to as many as are willing to listen....I'll ponder priorities more on another day.