Day 52

What I did:

Yesterday was a work day (outside the home) for me and I was once again able to help my client both physically and also by listening to the struggles that were on her heart. Little by little, I am able to show her that Christ is in my life. As she expressed the stress in her life, I was able to say I was praying for her. She and I talked a little later in the day, and the things she was so upset about had changed, so she told me I didn't need to pray for her now. I told her I would continue to pray, and I will.

I also realized I needed to break down my monthly food budget into smaller, weekly compartments because I have a tendency to see the money, spend the money and then wonder why I am struggling at the end of my budget to make ends meet. Though I know I have a set amount to spend per month, I need to be smarter. If I stay within my weekly budget, then I will have the same amount next week, and so on. This may all be elementary to most people, but it is all part of the process for me. I base most of my changes on the old saying, "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got". If the thing I am used to doing has never brought success, then I need to go back to the beginning and try something smarter. It's all part of trying to do the right thing. The right thing in this situation is the intelligent choice with my budget. If the weekly thing doesn't work, I can even reduce it down to the daily budget. We'll see.

I also have had a situation in the car when I pick up the kids. My sixteen year old sits up front and the little one is in the back seat. My son likes to have grown up conversation with me, and my little girl also wants to talk about the things five year olds like to discuss. My son usually tells her to be quiet, and so she sits in the back and stares out the window. While it is more enjoyable for me to interact on a more mature level (though a teenager's topics are not necessarily mature all the time), my heart goes out to this little firecracker who has just had her wick doused. Normally, I listen to him, then play with her when we get home. Lately, though, I have been really impressed by the fact that she is just as much my child as he is. We are all family, and each one contributes in their own way and on their own level of maturity. I have begun telling my son that his little sister should be respected as much as any of us in this family. Of course, there are times when she is being silly or just wants to hear herself talk. While I don't want to exclude her from being just as important as the rest of us, I also don't want to indulge her into thinking that she is always going to be center stage. It's a fine line, but showing my kids that we all have equal value in the family dynamic is the right thing to do.

What I learned:

The first thing I learned is that I need to be aware when things aren't working well, such as my monthly budget. Just because I have always done them doesn't mean I can't change. The second eureka is that I can gently be myself, as a child of God, and affect others around me. I wasn't sure my client was even listening when I told her I would be praying for her, but when her situation changed, she told me I didn't need to pray. She was listening, and I bet she heard me again when I said I would pray for her anyway.


Finally, and I didn't even have this on my mind when I sat down to write, I see the similarities in my family situation as it relates the family of God. We all have equal value in God's eyes. Each individual on the face of the earth has enough value to God that He sent his son Jesus to die for our sins. When we believe and accept God's gift of salvation through His Son, we begin the journey as a member of God's family. Some of us are loud, some quiet. Some have great discernment, some express great hospitality. Some are mature, some are immature. Just as our natural life is a process, so is our life as believers. The parallel that hit me the most between the car situation and our spiritual situation is that we, as the family of God, need to have patience as we engage each other with loving kindness. Just because we don't think someone else has something earth shattering to contribute doesn't mean it's our job to shut them up. We are called to teach others what we have learned, but how will we know their needs if we don't encourage compassionate dialog? A newborn baby is equal in value to a seasoned intellectual, in God's eyes. We can learn a lot by hearing what a mature person has to say, but our learning is limitless if we can experience God's love through their actions.

Until Tomorrow~~~Elizabeth