Spare a Little Time?

There are a few things I've realized, there are never enough hours in the day, nor days of the week. I know that sounds like a complaint, and perhaps a little one is hidden between commas; but, I know all of it is perfectly planned. I feel as if I do not get enough sleep and seldom have enough time to make coffee before rushing off to another day. I reflect on missed moments and hurried prayers before my next class.

This month I made a promise to myself to get back into the habit of reading my daily devotionals. This time spent in conversation with the Lord is such valuable time and truly the most meaningful in my day. I missed a couple of days, I mentioned I'm a little out of practice, but for the most part I am keeping up with reading and giving a few moments of the day back to God.

Today's devotional expanded on Galatians 2:6 "And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality) - those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me."

This scripture hit me like a ton of bricks. I know I normally write about the family and make some cute remarks about our defunct computer or anticts in our busy lives, but today I feel impressed to share this with you.

The journal prompts read, "Am I guilty of pragmatism in my walk with the Lord? What is one way I can foster a relationship with God that thrives on love, rather than on keeping a bunch of rules and regulations?"

I am involved in impacting the lives of so many people, from the leaders of our school to the children in the classrooms. Every day I go to work and know the names of almost every child I see. I recieve hugs and smiles from so many people each and every day. I don't know many people who receive such an abundance of outpouring and love on a daily basis. I have an influence on each of these people, and so do you.

I'll end with this, my heart was heavy when I reread the journal prompt and replaced "the Lord" and "God" with "my husband and children." It isn't every day we see or feel the hand of the Lord working in our lives, it is on faith that we act. Today it is my desire to share with you a renewed faith in the power of influence, in the power of action; I offer this prayer from my devotional, with a twist, "Father, I want to respond to you (my husband and children) out of love and not out of obligation. Forgive me for the times when I have treated my relationship with You (my husband and children) like a to-do list. Lord, help me to see one way I can improve these relationships and build them to thrive on love. Amen."