“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22 (NIV)
I have two jobs that I love. Both of my jobs involve organizing, but they also involve researching people, companies, ideas, and/or ministries. I’m finding that it sometimes involves many hours of digging deeper to see what their mission statement is and whether or not their vision lines up with what we are promoting… or willing to promote. Sometimes it pays off well and we add another member of our team as a result. Other times, the research and hours ends up with… nothing, from the world’s perspective. We move on or the potential team member declines our offer, or we realize it’s just not a good fit.
As I was shutting down my work for the night, the thought crossed my mind, “Does what I do really matter?” Are those hours researching and discovering considered wasted if the answer is “no” or… do they still have value?
And that question led me to the next… Do the jobs I chose (that God guided me to) add value to my life and those of my employers? Do the activities that I choose to participate in during my down time add to my life or subtract from it? What about my friendships? Am I wasting my time or… am I choosing to make a difference with the choices I make?
I realized that I’ve had periods of life where I wasted huge chunks. And I’ve had periods of time where I was very productive. Looking back, though, even during those periods of time where I wasn’t in the “ministry” per se that God has called me toward, I was instead in a period of “training.” I’m still in a period of training, just at a different level. As I get older, though, and as I see that God is allowing me to work in positions where I’m truly gifted, all areas of my life seem to work together to fulfill the plans that God has for me.
My leisure time is spent building memories with my family, in fellowship with other like-minded women, or reading God-honoring, sometimes challenging books to help me continue growing in my relationship with my Father. God is stretching me further and I’ve even taken it to the next level and started exercising my body as well as my spirit.
Two of our three kids are participating in either track or a running club. I have never been a runner. However, the program that one child is participating in seems easy enough that even someone as out of shape as myself can start. I will admit I’m more than a little nervous. I’m also afraid I will fail and quit before the end. However, the 5K occurs on my birthday. God’s been speaking to me about taking care of my physical body for quite a while now. He knows nothing motivates me more than wanting to obey Him and any activity that involves my family.
So… I’m going to take the plunge because I’ve realized that what I do does matter, even if it seems at times like it doesn’t.
© Cheri Swalwell 2016