THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

June 16, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

Six years ago I went to Orlando with my sister and her son, who happens to be deaf. Janie's purpose for being there was to work as an interpreter at the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Devin and I had gone along so that she wouldn't have to make the trip alone.

Devin was age thirteen at the time, and Janie and I thought it might be fun for Devin and me to go to Disney World one day, since neither of us had been before. I had heard for many years that it was an exciting, fun place. Jon had been there with his family a few times, when he was growing up. So we were able to buy tickets at our hotel and was able to get a ride on a hotel shuttle.

I have to honestly say that it was not a fun day for me! Having never been before, I was completely overwhelmed by the sheer size of the park. There were thousands of people there, and the magnitude of the crowd and being completely surrounded on every side by so many people the entire time made me feel almost claustrophobic. I didn't know my way around or where anything was located, so had to try to follow a map so I wouldn't get lost. To compound matters, it was nerve-wracking knowing that Devin was deaf, so if we got separated there was no way I could yell for him. I felt a heavy responsibility for his safety, for him having a good time, and for trying to find fun things that he'd enjoy.

We walked into the park and it was fun seeing the various Disney characters and Cinderella's castle. It was fun seeing what Disney was like. But then I realized how huge the park was, and even with a map, didn't know which street to take. Which area would Devin enjoy the most, for his age? Which would be the most fun for him? I didn't know! I had to just pick a street and go.

I think he did have a fun. His very favorite thing was the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. We went to a show about country bears. Devin rode the splash mountain ride. There were other things that we did, which I can't remember all of them. We, seemingly, walked for miles and miles! By the end of the day, we were both sunburnt and I was absolutely exhausted; both from so much walking and from keeping tabs on Devin while navigating the crowds. We made it to the parking lot, and everything looked the same. I could not remember which parking lot and lane our shuttle said that they'd pick us up at! That really stressed me out!!

Thankfully, they had a help desk that was able to help me out. We got to the right place and were the only ones there; which stressed Devin out, thinking that we weren't going to get back to the hotel. The shuttle ran regularly throughout the day, doing drop-offs and pick-ups every hour or so. Finally, a family from Ireland showed up and we visited while waiting for the shuttle. People began drifting out to wait, and by the time the shuttle arrived, we had a full load.

So when other people talk about Disney and how much fun it is, I don't really have those memories. My memories are mainly of being overwhelmed by the size and crowds. I'm glad I had the experience, but have no desire to go back. It wasn't all bad, but wasn't particularly a fun-filled day either. I was very relieved when we finally arrived back at our hotel, safe and sound; sunburnt and exhausted!

There are times in life when we can look at a situation, and it seems so huge and overwhelming that we have no idea where to even begin. Often, it's easier to just do nothing at all. Other times, when other people are involved, we have differences of opinions on what should be done and so everyone is going in different directions, or arguing about what should be priority.

Right now, at our church, there is much that needs to be done; and has been for the 5-6 years we've been at this location. It has many times felt overwhelming, with all the work and needs we have. We've finished a lot of projects over the past few years. Right now we need to finish remodeling the house where our children will meet, need a church sign, need new computers and media equipment, etc. When we focus on everything that needs done, on top of all the work that has already been done, it can feel as if it will never be completed.

At prayer and bible study a couple weeks ago, there was only a small group of people in attendance and they began discussing this and everything that needed done. The question was asked, "What can we do now?" Not a list of everything that needed remodeled or bought or built.....but what can we focus on and do right now.

That sentence has stuck in my mind, on a more personal level: "What can I do right now -- today?" Many times I can look at everything that needs done and feel overwhelmed, and don't know where to begin. I need to lose weight, I need to exercise more, I need to become more diligent in my prayer and bible study, I need to deep clean my house, I need to defrost my deep freezers, I need to clean out the flower bed in front of our house, I should make another quilt, I should go through our clothes closet and dresser drawers to get rid of things we no longer wear or that need thrown away, the grout in our shower needs cleaned, the pavers on our sidewalk and back porch need redone, our shed needs boards replaced and repainted, I need to help my family more, and on and on and on........

People who are working on the job every day can often feel this sense of feeling overwhelmed. They have too many projects, too many people wanting their help, too many interruptions, too many phone calls to answer, too many emails to answer, expectations from their supervisor/boss, expectations from customers/clients..... and on and on and on.

Due to these feelings of being overwhelmed, regardless of our circumstances or life situation, stress can become the norm for us.

People can sometimes put expectations upon us of what they think we should be doing. We put expectations upon ourselves. Both can often be unfeasible for us to fulfill. We want to please people and make them happy. We feel like we're failures if we don't do everything that we think we should be doing.

This is what I've been "preaching" to myself the past couple days, "What can I do today?"; then do that, without trying to do everything all at one time. Then at the end of the day, to feel content with what I accomplished. Then tomorrow, do what I can do for that day; then feel contented when I am able to do that. One day at a time!

For instance, Jon and I both need to become healthier. We can't become strong and healthy and at our ideal weight in a week. But we can make one change at a time, and do what we can for that day. Our daily goal now is to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water each day. I've made up a chart to put on the fridge so we can keep track of how much we water we daily consume. We've been doing stretches most nights before going to bed. This is doable! This is a start. We start with what we can right now, then we will move onto something else at a later time. One step, one day, one thing at a time.

Psalms 61:2-3 says, "Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint (or overwhelmed). Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

There are times when we can become burdened and overwhelmed spiritually, too. Perhaps sickness, family situations, prayers that feel as if they've gone unanswered, and other things becomes a heavy burden. It may cause our faith to feel weakened. During those times, it's often easy to look at the lives of others and it feels as if they are being blessed and hearing from God and experiencing God in a big way!

That's when we can cry out to God, when our heart is faint and overwhelmed; knowing that He will lead us to that rock that is bigger and higher than we are. He can establish our feet and set us on a firm foundation. We can experience peace, regardless of what life throws our way.

We can also pray and asked God, "Okay, what do you want me to focus on today? What can I do right now?" Perhaps He will tell us to rest in His care; perhaps He will tell us to pray for someone and focus on them, instead of ourself; perhaps He will direct us to a scripture to give us encouragement and hope; perhaps He will have us show kindness to someone to bless them; perhaps He will send someone to encourage and bless us......... He will guide us one step at a time, one day at a time!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

I usually feel overwhelmed when I start to clean up in the garage. There are specific piles of tools or parts that are tied to a particular project. I don't want to put them all away just to get them back out to finish the project, so I have to finish the project before I start putting things away. But the project is usually too big to finish in just one day. And I can't work on it without getting the car out of the garage, and won't be able to fit the car back till the project is done. So, the car hasn't been in the garage in several months.

The latest impediment to cleaning the garage has been some timbers I want to saw up into lumber. I want the lumber so I can re-surface our kitchen counter tops. About 3 months ago, my back was feeling great. I went several days at a time with only mild pain. So I got to work. Gradually, my back got bad enough that I could only work once in a while. And 2 weeks ago, I couldn't even lift a timber, much less handle it safely on the table saw. So, it is sitting on the table saw, waiting on me.

In the meantime, I have cleaned a little in other areas, but haven't been able to bend over to pick things up most of the time, so it is going very slowly.

Sometimes our journey with Christ goes slowly. Sometimes it seems like it stops for months at a time. But that doesn't mean we quit. And it doesn't mean we're going the wrong way. It just means we're progressing slower than before.

ON THE MENEWE:

Avocado, Corn & Tomato Salad

Place salad ingredients in a bowl.

Dressing:

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over salad.

Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

Happy sweet 16^th anniversary to me and Jon on June 18^th! Wow!! In some ways, time has flown by, but in others it seems as if we've known one another and been part of each others lives for always.

As you are going about day to day life, it often feels mundane and very routine. But then when you look back over it, you can see the blessings, adventures, hardships, lessons learned, and all that has happened throughout the years. Deaths, births, changes and oh so much more!

In the past 16 years we've both had our dads pass away; as well as my stepmother and a brother-in-law. I've had uncles and aunts who have also died; as well as one of Jon's cousins. But boy oh boy, our family has grown by leaps and bounds with marriages and births!!

We've been able to travel and have adventures and see a tiny bit of this great big wonderful world. We've had experiences that we never dreamed of! We've bought (and paid for!) our home from Jon's parents; which happens to be the house he was raised in. Many major changes have taken place, and are continuing to take place, in the area in which we live. Jon's mom sold her house and moved to senior living apartments near us. One of my sisters has had two house fires; completely losing her home in the second fire. Jon's parents sold their business and retired, during the first years of our marriage. Jon worked for his parents when we were first married; but has worked for another company for the last 14 years. I "retired" shortly before that all happened. But I've spent the past 12 years babysitting the kids of my niece and nephew, at various times.

We have been incredibly blessed these past 16 years!! God has been so good to us and we have enjoyed good health, financial security, and started this year debt free. Whatever happens in the upcoming years, we know, with full faith and assurance, that God will be with us every step of the way!!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Not all storms come to disrupt your life.

Some come to clear the path. - unknown

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org