Blessed With a Divine Burden

As I mentioned in the previous post, I have been reading Craig Groeschel's book Weird: Because normal isn't working.  If you're curious as to it's content, it's a challenging book.  It challenges us as Christ followers to actually live out what we claim to be: different because of the reality of eternity, not of this world, and living in light of eternity.

The last two areas explored really hit home for me: A Divine Blessing and Just One Thing.  These two, for me, go hand in hand.

No one is useless in the world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else.                         - Charles Dickens.

To think of a burden as a blessing is, well, weird.  But in light of who God is and the creativity He encompasses,  it's no wonder those who seek to follow Him seem a little off kilter by the world's standards.  Because they live for standards that are out of this world!  Have you ever found yourself completely overcome with emotion when you see a homeless woman on the corner?  Has your heart broken at the news of starving children in third world countries?  Or has your stomach turned at the thought of young girls (maybe the age of your daughter) being sold in the epidemic of human trafficking?  What injustice crushes you and, if you let it, will keep you awake all night?

For me, it's the young people in Northern Ireland, specifically the young women.  Before it seemed like a completely random area for my heart to be burdened.  I never was that close with many girls growing up (the few that I was close with I am still close with today and can count on one hand).  I grew up in a Christian home with Christian values.  I knew what it was like to grow up never needing, but always wanting (c'mon, I was a selfish kid, like most of us were!) and taught to work for my needs and some of my wants every now and again (if I'm half as great a parent as mine were, and still are, to me, my children will truly be blessed!).  It wasn't until I realized that, at the age of 16, I came from a single parent household.  Because my mom had instilled in me so much already throughout my 16 years with her in my life, I never really thought of myself as living in a single parent home.  I had many years in a two parent home so it was weird to view myself otherwise.  The majority of the young people (specifically young women) I rub shoulders with live in single parent homes.  They and I both know what it's like to live without that guidance and protection, example and love.  My heart is burdened because I have felt the pain that comes from loss of or abandonment from a parent.  The more I get to know each of them as an individual, the more their pain has become my pain, my divine burden.  A burden to make a difference.

Often he who does too much does too little.                                                                          - Italian Proverb

 Just one thing.  This concept in the book is speaking directly to the personal development of the person.  For so many of us, we set goals (New Year's Resolutions for some) and the reality is it's not that we set the bar too high, but we set too many bars at once.  If I were to focus on one aspect of my life and that aspect solely...I would come much farther than if I set out ten aspects to focus on.  But if I took that ten and focused on one a year, the person I am a decade from now I would indistinguishable from the person typing this tonight (in a totally great way!).

Just one thing.  This might sound crazy, but that intimidates me.  For as long as I can remember, I have been multi-tasking, juggling, running around like a chicken with its head cut off.  Why?  Because I am indecisive!  Why am I indecisive?  Because I hate to make decisions, I hate to wonder "what if", and I hate to think that I chose wrong...therefore I choose everything and end up a lot of times with nothing left of myself because I have poured myself out in hopes of something in return only to find jobs halfheartedly done and mediocre results.  This mindset, however, is detrimental in ministry.  Let me explain it with a bit of my past....

Growing up I joined in on many sports and activities.  Many times coaches would tell me I was good, I competed well, and I won here and there.  Looking back, even though I chose all of them, I still wonder "what if".  "What if I had solely focused on gymnastics?...diving?...cross country?...pole vaulting?...cheerleading?"  Instead of mediocre success in multiple areas, had I focused on just one thing I could have made more of an impact.  In ministry, I'm starting to realize that all areas of ministry are good and vital for the Church, but that doesn't mean I need to participate in all of them, give my time to all of them, but rather focus on the area for which God has given me a divine burden.

Are you stretched so thin people look through/past you?  Or wherever you are, are you all there, making the significant impact you were designed to do?

Your challenge:  Just One Thing.