My wife used to say, “I’m gonna change my name to a dirty word so the kids can’t say it!” Of course she was only kidding but I know that you mommies can relate…..sometimes it seems like all the kids do is cry out your name, minute after minute! You just can’t get any rest or time to yourself! All of us also probably get the same feeling at times because there are so many demands on our time. All we want to do is go chill out somewhere.
Mark 6:32-34 (TNIV)
32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.
Well…..Jesus, I think, probably felt the same way at times. Very often in Scripture we are told that he simply would slip away quietly to get rest. Just like mommies, the crowds (the kids) would find out where He was and follow Him.
Here are a few things to recognize:
1. God, indeed Jesus, has entrusted us with a mission in this world. We are but a small part…but we are an important part. Our mission is to be a part of the restoration of this world. To raise our children with morals and values, to break the chains of sin, apathy and addiction that often have permeated our generations. To help others see the blessing of a relationship not only with Him…but also relationships with each other.
2. God, indeed Jesus, gives us the wisdom to seek rest, to recognize that we need it. And He gives us the wisdom to help each other achieve rest so that we will be able to carry on hour after hour, day after day.
3. God, indeed Jesus, also gives us the strength to carry on in the face of meeting the needs of others. Indeed, as we resist the temptation to give up, as we resist the temptation to be impatient and strike out or to retreat inward and give up….as we turn to Him…..he gives us strength!
1 Corinthians 10:13 (TNIV)
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Instead of showing impatience and interruption when the crowds sought Him out, Jesus welcomed them with compassion and ministered to their needs. Jesus was a true servant to those around Him. Yet we also see in Scriptures that He did find time to rest. Don’t regard those who interrupt our busy schedules as a nuisance. With the help of Jesus, we can love them as the very reason for our life.
You….YES YOU…..have been called to be a part of the mission of the restoration of this world. Put your trust in Him every step of the way and recognize that He won’t give you more than you can handle. Put your trust in Him and recognize that with each step, with each time your kids call out “mommy”…..you have an opportunity to love, to care and to teach. You don’t have to change your name!