Sweeping…
For me January is that time I want to clean everything, get rid of ‘stuff’, have a place for everything…sweeping away the cobwebs and dust of what was to prepare for what will be.
Sweeping the driveway is this kind of useless effort that looks good while the broom is moving but when I get back up to the front door and look back, I wonder if I was dreaming for the last fifteen minutes. Some relationships are like that, time can be poured into them and still things don’t change – not that we can perceive.
Sometimes we want to give up, stop investing precious time, move on. But then I’m reminded it took twenty-five years for God to get through to me (and I am still growing and learning). Those were years of seeds being planted, heart being softened, eyes being opened. So it is with the people we invest in. Time poured into another life, is never time lost or wasted. In our fast food, instant messaging world we expect immediate results, but a soul is not on our schedule, it is in His timing.
There’s always that chance that we will not see any fruit from our efforts to help another – whether it’s to help them get on their feet financially, overcome an addiction, relationship problems, or salvation for eternity. Our mistake is when we think it’s up to us. Our part is in the pouring in, the transformation is in better Hands, and it may take a lifetime.
We are called to invest in others – yes, even when we’re busy. Thank goodness over all the years the many people who touched me in one way or another didn’t say ‘she’ll never change’, ‘she’s too stubborn’, ‘it’s a waste of time’. Instead from a vacation Bible school teacher, to classroom teachers, to friends, to family, to strangers I was poured into without even knowing and at just the right time when someone shared the good news, my heart was ready.
This year it’s time to sweep away our excuses and be prepared to speak love, or truth, or comfort, or just sit and hold a hand and listen. This year can truly be prosperous if it’s spent completely on the hearts of those who need to know their value…
If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME! So glad you are here!
parisrenae 