How many kids do you have?

Walking from small group to the worship service on Sunday, I bumped into a fellow church member. We somehow got onto the topic of kids.

“So how many kids do you have?”

“One.”

“One for now, huh?”

“Yeah. One for now. We’ve been trying for the past five years though.”

“Well, you could have a surprise later in life, like your mother and father-in-law did.”

I am learning to be honest during simple conversations like these. Not to garner sympathy or even empathy but in an attempt to talk about the path God has my wife and I on.

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The feelings that infertility brings out feel selfish at times. Even gross. I’m learning to communicate those thoughts and feelings out loud. Even if only with my wife.

Staying silent is frustrating.

Staying silent kills.

War, Projects, and Escape

Saturday

A gang of birds nested underneath my patio, uninvited. They pooped on anything they could poop on. Tabitha and I declared war this weekend. Sealing up any space that provided refuge to these tiny feathered terrors.

Job complete, we claimed victory. But we soon found that our invaders have no plans to leave. They have roosted themselves on the support beams. Beady-eyed hatred in their perched gaze. The rain of fecal matter has returned with gusto.

I know that we’ll win in the end. The big guns are about to come out… whatever “big guns” are.

Spent the rest of Saturday working on a smaller project that morphed into a larger project. One could say that I made things brighter in our front bathroom; one could also say that I installed a light.

Sunday AM

Taught Ecclesiastes 8 in small group. Camped out on verses 12-13:

12 Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

The keywords of “fear God” and “reverence” led us to Psalm 128:1

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.

We then applied fear with obedience and looked at 1 Kings 11:1-13. At this point in the story, Solomon has intermarried to the tune of seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. He has gone against what God has told him. Showing neither fear, reverence, nor obedience to Him. We talked about how God is a God of justice. How Solomon’s disobedience carried consequences. This discussion paralleled the last half of Ecclesiastes 8, where Solomon comments on justice. We noted that justice does not always occur in our time frame, but God will exact justice in His time.

Sunday PM

Fired up the Honda and cruised to The Caldwell Zoo.

Enjoyed the cool breeze, walking around the zoo, and just chilling out.

Great weekend.

Feel Stuck Volunteering In The Church? Stop.

Sunday mornings you get dressed, eat breakfast, and then head out the door to church. Upon arriving, you check your children into their designated areas. Ah, free childcare!

Navigating halls filled with the smell of fresh brewed coffee, you make your way to your small group. Greet friends. Swap stories. Enjoy a quick Bible lesson before heading off to the main service.

Everyone wants to be served and no one wants to serve. This model of the Body of Christ is broken. Prone to burning out volunteers who become stuck in their volunteer roles, for years. No escape. No growth. All due to someone else not heeding the call, that slight Spirit tug, to be the hands and feet of Christ to the church.

Dejected and depressed, these burned-out volunteers fuel our churches. Under the impression that if they do not serve, no one else will. This is a lie.

God calls every Christian to serve in various areas for a season. Seasons change, just look outside the window. The Bible talks about there being an occasion for everything (read Ecclesiastes 3).

I want to challenge those that feel stuck volunteering in the church to stop. Take a step back. Examine where you are on your faith journey, where God is calling you. The Body of Christ cannot function in selfishness. Give another brother or sister in Christ a chance to serve His people. Allow God to help them grow through service; Allow God to help you grow in freedom.