Sharing and Caring

These fall days have been abundantly full to overflowing. 

There is school to be done, 

firewood to get (10 cord!)

hunter's safety to be done for Joe,

canning to be accomplished, 

and a slew of ailing friends to be visited and cared for.  

The Lord is teaching me about caring for our community of friends.

Honestly, I can get so absorbed in my own family life 

that at times the rest of the world can go right on by without me giving a sideways glance.

  After my own illness, I became very aware of just how much a helping hand means 

when you are just unable to manage, 

or how encouraging and helpful a get well card or a meal sent over

   when one is discouraged by illness can be.

The Bible is full of admonishing words to care for one another, 

 bear one another's burdens, show kindness, and to put others above yourself. 

As I prayed about becoming more servant oriented outside my family,

as an extension of our family, the Lord provided abundant opportunities, 

as friend after friend became sick, had surgery, or just needed encouraged. 

 During this time, I have realized how handy it would be

to have some canned chicken stock on hand 

to put together a quick homemade soup 

perfect to take over to a neighbor when they become ill. 

Now every time we cook a bird, I throw the carcass in a bag 

and add to a pile accumulating in the freezer.  

In a few more weeks we will have a nice big batch of stock to be made and canned

 or, more accurately, have Anna can.

The tricky thing about reaching out beyond my 4 walls is keeping life balanced. 

I swing from over doing it, to not doing anything all too quickly. 

But I am determined to keep trying until I find a balance that works. 

As a mom of many, by the time I take care of people and things here at the lodge, 

sharing my time with others basically means that any down time I had is given to them.

  This week rest and margin has been slim. 

Sometimes I think it is just how it needs to be. 

We need to stretch ourselves, to give sacrificially. 

If it is not sacrificial, is it really giving? 

On such occasions, we have the opportunity to walk by faith,

and do what we are led to do even when it doesn't make sense,

 trusting the Lord to take care of us.

"And if you draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; 

then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

  And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought,

and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, 

and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." Isaiah 58:10-11.