Hands and Feet

Everything is eerily quiet around the house. Light is pouring in from open windows and flickering candles. And my soul feels a little quieter, more at ease, than usual today.  I feel so often like I'm treading water to keep afloat through the everyday ins and outs. Between family, household responsibilities and outside obligations, I've often wondered what has happened to me.  I take on a lot more than I can carry sometimes. And my stress level tends to stay pretty high.

But today I prayed something I haven't prayed in a long time. And I heard that quiet whisper in my soul. The words I knew I needed, but often don't listen long enough, to hear.

I want to be Your hands and Your feet...but how? To whom?

To them.

I could hear the sound of voices coming from the kitchen. Laughter erupting and rushing down the hall toward me. Them. Three munchkins that run around here day after day.  Little lives that have yet to follow Christ. Personalities that are daily watching and acting what they see. And a man that needs to be reminded he's not in this alone.  One that needs to see the love of Christ being poured out in his home to his family and not just from him.

Today, less takes on a new meaning.  Instead of less clutter and stuff, it will look like less social media, less television time, less shuffling the kids off to play. Fewer outside obligations and responsibilities. It will begin to look like more stories and games, more playing cars and super heroes.  More purposeful interaction with my family. More of the love of Christ pouring out through me.

But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” ~Matthew 19:14 NLT

And the last thing I want to do is stop these children from coming to Jesus.

What does purposeful family interaction look like at your house? To whom are you seeking to be the hands and feet of Christ?

When Less Brings More

Two full weeks into 2014 and I have so many questions. Like how in the world am I supposed to do this whole Less thing?  What does Less in this More world look like?  And, of course, why me?

Sitting down toward the beginning of January, I laid out a 21 day plan to rid my house of the more that has taken over. Needless to say, not even 14 days in and my plans were laid to waste. (Aren't they always?!!)  Kids back to school, unexpected events, add in a little distractedness and BAM! Though I have managed to get some good things done.  Like going through some boxes that were still packed from when we moved, seven months ago. And sorting through some kiddo clothes (Confession...I still have nearly all the baby clothes from my first born who's nearly 7.) to donate.  I've wondered why I still feel so bogged down. Why such a heavy heart?



I've started getting rid of all the stuff. All the things that take up space. Room after room I look and see so much that needs to go.  So much that could better serve someone else.  Someone who has need.  And then there are other rooms.  Rooms unseen.

Heart rooms. Soul rooms.

These rooms that by emptying are filled.  Daily.  Moment by moment. Through prayer - spoken and groaned. Intercession by His Holy Spirit who knows what to pray from when I do not.

But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. ~ Romans 8:26b-27

And I'm beginning to see how the physical clutter.  The daily things that I see, are evidence that I still have much decluttering of the soul to do.  However,  I am not equipped to accomplish that alone, but The Holy Spirit in me is more than able.  More of Him and less of me.

My prayer today,

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFialZrESmI