Ready to Say Yes

I think I’m ready to say yes again. I’m ready to re-enter the world of using my gifts and talents to serve in the church. I stopped working in ministry on June 15, 2010. Then we moved and needed to find a new church home and get kids into school and get the house settled and have a baby and make it through holiday travels and… oh yeah, and I needed time off.  I needed to step back from being in charge and learn how to follow. 

I’m not very good at that. One of my spiritual gifts is leadership and I’m just not a very good follower. When following, I’m usually thinking of a different – of course better (ahem) – way to do things. Of course, it should be done my way because my way is right.  Right?  That’s part of why I needed to learn to follow. I needed to not know the next step. I needed to not be able to see what was coming so that I couldn’t plan. I needed to remember that God is the Head Honcho and my gifts were to be used to serve Him and those around me.

So, I’ve had some time off. We got moved. The kids are settled into school. The house is relatively organized. The baby has been born.  We’re home from our holiday travels. I’m feeling antsy. I filled in as Sunday School teacher a few times and I’ve started to sing in the praise band at church, but I’m still feeling antsy. I know that I have a purpose in the gifts I have – leadership, teaching, preaching, administration, prophecy (with others, not my own life). Yes, I can use those gifts at home with my family, however I know that God has called me to ministry within the church. It’s time to start saying yes again.

Even though I’m ready to say yes again, I need to exercise caution.  I don’t want to be a “yes girl,” agreeing to every role/task I’m asked to take on.  I’ve done that before.  It gets me into trouble.  I’ve learned that my response should be more like “Let me pray about it and get back to you.”  For my stress level, and for the well-being of my family, I need to guard my time and commitments.  I’ve also learned that I need to check with my husband.

I used to be a pretty independent, strong-willed, leader of a woman.  Now, I can still be those things, but I’ve learned that my husband is a pretty good judge of when I’m starting to overextend myself. Racer see’s those signs in me long before I do. While he may not be gifted in leadership himself, Racer is great at supporting this leader so that I can be what God is calling me to be. I’ve learned that I need to listen to him more.

So, as I start to say yes, I look forward to what God will do with me during this phase of ministry.  I’m excited again and that is a good thing.