We had a brunch this morning at the station recognizing and bringing together pastors from all over the city. Before things started, Tim McDermott our president introduced the on-air staff one by one and said a few things about each. "Jen Driskill is a marathon runner and teaches music lessons in her spare time. Mike Kankelfritz has been on the Morning Show for 6 years and has blessed the city of Houston in more ways we can count. And Liz Jordan... she's a new mom."
I smiled and waved but as I sunk down back into my seat, thought to myself, "But wait, I'm more than just a mom. I've run a marathon too, I've traveled the world, I’ve had a great career… I’m more than diapers and spit up!"
A few weeks ago my Pastor Chris Seay spoke on the gifts of the Spirit. The message burdened me heavily and for days later, I questioned what it was God was trying to teach me through this passage in 1 Corinthians. After this morning, it finally became clear what He was showing me.
Now, I can only speak for women here, but I know we all struggle with our purpose on earth, we compare our lack of abilities to other’s accomplishments and sometimes long for life situations that appear better and more fabulous than our own.
1 Corinthians 12:5 says “There are many different ways to serve, but they’re all directed by the same Lord.” He’s so clearly made each of us unique, our gifts and abilities completely different from one another, yet He uses them together, like a fine tuned machine, for His purpose. Sigh.
Later in the passage, Paul references the “the body of Christ” and how it’s made up of different parts. Verse 15 “Would it seem right for the foot to cry, ‘I am not a hand, so I couldn’t be part of this body’?” And verse 17 “Imagine the entire body as an eye. How would a giant eye have the sense to hear?”
In this new season of my life, I realize how hard it can be to see how God has purpose in the mundane. But I don’t want to look at others around me with jealousy yet instead be thankful that changing diapers and doing my husband’s laundry are things I get to do, ways I get to serve as my specific role in the Body of Christ.
Something else that altered my perspective was when I started saying "I get to be Jordan's mom, I get to be my husband's wife" instead of saying "I have to do these things..." It's a priviledge, and no one else can do it like I can for my own family.
We've been playing this song from Steven Curtis Chapman called ‘Do Everything’, and it has a really awesome message.
“Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do”.
5 comments:
Go, "Jordan's Mommy"!
Never believe the lie that you are not relevant or that whatever you are doing is somehow "Less"!
Well said Liz. It's all about perspective and I needed this badly today. I've been struggling lately with my purpose and getting lost (and weary) in the daily "mommy" tasks. I chose to see all that I do as serving the Lord through my family. God bless you Liz.
When I was first married people always asked, "how's married life?" I often thought, "fantastic! but my doctoral studies are going well, too, thanks for asking." I guess it was when I started thinking of my life as one whole, not lots of separate parts, that the questions didn't bother me so much any more.
It is the first part of the song that gets me. I usually hear it in the morning when I am getting breakfast and packing lunches for my 4 kids. It is easy to get down, because somedays it seems like it is all about the kids. I was down because I wanted to serve in a few areas at church, but couldn't because I was the mom with a herd of kids trailing me. I was told by another mom that my children are my ministry. That comment really stuck with me. It changed the way I felt about doing the mundane things.
It is the stage of life you are in. Those stages are going to change...quickly. Kids grow up fast. Cherish the moments of being a "new mom", because one day you will be standing eye to eye with Jordan wondering how the time flew by so quickly. That is my current stage. In a few months I will be looking UP at my 12 year old son.
In those 12 years I have gone from being the young new mom, to the mom surrounded by kids. Then to the mom who runs marathons; the mom who sings in choir; the mom who drives kids to baseball, softball, football, music lessons, and soccer.
Now I have more time to do things for me. I have found that I love serving at church in kids worship, and kids choir, as well as sing in the adult choir. It might seem to others that I do that stuff because of the kids, but I do it because I love it.
Embrace being a "new mom"! Soon you will only be known as "Jordan's mom". :)
This next part is my FAVORITE part of the song! Although, my 4 year old swept up her own cheerios today.
"You’re picking up toys on the living room floor
for the 15th time today
Matching up socks and sweeping up lost
Cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips
and head out the door
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you
Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do"
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HeatherVonsj@gmail.com
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