Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Radical Obedience

It's blog hop Thursday for the Say Yes to God bible study through Proverbs 31. Today I'm going to talk about radical obedience and what I feel God is calling me to do. For me personally, radical obedience is following God with your whole heart and saying Yes to whatever he asks you to do. I know in my heart that God is calling me to do great things in my life, but for right now there are smaller things I need to tackle before I can move on to the larger ones.

My youngest starts Kindergarten today. I'm sad that our special time is up. I feel like I didn't do the best I could with the time that we had together, and I wish that I had done things differently. Do we ever really feel like we've done as much as we could when it comes to our children? There's never enough time to hold their little hands, kiss their boo boos, build forts, save the world from destruction (if you have a little super hero like me), or simply sit and make shapes out of the clouds. They grow up way too fast. I can get caught up in regretting every day I said that I didn't have time to play, or all those missed opportunities in my selfishness for "mommy time", but I know that I have to let those feelings of inadequacy go and move on.

So, the first thing that God is requiring radical obedience for is no internet time between the hours of 3 and 8 pm. Let's face it, the internet is a huge time sucker, and I'm guilty of spending too much time on the internet and not enough time with the people that matter the most to me. I have to build quality time into our lives and stop 'wishing' things were different. The only one that can make things different is me. God is calling me to devote more of the time that I do have with my children to them. He's asked me to do this for one month, and I have a feeling by the time that month is over that I won't want to be sneaking back to the computer to see the latest on FB during those hours anymore.

The second thing is to get my house in order. We have moved A LOT. I don't even know what we own anymore because so much of it has been packed and repacked and just drug along on every move. We only unpack those things we need the most and shove the rest in our storage area. So, it's time to organize! I'm going to be going through every closet, every storage bin, everything, and getting rid of anything we don't need, want, or use anymore. Clutter in your life really does cloud your mind and cause you to not be able to focus or feel at ease. Even though that "stuff" is up in the attic, it's cluttering up my mind. I want everything fresh and clean so that God can work in my life without running into my junk.

There are times when radical obedience is a big thing; a call to be a missionary, or a call to give up your job, or to move across the country. Other times it's something so small as praying for your loved ones, or praising him while you sweep the floor, and then sometimes it's about priorities and getting your life in order so you can function more efficiently. I truly feel this is the area of my life that God is working in right now. So, Yes God, I will make my hours count, and I will declutter my life with my #PalmsUp to receive the blessings you have in store for me.

14 comments:

  1. Very well said Sherry. Such an encouraging word for most of us. Our computers, our phones, our iPads and all ther electronic devices can take up too much of our time. Thanks for sharing your heart. #SayWhat
    Pam from CT

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  2. Such a great post!

    I have a 4 year old and feel the exact same way you do. It is so easy to get tied up in "busy work" and miss the important opportunities. God has called me several times to stop the busyness and just play, but I have missed his voice so many times and then I feel bad about missing the opportunity. Many times I do not even recognize that God is speaking to me.

    I really like that you stated radical obedience does not have to be something huge, but that it can be something small. Believing that I hear God's voice is the hardest thing for me. Maybe my obedience is just doing that...hearing Him when he says stop working and just play.

    Thanks for your post. This is the only one I picked to read today and it was the exact one I was supposed to read. God is speaking to me today through your post!

    Blessings! J. James

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    1. Great post! It doesn't have to be the big things but just changes in our everyday life that matter. Each of us is in a different stage of life and need to be attuned to what God is wanting us to do. You seem to like all the things I do. I love crafting things and have found a way to use this by hosting a craft class with the young women...14 to 20's..some even married. It is a chance for some fun, fellowship and a time over God's word. The girls seem to enjoy it and I have a chance to share things about their Christian pathway. I know when I was their age, I was clueless about a lot of things! Sometimes hearing what your own mother would say from someone else is a help. There are always ways in which we can encourage others and though you have small children and are a busy mom, I can see that you have a real desire to follow Christ. May He bless you and your family.

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  3. Sherry, Today I pray for God to give you the strength to accomplish your organizing task. Take time to enjoy the memories each item provides and then set it loose. If you don't need it bless another person with it! I have come to realize that the STUFF in our life can create false attachments that steal time away from God, our family, and from helping others. Thanks for sharing your story...palms up and continue saying YES to God my friend!

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  4. Sherry, great post! I always think of God calling me to do something big, not the little things. Between Nicki's video about the laundry this week, and your posting today, I'm beginning to see that God may be calling me to do little things, that not everything He calls us to do are the huge things. Listening to God in the big AND small is what matters! Thanks for sharing!!

    Kris Danko (OBS Small Group Leader)

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  5. What a great post! I still remember those times when my own started school. For me, it was the preschool days that were the hardest. It is so hard to watch them grow up because they do it so fast. Praying for you to have peace today especially in this area of your life.

    I totally understand the getting this in order. We have been doing the very same thing! Man, I didn't realize we had so much "junk" as I call it. It does feel good to declutter our lives. And I love how you said it can clutter our minds even if we don't see it. I hadn't thought about it that way before.

    Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your heart with us today. May God bless you.

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  6. Great post! Your comment about how we need to make the quality time and not just wish for it really stuck with me. It's so true! We can step out in faith, give something up, and be blessed by it - or we can just sit around whining about how we wish it was different.

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  7. Wow! That was so convicting. I can totally relate to what you were saying about the no internet during the evening hours. I have recently often found myself looking at my phone instead of looking at my beautiful children.

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  8. Great post! Did some cleaning out early this spring with the help of a young friend who loves to do that type of thing. She was a great help. Prompted me as to whether I really needed certain things, helped me to get rid of some clothes, and just did some better organizing. Having someone help was a motivator for me to actually do it (maybe you don't need that!!), and it helped her since I gave her some money and some items for her time!! Prayers!

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  9. What an encouraging write up! I agree with the web taking up so much time! It's a huge distraction from life. Just this week I have made a vow to limit time on it myself!

    Following your blog via the blog hop. Hope you can come visit and follow me =) coloradoblessedmom.blogspot.com

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  10. Great blog! So many things hit close to home. I'm going to make the best of my days before my kiddos start school next week, and every day after. God has called me to be their mother and a wife to my very dear hubby. I need to be good with the things He has given me in order to be ready for whatever else He has in store for me.

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  11. Awesome blog! Radical obedience can mean so many things to so many different people! I love that you gave up internet time between 3 and 8. The internet really does eat up a lot of your time and I am sure that you will see how this change will impact your life. I look forward to your blog next time :)

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  12. Beautiful!! Sherry sometimes our mission fields are right in front of us - our homes and family. Thank you for sharing.

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  13. Hi Sherry! Awesome blog and post! Have you ever heard of the Fly Lady? If not, good. You are in for a real treat. She provides information on her site on getting organized and cleaning the clutter. She has some wonderful tips and advice and tells you how to break up your house into declutter "zones". Some tasks you can tackle in 15 minute increments so that you won't feel overwhelmed. If you're interested, check out her link at http://www.flylady.net/?utm_source=Back+To+Basics+%236&utm_campaign=BACK+TO+BASICS&utm_medium=email.

    Happy Cleaning :)

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