Slowing Down

Do we ever think about slowing down? 

I get that question a lot.

I truly can't imagine just being still and slowing down.

I hear stories about great missionaries like Elisabeth Elliot and Amy Carmichael and it spurs me on to be busy about my work.

Doing the Next thing

I used to be guilty of saying I'm working myself out of a job but if I'm honest my job has really just begun.

I'm a wife to Scott and I will always be his wife. Serving him and loving him. We've been married for 24 years in April and I'm still working on being his wife. Still learning how to be a better wife even when I would rather not. Learning to die to myself and put him first.. I don't think I'll ever be able to slow down in that department. Some days two steps forward others 10 steps back. I will be Scott's wife until I die and like Sherry Lee once said after Tom died "I will do him good all the days of MY life'. That changed me in a lot ways. Tom was gone, how could she do him good now? By loving his Lord more and loving his children. Teaching them about the things he loved.

 Lots of work still to be done even after he had gone to glory.

Not slowing down as his wife 

 Hows that going for us? Our marriages are being attacked and we are not doing our husbands good.

We must remember our mission.

If we're married, our husbands are our mission field.

I'm a mother to two adult married children and seven still at home.

I told a friend, I'm finding out that mothering gets harder when they leave your home. You can't fix all their problems for them like you can when they're under your roof.  Taylor still calls me for advice and encouragement and I'm so grateful she seeks me out when times are tough and I pray I never slow down and not be around for her.

The Magnificent Seven ( as their daddy calls them ) need us not to slow down. We're busy training and loving these guys. We're busy pouring God's love into their heart and soul. Scott and I are having daily talks on how we can teach them better and encourage their gifts. They're all so different and there is no time for slowing down.

We must be diligent in not growing weary and frustrated in parenting.  Oh believe I get weary and frustrated but as I've gotten older I realize sometimes the training of our children is God's way to bring out the areas He wants to train us in.

 I have had to learn to let go of petty frustrations, I realized I was getting frustrated because of my own selfishness or sin.

"I bet you have this parenting thing figured out"

No, just because you have a lot of kids doesn't mean you have anything figured out.  Sometimes it just means you have alot of kids.

God's grace and mercy follows you just like it did when you had only one.

Now I'm a birdie and boy that holds huge responsibility.

This precious little girl who reaches out to me and says bir-bir,

My heart is flooded with my role in her life.

Being there for her and teaching her. Helping John and Taylor in anyway we can.

Not slowing down

Not just trying to get to retirement

I heard a story about a missionary woman who was on the same mission field for 60 years. The day she died she taught her bible class and then made supper.

She died doing what she had done for 60 years

talk about not slowing down.

I want to die doing what I have been called to do.

Wife

Mother

Grandmother

Never slowing down and never working myself out of a job.

We all gathered at the courthouse in our little small town to stand before Judge Chris Green and have him sign a piece of paper saying her last name had official been changed to ours.

So many of our friends and family showed up that they had to open up a bigger courtroom for us   

I cried

Because slowing down would have meant I would have missed the out-pouring of love and support from our community.

The judge said he had done a lot of adoptions but had never had so many people been in his courtroom!

Our lawyer cried when our pastor came and stood behind us and prayed a beautiful pray of blessing for   

Isabella and her birth parents.

 So many people that said that day 

we've got your back White family. We are forever grateful for their love and support because when you vow not to slow down you need people.

Believe it or not everyone needs people 

Yeah, you can do it alone but not very well.

Surround yourself with people who love you and believe in you but most of all surround yourself with people who love the Lord.

I think one thing I want to teach all of our children is 

Never Slow Down

God's work requires action and if you're comfortable then you probably need to ask yourself what else can you be doing.

Learning that at the end of the day when you crawl between the sheets and you're so tired that you don't know how you can possibly do it all again tomorrow and realizing that was a very, very good day.