That Glass is not Half-Empty; It just Needs to be Re-filled a Little.

Mission work, in it's nature, can be quite draining and I'm discovering more and more the importance of refilling myself. Some days, I feel completely put-out by being constantly asked for things. Some days, I come home completely run down and feel as if I have given absolutely everything I can give in one day. Then the phone rings, and I give a little more. By about 6pm on days like that, I have a one-track mind that can only think of being in bed with a book.  There are also times that, because I can on Saturday, I stay home all day long. It’s not because I’m being a hermit or upset, but simply because I just want to do whatever I want to do in a day without answering to anyone or anyone asking me for anything. It seems really selfish when I write it out like that and maybe it is, but I need it. I need a day every now and then that is completely mine, where I am 100% intact, and I can spend the day refilling myself so that I’m ready to give of myself again for the coming week. So maybe it is a bit selfish and maybe I’m not a perfect missionary because of it, but I think I’m okay with that. I’m okay with accepting this fact about myself knowing that I do what I can, which is really all anyone could ever ask for. If we each were to use our capabilities in what ways we are able to better our lives and the lives of those around us, then we all benefit. As the side of my truck reminds me in big blue letters every day, “drops fill buckets.” I try and remember that on the days that I am feeling really overrun; that even something small can make a difference. Something that requires only a tiny amount of effort from us can make a huge difference to someone else. And vice versa. That fact alone makes that extra mile seem much more like an inch.

Uxolo,

Karen