Sunday Sermon Summary

I've gotten behind on my Sunday Sermon Summaries and haven't posted one in a while. Today's post will be sort of a summary of several Sundays, including some lessons from my Sunday School class.
In Sunday School, we recently talked about being content...which by definition means being happy with where you are or what you have. Today we talked about busyness...which really needs no clarification except that today I learned that busyness can be an addiction, a drug, if you allow it to. Last Sunday in church, Cindy, our wonderful associate pastor preached a sermon on "Seasons in Life"! I had every intention of posting a summary of her sermon last week, but I just couldn't wrap my brain around all that she said in a "summary" type fashion. Then today I started thinking about how all of these things can relate, and how at this time in my life....they do relate! Let's start at the beginning....
Being content....I always love talking about this with my children, because they know what this means (at least the ones who are old enough and able to understand do)! We talk a lot, in our house, about being grateful what you have....being thankful for your blessings....embracing your circumstances....loving others, serving others, and just being kind. We have started serving in many different ways with our children as well. One day when Drew, who is now 8, was about 5....we were sitting at the table having lunch after church. I remember this like it happened today while we were having lunch....someone was complaining about something...probably what we were eating, and Drew quickly responded with "You need to be content!" That is exactly what came out of her mouth. I smiled ever so proud, thinking to myself, that she really has been listening to me....when she then gave the complete definition of what it means to be content. WOW!!!! I really am a good parent (pat myself on the back), and then she proceeded to tell me that she learned all about that in Sunday School that morning...my back patting ceased as I realized that it wasn't just because of what I had been telling her about being content, and I listened to her explain all about being content....by the way we talked about PRIDE last Sunday....ooops! Honestly I do know that NPayne and I always encouraging our children to be content definitely has an impact, but I was really happy that she had really remembered what she had learned in Sunday School. To this day, she is the child who will remind me often that I need to be grateful and content. She will kindly say something like..."well at least we have a car to put gas in"....when I am complaining about the cost of gas. I am so thankful for this! I decided a long time ago to make a conscious effort to be grateful and not complain....example of this would be instead of thinking/saying "I can't stand doing dishes"....I would think/say "I am so grateful that we have dishes to clean which means we have food to eat!" I know it may sound a little trivial, but I also apply it to bigger things in my life as well. I'm not saying that I don't complain, whine, moan and groan; becauses I definitely do! What I am saying is that I make an effort not to do these things and to really appreciate every little thing in my life....every little thing! When we talked about being content a few weeks ago, I remember thinking to myself....everyone in this Sunday School room should be content....really we should all be grateful....what do we have to complain about? Of course I have no idea what everyone's personal lives entail....I was basing that thought on the pure fact of the blessing of living in the USA, of having homes to live in, of having food to eat, of having families to love and to love us, of having a growing relationship with God, of having this church home. As I thought more and more about this I realized that I do find myself in a season of not being content....right now....this very minute....and it's mainly due to the busyness of life! Then today in Sunday School we talked about busyness, and although the things you might be involved in are all good things, too many things can certainly put a strain on a person....ahem....God, are You trying to tell me something? We watched a Rob Bell video....if you have never heard of Rob Bell....he is an amazing and very poignant speaker/pastor! In the video, Rob talked about how busyness was an addiction, a drug and although the drug could be for good things, it can get in the way of relationship with Jesus. To hear His will, you have to be still...you have to have time to be with Jesus! Sure there are seasons in life where busyness is part of your life....illness in your family, job change, school, etc.; but Rob emphasized how you need to break away from the drug of busyness, the constant busyness....make time for your family, for your friends, for your God! Last week, Cindy preached about seasons in life, and I realized then that I'm in a season....a season that I love and that I am not too crazy about all at once. My children are all getting old enough to participate in extra curricular activities. Next year I will have 4 of my 5 in school all day long 5 days/week which means the only time I have with them is in the afternoons after homework and activities and on the weekends after activities. I am naturally just not a fan of busyness anyway....I mean truly it exhausts me. We just finished a very busy time of year for us....soccer, piano, dance (about to finish up), band, kindermusik, girl scouts...now all of these things are good things to be involved in; but truly I get overwhelmed during this season....it's like Christmas for me which is another season that is exhausting and overwhelming for me. I love Christmas and the celebration of Christ's birth, but all the stuff that goes along with it....honestly I could do without! I do try, my darndest, to arrange most of their after school activities on one or two days; so that we are not going somewhere every single afternoon....but those are the afternoons/evenings when we don't eat together as a family, we don't have free time to just play, we don't get to just stop and smell the roses! I completely believe in having a well rounded child and that school is important....but I believe it is more important to have family time, to learn to do for others, to just being a kid, to experience and grow in Christ as a family as well as on your own, to take time to stop and smell the roses....that's when I am content! I have really been feeling called to eliminate all extra curricular activities....except church related ones (like Bible Study and choir)....for one season and see the impact that it has on our family! I think it would be wonderful, but at the same time....I know they love playing soccer, dancing, playing piano, etc. And as society has it, it seems as if you take time off; you get left behind! It's a tough thing that we blessed Americans are faced with....being still! But we have to remember that being still is a blessing as well....our young children don't have to work the farm all summer, or beg on the streets, or worry about paying for medicine for the family. Our young children don't have to supplement the family income....they do have the opportunity to just be kids, to be still, to enjoy their health and their youth! That is such a blessing that many of us choose to ignore. It's a blessing that I am going to try to take full advantage of this summer....being still....being very still!