Enjoying the swim...

 You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

-Psalm 16:11 (NLT) 

 When Chuck was called from youth ministry to be a senior pastor, we attended a retreat for pastors & their wives. I came away so discouraged. In our break-out sessions, the wives were so negative about their churches, the people they served with & ministry as a whole. I realized that if I wasn’t careful that could be me in ten years. I made a decision that weekend that I would do everything I could for that NOT to be me. 

So, here’s what I decided: 

I would choose to love God & love people. No matter how tough things got or how difficult people are.

I would embrace my husbands’ calling. Not just by supporting & encouraging him at home but by supporting him & his decisions at church as well. Very few people understand how political pastoring a church can be or how one critical remark can undo twenty encouraging ones. It’s my calling not only to build him up when others seek to tear him down, but to give grace to those who are selfish or unkind. When it comes right down to it, my husband knows, I’ve got his back.

I would embrace God’s calling on my own life. Despite how much I bucked being a pastor’s wife in the beginning or how reluctant or insecure I was about my capabilities, I realized that when God called Chuck, He called me as well. As my role & responsibilities continue to change in our family, I’m watching & praying for new ways that God can best use me. 

I would focus on what I have & not what I don’t have. Pastors notoriously have big degrees & little paychecks. Most pastor’s wives have to work outside the home to make ends meet. We’ve been very blessed to be serving in a church that cares very dearly for us & compensates us well, but I always want to be careful not to be jealous of what other people have; a big house, a bigger bank account, a new car, the capability to pay for their kids college, a nice retirement, etc. I need to remember that we are doing Kingdom work & while our 401K might be pretty non-existent, we are investing in the lives of people. & We truly are blessed in all the ways that are important. We have a God that loves us intimately, a beautiful marriage, precious children, good friends, a healthy ministry & all that we NEED. 

I would remain positive. It’s easy to get discouraged when harmful criticism rears it's ugly head or difficult personalities challenge my patience. Some days, I feel I can’t do anything quite right. But when those days come, I try to focus on the amazing, wonderful things that God is doing. 

I would pump people up. Most people just need to be loved, encouraged & built up to be all that God has created them to be. It’s amazing how a little unconditional love can light a fire in someone’s soul, how a hug & an encouraging word can fan that same flame into fire & how helping someone discover their true value in Jesus, can explode into a wildfire that changes everything. 

Fishbowl living can be very challenging, I’m not gonna lie. I’m just choosing not to dwell in a dirty bowl or manage to just survive it. Instead, I’m choosing to thrive in our "fishbowl life".

 “I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”

-Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl