To Him who is able

3
weeks. We have only been here for 3 weeks. And yet, it feels like we have been
here for months. And lately, it feels….tiring already. We start ministry early
in the morning, have about 3 exhausting hours in the preschool, 3 hours of rest
for lunch, and then back to teaching and playing with kids and on many days
ministering to women and their families. Most evenings we are not home until
dark; sometimes we are not in our beds until 10 pm or even later, when I would
like to be in bed by 9 or even earlier. I’m not complaining, but it is exhausting,
and often I feel that exhaustion comes from not only the long days, but also
from working within the preschool in the morning and that exhaustion is usually
is carried with me throughout the rest of the day. But the Lord has been
reminding me of so much through all this exhaustion, especially through the
story of feeding the 5,000. 

Many
of you know the story. Jesus miraculously feeds 5,000 people, not including
women and children from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. AND there was much more
in abundance to feed the disciples with 12 baskets leftover. Though I haven’t
grown up in the church, in my years of going to church, I have heard it so many
times before, and told it a countless amount of times being in children’s
ministry, but the Lord doesn’t cease to encourage me with this story.

First
of all, the Lord has reminded me how when ministry starts feeling long and
tiring that it is the Lord that provides when He calls us to something more.
When looking at the story, I’m sure the disciples were tired after a long day
of being with this crowd and ministering to them as Jesus taught them and
healed them. They were overwhelmed with the crowd, and had attempted to send
them away, yet the Lord called them to so much more. He knew what He was going
to do at that moment and how He was going to show Himself as King, but He
wanted the disciples to have that faith in Him. 

Secondly,
the Lord has reminded me that with what little I have to offer, the Lord is
able to far more abundantly with it than I ever could. The disciples saw an
impossible mission in front of them: feeding 5,000+ people. They knew they
didn’t have enough money or resources; all they had was 5 loaves and 2 fish
from a little boy’s lunch. But the Lord used that. The Lord used what little
they had to offer and used it abundantly. Through this the Lord has encouraged
me through Ephesians 3:20 which says,

“Now
to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or imagine,
according to the power at work within us. “

I
feel overwhelmed and tired and like I want the “crowd” to be sent away. I have
so little to offer, especially when I’ve given my all and I feel like I have
nothing else to give, but the Lord calls me to so much more. He calls me to
have faith in Him. Faith that He will strengthen me; faith that He will calm my
soul during those overwhelming moments. He calls me to offer what little I have
and to have faith that He will use it far more abundantly. He also calls to
have faith that I am able because that power that did the impossible is at work
within me. But the Lord has also reminded me just how much more I need to be in
prayer to grow in that faith. He calls me to depend on Him and the power of His
Spirit to empower me to do the impossible things He calls me to do.  He calls me to so much more, but I know
I must depend on Him to do the impossible through me because He is able.  He is able to do so much more than I ask
or IMAGINE because of the power He is working within my team and me!  Yep. SO ENCOURAGING!  

{After being here for 3 weeks, we’ve gone a bit crazy. Glad to have MANY moments of silliness and laughter in midst of the chaos. Enjoy}