No Matter How I Feel

On some Tuesday mornings, Charlotte and I hang out at the Jennings house while Sam is at school. Charlotte and their younger daughter have known each other since they were babies, and the fact these two girls were born within a few weeks of each other was the starting point to what eventually led us to our wonderful church.  

Yesterday the girls, as usual, immediately changed into princess dress ups, but then suddenly were in swimsuits. It was 57 degrees outside, quite windy, and they managed to find swimsuits, turn on the garden hose, fill up the inflatable pool and go for a chilly swim. 

We told them it was cold, but they insisted it wasn't. Do you remember when you were little and even if your lips had turned blue and your fingers were prunes, you didn't want to get out of the water? 

They persisted as long as they could. Eventually they were overtaken by the elements. 

Granted, as their mothers, we didn't put up much of a fight - it was one of those days that it felt best to let them learn their own lesson. It didn't matter what made sense logistically....those girls wanted to go swimming. And, shivering and soaked an hour later, they seemed happy they had. 

There was an important lesson to be learned from our girls yesterday. Even when things don't make sense, it's perhaps a noble thing to persist toward what you feel is right. It may be cold, risky and uncomfortable, but isn't there a bit of validity to be found within the stupidity of doing what you feel is right? 

I am working on applying that to my own life right now. 

I rarely feel like getting out of bed. But no matter how I feel, I know I need to live out each day better than I believe I'm able. 

There is a situation at a place I love that has really left my heart hurting, but I know no matter how I feel, I need to continue to be faithful, even though I could easily cut and run. 

Running a non profit ministry is hard work. There's never enough money, never enough volunteers, always people who don't "get it." There's a continual temptation to quit. But I know what God has called me to and the closer I stick by him, the easier it all becomes. 

No matter how I feel, I need to go with what I know and believe to be true. No matter what is the most comfortable or the most "fair" in a situation, I desire to be one in the less popular group of folks that sticks it out, stays the course and ultimately trusts God to tell me when it's time to quit. 

So far, admittedly sometimes to my disgust, He has kept me going. 

Blessed are the weary.......