I haven't blogged in over a month. Mostly because I've been spending way too much time sitting at my desk, hunched over textbooks and Word documents. Sometimes I think school is overtaking me.
In my morning quiet time with God, I say, "I'm going to do better today, Lord. I'm going to rest in You, serve you, build my day around You."
But then the day starts, and there's synthesis essays to be written, government exams to be studied for, piano sonatas to be learned, solo and ensemble practices to attend, lessons to be taught, and French words to be memorized. And I think, How can I rest in God when I can barely rest long enough to eat dinner with my family? And how can I serve Him when I can't find the time to help make lunch? And how can I build my day around Him when my schedule is filled from the moment I wake up til the moment I go to sleep?
I start getting discouraged, thinking this life is a milisecond compared to eternity, and wondering, "will getting an A on my synthesis essay really matter in eternity, or even next year?"
Last night at youth group, we watched an amazing Francis Chan Bible study lesson about being missionaries. Sometimes, we think we have to do big things, like travelling Africa to serve orphans, to be missionaries for God. But as followers of God, when we surrender each day to Him, we can be missionaries right where we are, in whatever we're doing. I want to wake up each morning and say, "God, thank You for this day. Thank you for the opportunity to learn, for the opportunity to sing, for the opportunity to teach. Help me to do EVERYTHING in this day to Your glory." Right now, in the last few weeks before school ends, I can worship Him by taking advantage of the education He's given me, doing my best work, and being well-prepared to do whatever He has for me later in life. I can worship Him by encouraging my students and instilling in them a joy of learning music. I can worship Him in every note I sing. I can worship Him by expressing my gratitude to my teachers and my family. These aren't big acts of service, but if I do them with a heart surrendered to Him, a heart resting in His joy, they're still worship to Him.
I've always been ambitious to a fault, and it's hard for me not to be able to do something "big" for God right now. But for me right now, surrendering to Him in the small things is big.
God has a purpose for each of us, every day. For some people today, that purpose is serving orphans in Africa. For others, it's showing God's love to their children and their co-workers. For me, it's writing every synthesis essay, teaching every piano lesson, singing every song for His glory. How awesome to be able to worship the King of the Universe today, in those little things?!
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." ~ 1 Cor. 10:31
