Responding like Jesus

I decided with the New Year to try and get my focus back on the things in life that are most important to me. That being above all else.... my family. Not that they ever were not my main focus, but I just want to intentionally be joyful about the job that has been placed before me as a wife and a mom. It is so easy to get frustrated when so many people want your attention all the time. There are so many demands from laundry to school work, to activities and meals that sometimes the temptation is there to become agitated or short with the ones I love the most. There isn't a whole lot of time for "me".  Balancing kids, husband, chores, school and self can seem like a daunting task.

I teach a 2nd grade Sunday school class every other Sunday at my church. When I first signed up for the job it was more to fulfill that "requirement" to serve with in the church.  It was just checking off the box in the area of stewardship but it ended up being a huge blessing to me. I am amazed each week at what teaching those guys teaches me.  I love those sweet kids and each week our lesson speaks to me personally more than I ever thought a 2nd grade lesson could!

This past week we learned about how Jesus fed 5,000.  In the story Jesus' 12 disciples had just returned from a missionary journey he had sent them on. After they told him all they had done and taught, he took them with him in a boat on the Sea of Galilee to a remote place, for rest and prayer.

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, "Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile." He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. Mark 6:30-32

 In my life this would equate to.....I have just spent ALL day "ministering" to my kids (with barely enough time to eat!)  and now it is 9:00 at night and I am ready to retreat to the remote place of my couch to rest and relax for the night! Here is where my biggest temptation to be frustrated and annoyed comes in.....one kid wants a cup of water, another forgot to pray for something, another wants me to scratch his back,  someone has something REALLY important they need to remind me of before tomorrow.....ect. ect.  This is "MY" time I say to myself. I have spent ALL day taking care of these guys why can't they just go to sleep and let me RELAX!!  Well listen to what happened to Jesus and his disciples when they went away for "their" time.  Make note of how Jesus responds.  It certainly isn't with frustration and anger like I normal tend to respond.

But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Matt 6:33-34

He "HAD COMPASSION" He didn't snap at them. He didn't say "come on people!! Can I not have 30 minutes to myself!!!!??"  No Jesus simply had compassion.  He knew that they needed him and attended to them in love. I need to work on this.  It is so easy to think that we deserve "me" time. So easy to get aggravated when our "quiet time" is interrupted.  Yet another example of how I need to follow Jesus...in how I react and how I respond.