John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
Psalm 98:4-6
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
I really am a quiet person. I don't have a large social life. I prefer a nice quiet evening/weekend at home rather than outings of any kind. I recharge with quiet activities: reading, running, writing, solitude. These moments are a rare blessing and an opportunity to get refreshed. However, in these quiet and solitary pleasures I am aware that I can maintain a false sense of control and a misguided sense of peace.
Sometime last summer we sensed that it was time for our family to step out in ministry together, or to open our home in ministry. Even though our house seems abundantly full at times, our hearts remain passionate about helping the fatherless, the orphan, the abandoned, the hurting, the needy. Initially we didn't know what ministering together would look like for our busy, growing, learning, and changing family dynamics. We had been praying for a ministry called Safe Families for Children and decided that volunteering as a host family would be a good next step in serving together.
This fall our family life has been turned upside down again in a wonderful way, through ministering together to a small handful of precious children. It has brought added noise to our home and in the meantime has delivered to us multiplied joys in serving together and depending completely on Jesus. With the added noise of added children in our home (and a bit more hectic schedule), it has completely wiped out my false sense of control and my misguided sense of peace.
In the quiet and easy moments, I am quick to think that when I have a routine down I have some powerful sort of control over each day. I am quickly tempted to take ownership of successes, accomplishments, and victories within my home each day. Just as quickly, I am tempted to despair when things fall apart, and I crave the quiet, predictable moments. I am tempted to believe that those quiet, predictable moments are my peace, instead of a momentary gift from the ultimate source of peace, Jesus Christ. Instead of delighting in quiet solitude, it is those loud, crazy, unpredictable moments, days, and seasons that bring me to dependence on Christ and help me to find my true joy and peace in Him. It is a peace that passes understanding and that is unlike any peace the world has to offer. It is a peace in the midst of chaos and a resonating joyful noise in the midst of the world's pain, suffering, and sorrow.
And so, this fall, our home has had some added noise and it has multiplied our joys, serving together as a family. I highly recommend adding some noise and multiplying your joy through serving together as a family. Aside from your local church, these are a few great organizations and a variety of ways to get involved serving together as a family:
Sometime last summer we sensed that it was time for our family to step out in ministry together, or to open our home in ministry. Even though our house seems abundantly full at times, our hearts remain passionate about helping the fatherless, the orphan, the abandoned, the hurting, the needy. Initially we didn't know what ministering together would look like for our busy, growing, learning, and changing family dynamics. We had been praying for a ministry called Safe Families for Children and decided that volunteering as a host family would be a good next step in serving together.
This fall our family life has been turned upside down again in a wonderful way, through ministering together to a small handful of precious children. It has brought added noise to our home and in the meantime has delivered to us multiplied joys in serving together and depending completely on Jesus. With the added noise of added children in our home (and a bit more hectic schedule), it has completely wiped out my false sense of control and my misguided sense of peace.
In the quiet and easy moments, I am quick to think that when I have a routine down I have some powerful sort of control over each day. I am quickly tempted to take ownership of successes, accomplishments, and victories within my home each day. Just as quickly, I am tempted to despair when things fall apart, and I crave the quiet, predictable moments. I am tempted to believe that those quiet, predictable moments are my peace, instead of a momentary gift from the ultimate source of peace, Jesus Christ. Instead of delighting in quiet solitude, it is those loud, crazy, unpredictable moments, days, and seasons that bring me to dependence on Christ and help me to find my true joy and peace in Him. It is a peace that passes understanding and that is unlike any peace the world has to offer. It is a peace in the midst of chaos and a resonating joyful noise in the midst of the world's pain, suffering, and sorrow.
And so, this fall, our home has had some added noise and it has multiplied our joys, serving together as a family. I highly recommend adding some noise and multiplying your joy through serving together as a family. Aside from your local church, these are a few great organizations and a variety of ways to get involved serving together as a family:
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