Goals? I Faintly Remember Something About Goals.

It seems like forever since I've written goals for simplifying my life and evaluated them. I wrote the goals to decrease activities in my life because I frequently take on too much. I wanted to get back to what is really important and get rid of the stuff I can live without.

What has you running to another project?

The last three months have been unusually busy. The strange thing is the busyness wasn't initiated by me. I like to make to-do lists, or I should say a "wish list" of things to do. I always seem to want to cook, paint, sew, read, garden, get a new animal or make some commitment to do something. Overbooking myself and leaving my family lonely.

Are you all alone?

This year, so far has, been different. The only lists I have made seem to be for groceries or a few errands. Lately, my time has been spent with many different people. I believe the time I'm spending with others is God's design for my life right now.

It is important to God, for you not to be alone.

To begin the year, my son broke his right elbow. This has led to driving him to M.D. appointments, to the hospital for x-rays and keeping up with his physical therapy appointments. I spend a lot of time with my son normally with family activities and his schoolwork. All the time spent has let me see my son grow, mature and soften. It truly has been a heartfelt pleasure.

My husband and I have made a conscious effort to spend quality time together. We've discovered "quality time" is one of our love languages, it is number one for him and number two for me. To meet this need, we've been having dinners together, prayer time, family activities and have found an online TV program we like to watch. (We don't have regular TV and I normally don't even watch TV.) These activities have brought an easiness back into our marriage which we haven't had in over a year.

A lot more of my time has been spent with my 91 year old friend, Vera who was diagnosed with CHF. My Mother-in-law has taken on helping Vera more now. She doesn't believe Vera will live much longer and is spending as much time with her as she can. I believe I was involved for a needed period of time but now I'm meant to spend time on other relationships, such as my family and my newfound friend, who I will call "Kat".

My friend Kat, (Name has been changed to protect her privacy), has only recently come into my life. I've known her less than two weeks at the time of this writing. I believe she is an answer to a prayer I prayed awhile back. The prayer was a question to God, "who am I, to share your Word with?" The reply I found in His Word was "Whoever I send to you". I believe Kat was sent to me. She is such a blessing.

Everyone needs a supportive friend.

The day I'd met Kat was a Wednesday, I had been in a meeting with my husband and one of our  pastors. I was "hobbling" with my crutches through the youth room and near the door sat Kat. I didn't know her and asked her if she needed help. She said "no", she just wanted to sit and listen to the music the youth band was playing. It was obvious by her appearance and smell, she was under the influence of alcohol. Not knowing what to do, I hobbled back to get the pastor.

We came back and tried to talk to Kat. She became upset and ran out the door to her apartment next door. Hobbling after her, I convinced her to have a conversation and she shared her needs with me. She needed a vaccination against whooping cough to be able to see her newborn granddaughter and she wanted to quit drinking. After our conversation, I told her I would be back at 8:00 AM the next day to take her to the local Public Health for the vaccination and to the County Alcohol and Drug Department for help. We prayed and I left.

The next day, Thursday, Kat was sober and still wanting to quit drinking. To make a long story short, Kat followed through with her vaccination, started the process for treatment (her last intake meeting will be this Friday, then she will begin the program), she went back to Celebrate Recovery on Friday, (a church program for anyone who has an addiction of any kind), attended our church's one day Ladies Retreat on Saturday, came to church with me on Sunday and gave her heart back to Christ. Praise God!

It has been such an honor to see God work and change someone's life. I am so amazed at what God has did and how He has let me be a part of it. Why He chose me to be her friend I don't know, but I'm so grateful.

Who can you be a friend to?

Since meeting Kat, I've seen God work a miracle, the beginning of healing for a broken woman, how God meets someone where they are at, and remembrance of God's Word in Matthew 25:35-40 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me, Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? The King will reply, 'truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" (NIV)

God wants us to serve Him by serving others. He wants us to meet people where they are. He uses us to meet the most basic needs of others, showing His love. By showing His love, God can change hearts, ours and the individuals we serve. We ourselves can't change anyone but we can point them to God who can.

Companionship and peace come from God.