Working through vacation...

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in it's various forms.

I am very lucky in my job at the fire department in the fact that I get lots of vacation time. So much in fact that I had to take the entire month of May off so that I wouldn't lose any vacation that I was accruing. My family and I had several plans of fun things to do during this time, but unfortunately every single plan we had made was cancelled for some reason or another. This really bummed me out and made me want to pull my hair out.

So, during my vacation time, I worked at church to get better at setting up all of our technical things for services. I have even learned to set up the stage lighting during this time. I have worked more hours than my wife really wanted me to, but I have been getting a lot of stuff done. I have been joking that I need to go back to work to get some rest.

A major part of the work that I have done in the second half of the month has been to help those affected in the Joplin tornado. On the evening it happened, I was called into work at the FD. I joined the crew that was requested to go to Joplin. I spent all night in staging at Joplin after getting to see some of the devastation. Unfortunately, it took so long for rescue to get organized that we had to leave before being allowed to do any search.

After we got back, I went home, changed clothes, came to church, and we loaded a 24ft trailer with water and food and went back to Joplin. We handed out half of it in the damaged area and dropped the rest at a drop site to be handed out later. Needless to say, I had been up for about 40 hours and was exhausted when we got home.

The next day, Pastor Chad and a few others took the 24ft trailer back again. I went to church and helped load a 53ft tractor trailer with even more supplies, this time included clothes, diapers, and toys. We delivered the semi load to Messenger College just on the outskirts of Joplin.

Needless to say this has been the best worst month of vacation. Yes, all of my plans got cancelled and I worked way too much, but I got to use my talents and the desire God gave me to help others. Now, I don't want to sound like I'm having a pity party, but sometimes I feel like I am the most overlooked person at church because everything I do is behind the scenes, however when these days that I get to help happen, God takes all that away and his joy and love overflow from my heart.

So what is all this rambling really about? I know I have said this before, but wherever God has you is where he wants you to be. Do what God has asked you to do not what you want people to see you do. No matter how little the task, in God's kingdom it is huge. Just remember this (this has become my motto for serving at church), God may be the only one who sees what you do, but everyone will see when you don't do what he has asked you to do.

I hope someone can get a lift from reading this. I know that it has lifted me just writing it down. Thanks for stopping by and God bless...