Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Empty Vessels Can't Pour

    

We. Pour. Out.
And pour, and pour and pour.

If we have full time jobs- we pour ourselves into our career through out the day.
If we stay at home with our children- we pour ourselves into our children, and our home.......
If we DO BOTH- our pouring out has to manipulated in a way so that we have enough LEFT to offer our children when we come home from a long day of pouring into our career.

And it's likely, that at least half of "us"  are married.
Divvy it out girls- we got to save some of it to pour into our husbands, too.

And if we're gonna survive parenthood and marriage and the balancing act it all requires- we gotta have some solid friendships to offer us accountability and a degree of sanity!

Pour it out......

And what about our family- the siblings we grew up with, the parents that molded us (good or bad) into the adults we have become....

Church?

Ministry?

Pour. Pour. Pour. POUR!!!!!


The "woe is me" Mommy that I (usually) am cries:
"I'm empty. I have nothing in me to pour into anyone or anything else. "  (I can get a rockin' pity party going, too.)   "I take care of it ALL.  No one helps me. I'm alone in responsibilities, I'm alone in my suffering, I'm alone in my troubles.....I can't do it!!! "

But the Holy Spirit (in me) responds:
"NO ONE ELSE is required to pour into you. Just come to ME.  I have everything you need."

And I know how true it is that My Father-God has given me The Word, and His Spirit, and all I have to do is SURRENDER and submit myself unto Him- and He will fill me up, and give me Joy, and Peace.... sigh... peace...... joy.....

I've been an empty, bone-dry, dust-collecting-vessel;  attempting to pour myself into my children, and my friendships, and my family, and my marriage.... having a small degree of hope that somehow, my children, and my family, and my friendships, and maybe even my marriage would be enough to fill me back up.
Wrong- super wrong.  Crazy wrong.  I know better.  I knew better.  What was I thinking?!?!
Nothing in this world is enough to fill me up so that I can pour back out.... I gotta get my refills from the LORD- lest I stay empty.

And I'll be honest here; I know that's what I need to do.  Most of us who have been born-again-saved-by-Grace-Jesus-loving-church-going Christians ALREADY know that we have to spend time in our Word, and in prayer, and in worship, and in Christian fellowship.....

But do we do it?

I think the obvious answer, should any of us question ourselves in that area- is going to come from a question we ask ourself: "Are We Empty Vessels?" .............................................................

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