Excuses?

I've slowly been feeling myself falling down the rabbit hole.  You know the one.  It's the one where you see all the negative outcomes possible or probably even NOT possible!  You start planning how you will react or what you will say when you meet the supposed opposition when you don't even know if there IS opposition!!

Thank heavens I've learned to see this coming so that I can try to nip it in the bud.  I could feel it happening, I kept trying to grab on to the sides and try to pull myself back up but... then I'd lose my grip and the descent would continue.  Then I took a deep breath and thought, "Sherri, it's time for devotion time for yourself."

See, I've been working on sermons and devotions for others for several weeks now but haven't taken as much time for my own reflection, devotion, bible, prayer and such time.  I sat down on my bed grabbed my Bible and discovered a devotion type book underneath it that I started a long time ago.  I opened it up to where I left off and the title of it was "Excuses".

Well, I've really been questioning some of the ministries I've been involved in and how I am involved in them.  I love them all and want to serve in them all but there just is not enough time in the day or days in the week or weeks in the year... you get my drift.  So, sometimes we have to try to evaluate where God really wants us, where he is calling us to be, what he is calling us to do.  It's HARD. Every ministry is important!  Every ministry needs people to help make it happen!

I'm one of those people who wants to help everyone.  If I see a need I want to immediately find a way to fill it.  Unfortunately, that leads to burn out, hurt feelings, lost sleep and so on...

So, I sat down and read the story associated with the devotion and then I read the devotion.  This one, "Excuses", was talking about making excuses for why you shouldn't or can't do something... "I'm not qualified."  "I'm too busy."  "I'm not prepared for this." "But, I'm afraid."  It gave scripture to help you with these excuses.  Some of these I have used in the past, the I'm afraid one for sure but lately, that's not been the case.  Though as I've been looking at the different ministries I'm currently involved with or was just a few months ago, I see that some of these are excuses I've told myself so, this still leaves me in a quandary.

How do I know which particular ones God wants me to pursue and be apart of for now?  Some of it is easy to know, others... not much.  I guess I just have to put myself out there, be available and as doors open, go through and as doors close, move on... It's hard, for me anyway, but I think it's what I need to do... I need to listen more, pray more and just be ready for what ever may come my way.