Exhausted!
I returned Thursday from five days in Texas, attending my daughter’s wedding shower and working on preparations for her January marriage. What a blessing to spend time with my precious daughter! But that’s not why I’m exhausted.
We drove home from Kokomo just a few minutes ago, where Steve and I led a Deacon and Deacon Wives Retreat for five churches. It was beautifully hosted by Pastor Mike and Shanna Sawyer at Indian Heights Baptist. God is certainly using those enthusiastic leaders across that area of our state. But that’s not why I’m exhausted.
I’m trying hard not to over-stress with my final heavy semester of seminary classes and research papers and tests and books. It’s extremely time-consuming, but will be worth the effort when it’s over!
I’m exhausted, though, because as I prepared a bio for a new book proposal for a book about pastor wives, I began counting my speaking engagements for the recent past. No, I certainly don’t consider myself a fabulous speaker, but I love the opportunities God gives to encourage pastor wives and deacon wives and Christian women.
Many times every month, I travel across Indiana with my husband and his work with Southern Baptist churches, and I’ve enjoyed dozens of opportunities to speak at ladies retreats and conferences in our state.
In addition to Indiana engagements, I realized I’d been in 26 states and three foreign countries in the past year and a half, with speaking engagements in twenty of those…
- Indiana,
- California,
- Colorado,
- Delaware,
- Florida,
- Georgia,
- Hawaii,
- Illinois,
- Iowa,
- Kansas,
- Kentucky,
- Maryland,
- Michigan,
- Minnesota,
- Missouri,
- Montana,
- New Mexico,
- North Carolina,
- North Dakota,
- Ohio,
- Oklahoma,
- South Carolina,
- Tennessee,
- Texas,
- Virginia,
- Wisconsin,
- Mexico,
- Cuba and
- Ukraine.
In the past couple of years, I’ve had 50 speaking engagements at national, statewide, associational or local church events–women’s conferences, retreats, luncheons, training for pastor and deacon wives and women’s ministry leaders.
When I see that big picture, I’m overwhelmed. Exhausted! On a week by week basis, it doesn’t seem like that much!
Maybe that’s why the Lord instructed us to “cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for you.” I sure can’t handle this fun schedule alone, but with God, “all things are possible.”
Well, maybe I’m not so exhausted…
Praising God for the opportunity to encourage His followers. Please keep us in your prayers.
November 3rd, 2008
We had such a wonderful time and enjoyed your wisdom and encouragement more than you’ll ever know. Even today at church there was such a positive change in the atmosphere and the willingness to serve—Praise God! We appreciate your time and sacrifices to allow God to use you in many ways this weekend and the many, many others. Cast all your Cares upon Him…was absolutely my favorite “Psalty, the singing hymnal song” as a child and I cling to it often today. We’ll be praying for you as you continue speaking, schooling, writing…and so much more.
Thanks again.
Blessings,
Shana