Neighborhood Counselor

It's been one of those weeks.
You never really do know what it's going to bring.

I said this prayer a couple weeks ago - after the first time service came up again at church. Hmm, I thought, I should serve more.

Dear God, please bring more opportunities my way to serve.

Then, BAM! I'm the neighborhood therapist.
And I'm pretty OK with it.
Then this week comes and I don't make it to service. So I watch it online and I print the homework and don't really get to it. Then we are reading the passages at small group on Thurs night.

Romans 12:8
if it is encouraging, let him encourage...

Crazy!
But there has to be balance, there always does. And you know what, this is going to sound totally insane, but God was in it.

Never throughout the week did I feel drained (well, not b/c of that reason) or absorbed into THEIR lives. I was just listening. Thinking - what can I do/say to turn to a path of positive. Not make it better, not solve the problem, just make them turn to see the positive side of their life. Their kids, their love they have, the knowledge that it will get better in a year or two when the kiddos are older (HA!).

So I'm thinking. Maybe this is my service. I have been trying to think more and more about service in the past year or so, just as a way to not get lost in my own issues. And as my relationship with Jesus grows, and I attempt feebly to emulate him more, I think of serving.

But always remembering it comes in many forms.

I have little kids, maybe I need to serve THEM more. Maybe it's just listening, b/c sometimes that's all I can give. I can't always monetarily afford to give things, but I can give of myself.

These things make me feel fulfilled and like I am of some use to someone, ha!
I don't aim to solve anyone's problems, I just want help them see what's good around them too.

So what next? You tell me.