I’m a little embarrassed by the revelation I had this week.

I was listening to a Beth Moore study/video with my small group and something that she said just clicked in my brain and in my soul and I had a total ‘a ha!’ moment. But the thing is, the idea was so obvious that this shouldn’t have been a revelation at all.

I’m not going to be able to summarize this accurately, but the idea was that we should not be overwhelmed by all of the help that is needed in the world. We should not be preoccupied and distracted by the starvation and wars and injustice and all of the horrible things happening in our neighborhoods and cities and country and around the globe. Those big things are God’s responsibility. However, we should be ready and willing to act on the opportunities God puts in front of us. Maybe He will give us opportunities to help solve some of the ‘bigger’ issues, but He also might call us to act a bit closer to home by serving others around us.

This post is fueled (but not sponsored by, unfortunately) a chai tea latte from Starbucks, since Clara decided to sleep like a newborn last night and wake up every 90 minutes. 

Hair: a style I like to call day-old-and-struggling. // Sunglasses: TOMS. // Dress: Madewell.

It sounds obvious, right?! But all too often I find myself getting overwhelmed with the negative news in our world and also with feelings that I should be doing more to help but complete uncertainty with how I should do so. And then feelings of inadequacy creep in, since I’m not necessarily at the point in my life when I have lots and lots of time and resources to give.

However, God knows my limitations and that’s why He isn’t calling me to solve world hunger (right now)! Yes, there are organizations that I joyfully give money to that help feed people, and I think it’s very important to know and understand the issues around the globe, but where I am really being called to serve right now is within my own community. There are so many service opportunities within my church community and my group of friends and I’m completely embarrassed to say I’ve been ignoring them without realizing it.

For instance, when someone has a baby my heart feels, “oh I would love to go over and hold that baby and love on the family and bring them food” but my brain says “well, back off for a while because they might be overwhelmed with family and tired and not want your visit or help right now.”

How nuts is that? I honestly think thoughts like that come from Satan to isolate us. And also, I think we, as a culture, are slow to ask for help and support because we think we need to do it all by ourselves, which causes people to stop offering their help to others. But that’s not what being in a community is about!

I should joyfully ask for help and joyfully give it and I’ve been failing at both of those things. Certainly I would help anyone who directly asked me for something, and I would love to do it, but I’m not great at asking people how I can best serve them, or giving help when someone doesn’t tell me they’re open to it. I tend to think people need more space than they actually do.

But I’m feeling energized about this. I’ve been asking God for wisdom to discern what He wants me to do and how He wants me to spend my resources. Then, over the last few days, I’ve seen even more ways I can use the gifts He’s given me. Even if it’s simply saying ‘hello’ to people and conversing more with those around me, I truly think actions like this make a difference. It’s not that I wasn’t trying to be a helpful and nice person before, but I wasn’t seeing these smaller opportunities as being possibilities from God to better serve Him and my neighbors.  I feel like I have allowed the light within me to become dim because I’ve been thinking that I simply cannot help with the world’s problems, and that my neighbors have enough support and don’t need any from me, but God has revealed that I can and should better serve my neighbors and I feel a renewed since of hope and purpose.

Phew, pretty deep stuff for a Friday, right?!