Balance

Balance...that is they key right? Balance the hubs, Parson, other family, friends, faith, church, laundry, and dinner all while making sure your mascara isn't running from tears and your hair isn't flat from sweat. Piece of cake....nope.

Two years ago Aaron and I decided it was time for us to move from the pews at church to the floor with kids. We both started volunteering in Upstreet, our churches Elementary school aged kids ministry. I was a small group leader for 4th grade girls and Aaron was a backstage monitor. About two weeks after we started curriculum, we found out I was pregnant. Despite the exhaustion, nausea, and puking of the first trimester...I made it through on the smiles of my 6-8 girls. I served up until the day I gave birth to Parson. After I gave birth,  Aaron and I took the summer off of volunteering and decided we would pick back up in the fall. I moved up with the same girls to be their 5th grade small group leader and Aaron stayed a backstage monitor. Despite the lack of sleep, sickness, ER visits, and craziness of then being a full time working outside the home Mommy, I served nearly every Sunday gathering with my girls to try and be an example of the Lords love to them.

It was hard and sometimes I did not want to go, but once I got there it all changed. To have these girls run in an they are so anxious to tell you about their weeks. For them to be excited to see their friends from church. But, there is nothing better than seeing a young girls face when she is singing praise and worship or when she is listening to a children s sermon...and you see the light come on.

Then there are times when you ask for prayer requests. My niece self thinking I am going to hear things like "please let me pass my test" or "please let me get a bike for my birthday"...again I was wrong. Instead I heard things like "My parents are getting divorced", "Please help my Mom stop bringing my Dad to court", "My Grandma has cancer" or "My Uncle died and I am sad". WOAH...these kids are 10 and 11 and these are their prayer requests!

I prayed long and hard for these kids, I invested lots of time in them. They and their families were so loving to Aaron and I, giving us gifts for holidays and for Parsons birth. Who knew when you do something that you thought was so simple and it turns out to be so huge? In the two years that I was their leader, I had the privilege to watch two of the girls accept Christ and be Baptized. Want a good cry? Go to My Family Birthday Celebration at North Point Community Church and watch elementary aged kids give their testimony and be baptized.

Tomorrow is bittersweet. My girls are moving up to the middle school ministry Transit. Which means a new leader.

These two years have been a balancing act and it has been a challenge. I will not regret a moment that I spent influencing the lives of the girls. I wont regret one sick morning that I made it through and sat on a carpet circle and shared the gospel with these girls.

Even though I such an amazing time with my girls, it is now time for me to serve my family. There will be a time when it is time for me to serve in church again, maybe in a different way. When that time comes I will gladly make the sacrifice to serve others.

<3

Patty