A job to do.

Ahh, Kelowna.

It's nice here, I am enjoying it. We made the 45 minute trek from Vernon on Sunday afternoon and are staying with some lovely folks from First Lutheran Church.

Tirzah is jam packed this week for bookings here in Kelowna, but today is one of our slower days. We led a Bible study this morning for a group of about seven moms. The topic was finding fuel for depleted days. This seemed to be a fitting topic for moms, who often feel worn out by their kids and the stresses of motherhood. PS I love you mom!

We had the ladies break off into groups of 2 or 3 to discuss some Bible passages for about 15 minutes, and so had the time to discuss amongst ourselves how the passages spoke to us- not as Moms mind you, but as the full time CREW team.

It was interesting, the devo connected feeling worn out, depleted and exhausted to the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. In the sentences leading up to the story, the writer describes that the disciples and Jesus were so busy with healing and teaching those pesky crowds that Jesus finally said to his disciples, 'Let's go somehwere to rest' because they hadn't even had the time to eat. So they hop in a boat to find some solitude. But the text says that the crowds saw them leaving, and followed them along the shoreline and met them where they made bay.

When we got to this part of the story in our Bible study this morning, one of the ladies made a very interesting comparison. She said this is like someone coiming up to her as a mom and saying "You look worn out. Go on, go have a pedicure, and relax, take an hour or so for yourself." and then when arriving at the salon, finding 18 hungry screaming kids inside.

But the next thing that happened in the story was what really made an impact. It said that Jesus had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

The compassion and love that Jesus felt for this crowd went above and beyond His own weariness and desires for himself and his disciples. There was an element of sacrifice in His action to stay and teach them.

Sometimes when we're tired, we want nothing to do with others. Yet God calls us to be servants, His hands and feet to others, at ALL times. Not just when we have the energy, the drive, the desire, or our own perceived ability. He wants us to be available and willing, at ALL times, to help others. And when we feel exhausted and worn out, and as if we're unable, He will equip us to do what He wants us to.

Sometimes we as a CREW team, heck as Christians in general, we get worn out. We get to a point where we are completely sucked dry, and feel empty and as though we have nothing left to offer the world. Yet we have a job to do. And we have a God who wants us to accomplish it. And He will use us, empty exhausted shells of humans that we are- but when He does use us, particularly in that state, we know where the strength came from, and Who, ultimately, got the job done.

"God doesn't call the equipped- He equips the called."

Biblical reference: Mark 6:30-44