Guest Post: Kristen Strong

I’d like to introduce Kristen Strong. I had the privilege of meeting Kristen at Relevant ’10. She is such a ray of sunshine and lights up the room with her smile. Not long ago she created a new home on the web called Chasing Blue Skies where she writes about family, life, and faith. She is such a breath of fresh air.

Please welcome, Kristen!

For When You Don’t Believe Your Assignment Is Enough

I pass our office where my blonde boy is sitting at the computer, talking to himself.

“Why did I agree to take on so much?” he says with head in hands.

I backup, walk in the room and ask,

“Baby, what did you agree to take on?”

He looks up with red eyes.

“Well,” he begins, “Ya see, our literature small groups each have to act out a chapter of Tom Sawyer, and some people in my group don’t understand the book’s country way of talking. I do, ya know, cuz you kinda talk that way and I’m your kid. So, I talk that way sometimes, too.”

I smile wide and encourage him to continue.

“Anyway, I told my group I would type out the whole chapter in more normal speech, but I didn’t know it would take me so long!”

I answer, “Oh, I see. So, you volunteered to type out a script of sorts that everyone can easily understand?”

“Uh huh.”

“And the teacher isn’t making you do it, you just wanted to do it to help out your group?”

“Uh huh.”

His head goes back in his hands and my head shakes back and forth. He is my child, this one who is always too eager to be too helpful and then frustrated because he’s taken on too much.

“Well, why don’t you read to me what you’d like the lines to say and I’ll type them out?”

His head jerks up, face brightens.

“Really? You really don’t mind doing that?”

I smile and assure him I don’t.

“That’d be so great, Mama!”

So he reads and I peck. In a little while, the script looks good and my boy looks inches taller as he tosses back,“Thanks, Mom!” before heading back to his room.

I’m left looking at words from Tom Sawyer’s Chapter 10, but I’m thinking about words God speaks to my soul. He says,

“You know, my girl, there is a lesson here. You will enthusiastically volunteer yourself to take on too much responsibility in an effort to please others. Remember to look to Me first for what to do and what not to do, and I’ll tell you what to do for whom. Believe me when I say you have enough to do what I’ve assigned.”

Yep, when I volunteer myself for extra assignments, that’s when I get tired.

The next morning, I see a familiar verse with fresh eyes:

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

When I put my faith and efforts into pleasing others, I’m crossing my arms and saying, “No!” to His invitation that His assignment for me is enough. But when I open my arms and hands and say, “Yes, I know and believe You!” God skyrockets to the top of my people pleasing list and my faith flies.

This very wise friend has said,

“Love everyone, please One.”

I will rest knowing it pleases the Teacher when I do the homework He’s assigned and leave the extras alone.

In your own life, what does looking to Him for your assignments look like?

~~~~~

Kristen is an Air Force wife, enthusiastic mama and country girl writer. She is a joy hunter-downer who writes of looking upward for fresh-air encouragement at Chasing Blue Skies. She and her husband David have 3 precious young’uns, twin sons (age 11) and a daughter (age 7). Kristen and her family enjoy their home under the wide-blue-skies of glorious Colorado.

Please hike on over to Chasing Blue Skies where you can read more of Kristen’s encouraging words.