1 Peter – Chapter 5

Well, this Peter — what a guy… I mean, I cannot say just how much I have taken from this simple 5 Day Devotional of these 5 simple chapters!!… And again, today was NO different except, even though the chapter was the smallest, I think it’s message hit me in the heart the HARDEST —- because for me,  it hit me for my “HOME”.

Oh yes! To me, my role as a stay-at-home-Mom  (which btw, I really don’t think I qualify or quantify for anymore..Two small businesses kinda bumps me out of that, doesn’t it?:? ), but in my head that is just what I AM. And am so meant to be!!! And well, these three young people  really are,  as verse 1 was saying, my focus group and “FLOCK”.

And I can remember reading that phrase ‘flock’ before (maybe it was even when I read 1 Peter a few rounds ago, I don’t know….) but it hit me again today. “Cause I know that in some seasons of my life, even though I was doing 1001 things, for 1001 other people, for 1001 good reason (even GODLY reasons) —–  I wasn’t taking care of my IN-HOUSE-FLOCK very well (or really, very much…) at ALL.

OUCH. THAT realization was not fun – and was very hard to absorb….But true it was.

Yet once I could begin to see the ‘VALUE GAP’ I had going, it became so clear the 2 directions I could take..Yup, there GOD goes again, passing me a plate of ‘decisions and options’ and at that time they clearly were:

1. CHOICE #1: I could stay doing allllll that I was doing because it was ‘kinda’ working, right? I mean, I got a “ton done” (oooh, the feeling of effective productivity!!!), helped everyone (ohhh, to be loved and liked by all!!!) and well, I felt “OK” at the end of the day…for a while anyway….. But over time, that “OK”, just didn’t fill me up the same…or at all. 
2. Then there was CHOICE #2: ‘Cause after I thought it through and kept reading HIS WORD, GOD explained the fix to the gap was very, very easy: “Carol, it is well past time to start focusing on taking care of your OWN flock, your HOME-HOME,FIRST.”

Oh, please don’t get me wrong. There is nothing bad about helping other people, but there is an ORDER (surprise, surprise ) to how we DO that. And God KNEW that and He is pretty clear again in here: My HOME-FLOCK needs me to be the best spiritual SHE-”SHEPHERD” ( vs 2) I can be!

And now just what does THAT “She-Shepard” actually mean?? lol!

Well,  in there are some pretty  COOL, and clearly spelled out, assertive roles I can do for my HOME flock. And ps: I really appreciate the part of verse 2 that highlights the difference in my MOM-Motive: is it coming from an “I Have to” heart ?? (which btw, would have been the OLD me….)  Verses how I became a ”I willing to”  SOUL. And doesn’t that tie in oh-so-nicely to the spiritual-mindset-shift we chatted about last week?? The concept of being either: willing to, or wanting to or won’t… Anyone remember that?…Just HAD to toss that tie in …again!! lol!:)

So ok,  back to the current ‘WILLING season of my Soul” …NO wait, I can now say I’m in the  “I WANT TO” season (thank-you LORD for the gift of GRACE and GROWTH) to be tending to my  FLOCK thru (vs 8-9):

-being alert 

-being sober

-standing firm – (ohh, there is the LLL leader character quality – again!!) 

Yes, these physically-being-still-jobs were the ones I had been missing — but I DO NOT MISS NOW. These are items I can do when I lay in bed at night:  pray for my peeps …..fend for my FLOCK….And not only pray for them – but pray in for me!

This last concept is a hard one to get (and get into our schedules) but it is a HARD YES: growing ME spiritually is the BEST way to tend to my ‘sheep’. The most humble shepherds, make the BEST LORD LEAD LEADERS…. (annnnnnd there GOD goes again highlighting our need to grow in our INNER qualities):

“All of you cloth yourself with humility towards one another, because GOD opposes the proud, but shows favor to the HUMBLE”…(vs 5)

Yes, I tend BEST to my flock by not only CHOOSING to DO GOD’S right — but also (and maybe more importantly…and IMPACTFULLY??) in how I ‘fix and move forward” when I DO wrong. (vs 6) .Both are equally positive and powerful ways to ‘tend to’ ME spiritually!!

So yes, I have spoken hard and long to my family with many an apology, and they have oh-so-gracefully forgiven me, about the ‘error of my MOM-arrow” ..I had a great heart, but was way off target — for a while……But by CHOOSING to get into GODs WORD, and CHOOSING to let it be deeply heard, I am back to being a fully on TRACK to tending to my “FLOCK” with PRIORITY-FOCUS: first ME spiritually, and then my ‘sheeps’..;)

I truly do CHOOSE to ‘coach and scrub toes’ in between what truly matters most: making muffins….. and making moments….. and making memories….with the members of MY ‘FLOCK’….:)..

And so, I always hope to remember this final message in 1 Peter. How GOD is calling ME to build my ‘SHE-SHEPARD INNER Qualities’ FIRST: standing firm in HIS truths (vs 9)…holding onto to HIS humility (vs 5) and following His priority ORDER (vs 2). He is sooo smart — and I sure do want to follow HIM with my whole heart.

Add here is hoping you do to….Keep allowing HIM or shift your soul justtttt a little bit more everyday, until one day you find, you are one of the KIND of ‘SHE-SHEAPARDs” living purposefully the PURPOSE HE has for you.

SO can’t wait to HEAR who YOU feel is your FLOCK today…..Carol 😉

Change-CHOICE- TRUTH