Why did I quit again?

So this weekend, I've been serving in LifeKIDS again for the first time since quitting in January - and I've LOVED every minute of it!! Holding babies, giving high fives, welcoming new families, and just being there....my heart has been so full of happy that it's overflowing!! I was worried that I'd be tired or feel out of place, but instead I'm energized and just as comfortable as ever in the yellow hallway. Serving this weekend has made me ache with just how much I miss LifeKIDS. I miss it so much that sometimes (like this weekend) I have to ask myself, "Why did I quit again?"

Thankfully, I serve a God who never fails to provide reminders when I need them. Last night, just when I wanted to run around the corner and tell Heather and Chelsea to put me back on the schedule for good and count me in for this Sunday morning even though I signed up for evening only, God put a friend in my path & prompted a great conversation about homeschooling. He reminded me that he called me to leave LifeKIDS so he could shift my focus and move me in a new direction. Tonight when I was welcoming kids and volunteers and thought God couldn't possibly NOT want me to come back for good, he put someone in my path who hadn't heard the story behind my quitting. Yet again, my God reminded me how he called me to leave, not knowing why, and then led me right into homeschooling. Before long, he brought me another friend who wanted to hear about our new adventure, and then another wanting to hear why I stopped serving. Sure, you could call that coincidence, or simply the curiosity of friends, but I don't. I call that God's voice, clearly reminding me that he called me to leave for a reason, that my comfort zone isn't always the best place for me to be.

Tonight, I'm so thankful the weekend isn't over, and that I get to go back into my comfort zone tomorrow to welcome and love some more LifeKIDS. I'm also thankful that, as much as I miss being there for every moment of the weekend, I get the privilege of spending part of my Sunday shepherding my own kids. I get to sleep in, work on my Easter plans for them, and create their lesson plans for the week. I get to decide what KayLynn will study now that she's finished and passed Algebra (can I just say homeschooling suits her well?!?): German, Biology, Psychology, Music? I get to decide what group project they'll do, what Bible study I'll assign, what character trait they'll work on this week. I may not get to spend my entire day loving and leading other people's kids, but I DO get to spend the day loving and leading my own. What a blessing! This whole homeschool adventure could have crashed and burned already and we could have failed miserably, but we haven't. My 8th grader is learning new things instead of fighting boredom and inattention, my sophomore is spending two afternoons a week living out her calling by preparing for the ministry God's calling her into, my 6th grader is practicing handwriting while learning God's word, and we're all reaping the benefits of a much less stressed-out family.

So why did I quit again? Oh, yeah - because my God told me to, and he has blessed my obedience. This weekend we celebrate Jesus' ultimate obedience on the cross and God's ultimate faithfulness three days later, when he resurrected his dead son, our savior. Jesus was obedient. God was faithful. And as a result, we are able to do immeasurably more than we can even imagine by the power of the Spirit living in us. What beautiful blessings we receive when we choose to obey!

...What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice... 1 Samuel 15:22