As noted previously, I have been re-reading the Gospel of Mark, and writing down my thoughts and questions in my journal this time around. The following text are (from my journal, 10/19/15):
...whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you who desires to be first shall be your servant. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. --Mark 10:43-45
I've been mulling over this verse for more than a week now, and the similar one in Mark 9:34. To be sure, part of being a servant means to humble yourself, and NOT desire to be the first or to be great. But the qestion remains: how can I be a servant? Is it putting my kids and husband first before my career? (I'm a licensed medical doctor but currently a stay-at-home to raise our kids.) Is it staying put at our family home to please my parents even though I want to have my own household? (I'm an only girl and my parents are quite clingy to me, lol!) Or is it literally serving the poor and needy by participating in outreach programs and/or donate money / time / goods?
Thankfully, yesterday, this was the gospel in the mass we attended. See how our awesome Lord works in mysterious ways to clarify my confusion? Great is Thy faithfulness! :) Anyway, the priest explained that being a servant means MORE THAN just giving service to people, but that it also means doing God's will in your life. YOU are the Lord's servant so you should do His bidding just like a good servant does when his master tells him to do something. The priest goes on to say, "There is greatness in serving the people, and the Lord." So true! I was so moved that I vowed to continually ask and talk to the Lord on how I can be of service to Him and His people. If he can make faithful apostles out of fishermen then He can surely make use of me, a stay-at-home mom :)
Lord, I pray that You will show me how I can serve You best; how I can harness and use my God-given talents the best to glorify You. Lord, if You desire me to continue to be a stay-at-home mom to homeschool our girls, and to have time for online ministry (via blogging and social media), I will accept it Lord. If You want me to restart my medical career and be a practicing doctor, I pray that You would enlighten me Lord on the path I should take-- should I work in a government hospital, go into residency training, or should I establish a general practice right here, right now? Lord, whatever Your plans are for me, send Your Holy Spirit to guide me so I will know what to do. Help me Lord to be the best person I can be. Enlighten me Lord, show me the way. And as always, Thy will be done. Amen.
Lord, I pray that You will show me how I can serve You best; how I can harness and use my God-given talents the best to glorify You. Lord, if You desire me to continue to be a stay-at-home mom to homeschool our girls, and to have time for online ministry (via blogging and social media), I will accept it Lord. If You want me to restart my medical career and be a practicing doctor, I pray that You would enlighten me Lord on the path I should take-- should I work in a government hospital, go into residency training, or should I establish a general practice right here, right now? Lord, whatever Your plans are for me, send Your Holy Spirit to guide me so I will know what to do. Help me Lord to be the best person I can be. Enlighten me Lord, show me the way. And as always, Thy will be done. Amen.