Even though we are waiting on our approval in licensing The Sparrow’s Nest staff, both paid and volunteered are hardly sitting around twiddling our thumbs. The days are packed with planning events, thanking donors, getting volunteers in place, updating the website, learning about HIPPA, keeping our records organized, writing grant requests, taking in in kind donations, writing content for the newsletter and blog, completing insurance and banking requirements, staff training, working on the house, answering the beautiful emails and phone calls that used to be non-existent, all at a pretty fast pace.
Sometimes the weeks feel like we don’t accomplish a whole lot because the list never seems to finish. We start to finish one task but not before three others join the list. Everything starts to feel important. Everything starts to feel urgent. Priorities are skewed and we become reactionary rather than having a plan to accomplish what really needs to be accomplished.
Before those times hit we have to constantly remind ourselves of what the true mission is of The Sparrow’s Nest. We have to remind ourselves why we are even bothering to chase this crazy dream.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but as we love one another, God lives in us and he in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:11-12
Brennan Manning in his book The Wisdom of Tenderness, states “Since we have little evidence that Jesus spent a lot of time in church and abundant evidence that he went about doing good, and since compassion is not about feeling sorry for people or nodding ‘yes, yes’ behind the daily paper while someone stands in front of us trying to have their heart “heard” (to use a Benedictine nun and author Joan Chittister’s example), it seems safe to say that the will of the Father is to spend each day loving in deed, as Jesus did. Do I spend my days loving?”
So as we wrap up another week of completed or uncompleted tasks, how can we as The Flock answer, “do I spend my days loving?” I encourage all of us to make an intentional effort to fill our emotional and spiritual banks with love from spending time together as The Flock, from spending deep time in conversation with God, and reveling in his word. We have to make sure we are prepared for the young women who will soon walk through our doors above all else feel the love of the Lord through our actions.