Learning is Painful!

Such a simple statement, yet so true. I can't think of many lessons that have been learned that haven't gone through some kind of painful process. The Lord is so faithful to meet you at your point of pain and see you through it. The key is not to let the hurt create bitterness. A good mentor in my church said something very profound to me, experience the pain, don't fight it and in the end you will have joy. I think that is what John 10:10 is truly about. I have found myself once again learning from my Pampered Chef buisness. This time it's just a humbling lesson of the fact that I can't do it all. I got all this from evaluating how my show was going. Time, presentation, food.. everything. So many times, we look at situations and say.. I can do it, if I just work hard enough. I am here to say, I can't always do it.. and I will take it a step further.. sometimes I can't do it because it is not God's best or the abundant life. I am terribly stubborn and will try and try to rework it a million ways, so not to disappoint. My heart is good in wanting to serve but my motives really are based in pride. I truly want my service to be of use to the Lord. I want all my actions to be a reflection of HIM! Unfortunately, with this pride being the base, I have to come to the realization that God is not honored in that, no matter how hard I try. I woke up early Sunday morning reflecting on this topic. It was VERY heavy. If you know me, you know sleep is a much needed thing. So, it had to be the Lord's prompting to get me out of bed early. In reading Eph. 5:1,2, it talks about "being imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God". Sacrifice is essential to pleasing the Lord, but at the same time you want your offering to be fragrant.. not smelly. I just feel that pride has made my offering smelly. Not quite the frangrance pictured in this verse. At the same time, I do long to give more of myself for the sake of Christ. As it says later in that chapter is 5:24-26 that my sinful nature has been crucified with it's passions and desires.. and "since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit NOT becoming concieted, provoking and envying each other". Which these verses just happen to come after the Fruit of the Spirit. It's hard to constantly check your heart and make sure your offering is one that is pleasing from the heart all the way out. I guess that just needs to be a constant area of prayer for God to show you those things. God has made it clear that my buisness is not about money but service.. which is GREAT! Takes alot of stress off me not to have to think about that. This buisness is so much like ministry.. it is a ministry. So, I guess this is God's fun way of showing me how to do ministry. I see so many people that get "burned out". I think if your heart is in the right place then the burning should get stronger. So, I guess that is where I found myself Sunday morning.. wondering why the burning was not increasing, when I KNOW that God has many more plans for me in this buisness. So, there you go.. Learning is painful, God is Good.. I need to continue to keep my heart in check! I just felt I needed to share that. Love to all!