20-80

Your place of work - the PTA at your child's school - church volunteers - almost every org chart this is true. 20% of the people do 80% of the work. How tiring is that for the folks in the 20% bracket. I just wonder and ask myself - why?

As church goes - I was that 80% for many years. When folks from church called me to help with this or that, I was the king to make excuses. I was traveling, I didn't have a tie and jacket, I was busy or was out of town that weekend but plain and simple and God knows the truth - I just didn't want to do it. I was either scared to step out in faith and serve ... or I was selfish and just didn't want to do it. I mean I worked all week, wanted to sleep in and wait till the last minute to come to church - sit in the back if we even went at all - and then wonder why God wasn't answering my prayers or life was just struggling with all kinds of things going on.

One of the things I have learned over the last few years is that - by serving - you will continue to have struggles - those life things don't go away and God can still sometimes be distant but it doesn't stay that way. God will bring friends who you are serving with along side of you. He will honor your hard work and dedication by you making a place for folks to come to know Him so that they can experience life change - as you are experiencing life change by serving. Let God use you ..... there is nothing to be afraid of when you give GOD your time and energy. Everyone has a gift and passion - if you know what that is... jump in...and if you don't keep serving until you find it!

There are basically 3 kinds of Volunteers:
A) Those who continue to turn their backs on serving or volunteering for anything. They are about themselves and if they don't get anything from it or out of it - then forget it. I used to be this kind of person. MY time - MY schedule - MY feelings - ME ME ME ...... Giving something to someone in need is a far off dream. These folks are almost always on the take... and they give excuses as to why they shouldn't help someone in need or help serve at church or the PTA. They are in the 80% bracket.

B) Those who do serve but hate it. They don't see any value in it or maybe they just do it because they got started and now they are looking to get out of it. There is no passion in serving and thus they are not getting anything out of it. These are folks who don't get anyone else excited about serving nor do they ask anyone to serve with them. But they feel ok being in that 20% bracket....

c) Those who serve and are sold out on what they doing and they love it. Those who serve at their church because they love seeing people come to know Jesus (children and adults) and see life change that only God can provide. They are on fire and ask everyone around them to serve with them. They are willing to do anything - any job - any task - to ask questions later after they are already in knee deep in what they are doing.... these folks are the 20%.... They are in their sweet spot and using the gifts God has given them. They are enjoying the blessings that God is providing them - they are in the place where when times are hard and the season of struggles are upon them they have their feet grounded in the right place where God brings them through that season with a difference.... they experience God on an entirely different level.

I am honored to serve the Lord - to put others before myself. It has been a transition from being the spectator and then being in the game. God has taken me and my family to new levels of understanding about Him, experiencing His joy in life and opening our lives to others who we just love being around and doing life with.

I remember a few years ago there was a family that Carol, Kyle and I became close with because the mom (Stephanie) kept Kyle when he was a baby. They were a God loving family in every sense. They were on a 'nother level' than we were and they taught us many things about "Trust" and "Love" and what it means as a family to love God even if they did without. They had "Joy" in their family no matter what they were struggling with. It was spring, our children played on the same soccer team and one Saturday morning - Tobin pulled me aside and told me their were moving to Maine.... and that he would be training to Pastor a church there. Wow - it blew me away and I knew our families were all going to be hurt with this news and it was a huge LEAP of faith and answering God call. 2 Rainbows appeared in the sky overhead - not 1 but 2 - and it wasn't raining nor was it about to. It was unreal and I knew from that moment that God was fully behind everything taking place. I miss Tobin and Stephanie - their great kids - Kyle best friends at the time..... but I know they are serving the Lord and enjoying the blessings.

Step up and serve - be passionate about life and serving others - ask not what God can do for you but ask Him what YOU CAN DO FOR HIM..... you will be amazed at the answer He will give you and the blessings that He will flow down upon you and your family.
A -B-C - Don't be in the 80% bracket .... the path to Jesus is hard to find and hard to follow but its amazing the journey you will walk once your on it.
Sorry for the long post today .... just a lot on my heart today....

Peace,
Lonnie~