Only what's done for Christ will last...

“Two little lines I heard one day,Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet, And stand before His Judgement seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would a victory score;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord with joy to say;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true what e’er the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, And from the world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Bringing Thee pleasure on Thy throne;
Only one life, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say,”Thy will be done”;
And when at last I’ll hear the call, I know I’ll say “twas worth it all”;
Only one life,’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last. ”

— extra stanza —

Only one life, ’twill soon be past,only what’s done for Christ will last.
And when I am dying, how happy I’ll be,if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee.

~C.T. Studd

Big P and I are about to start the process of pruning. Pruning is a very hard thing for me. I'm a go-getter and like staying busy. Busyness, however, can be an addiction just like anything else and it has, in many ways, become that for me. I long for the peace-filled days of doing our chores, schoolwork, farm activities, and laughing with my children. Many times they seem very very far off. I know they are possible as that is what God has called us to do. He has equipped us to minister to our children and each other and when the important things crowd out the vital - I feel like my equipment is malfunctioning. There are some things that we feel God has called us to do that just take a large amount of time a couple times per year. It's the things that take a large amount of time all throughout the year and to the detriment of our first calling, that really will sock-it-to-ya.

I think this poem says it all. What things are in our lives that are for Christ? What things do we tend to think we are doing for Christ that we are really doing for ourselves? For our glory? Probably more than in any other season I'm feeling the need to have margin in my day. I think margin is where we laugh the most. The most unhurried, most spontaneous, most peace-filled times are probably in the margin.

This weekend, while at the Texas Rubies Retreat, which I co-coordinate, I had a lot on my mind. A lot. When I was supposed to be listening, I couldn't think about anything but why I don't have margin. Why do I seem bogged down? Why do I seem short-tempered? I decided to make a list of every single thing we are involved in as a family, our children are involved in, and that I am involved in solo. When we first moved here I was so uninvolved in things outside the home. I had the most margin in my day and probably felt the most at rest and completely capable to do everything God has called me to do. What possessed me to fill it up and write in the margin?

Our goal is to raise our children for Christ and to equip them for their highest calling. Why do we get so sidetracked? We also want to be able to minister to those around us in big and little ways that show the love of Christ to them and to the world. Why do we tend to derail... often?

I'm typing up the list I made for both of us to have a copy. We will pray over these things individually and then pray over them together. I think it's going to hurt to prune that tree, but I know the fruit bore will be bigger, tastier, and more refreshing than the fruit we are bearing now.

picture from: http://www.treecrops.org.nz

poem & formatting: http://hockleys.org/2009/05/quote-only-one-life-twill-soon-be-past-poem/