Hello, my name's Mary and I'm a....

Oh, so many blanks I could fill with that intro! All of my HOL family knows what my video debut declared...."Hi. My name is Mary Roth. I'm a teacher and I'm a missionary."  Or we could dwell on the out takes bloopers and you got this one...."Hi. My name is Mary Roth. I'm a teacher. I'm grossly underpaid and I'm a missionary." Honest. I didn't think that would make the bloopers cut! Sometimes I think I'm funnier than I really am. Well, allow me to me brutally honest. IF I was going to fill that blank today, this week, this month, I'd probably not use the word "missionary". Perhaps these labels would be more accurate:  whiner, pessimist, grieving daughter, tired mom, stressed teacher, grouch and hundreds more. I looked them up. None of them make the fruits of the spirit list. Dang.


I did warn you of my brutal honesty in case you cared to stop reading so proceed with caution. At least I can't SEE your mouths gaped open and your eyes roll at my bad attitude. I'm going to go out on a limb and pretend that I'm not the only who gets in these pits and can't seem to crawl out. And worse yet, sometimes I just settle there, perfectly content in the pit. It's a lot less work to sit than to crawl and claw my way out. But here's the kicker I've wrestled with lately. What if in my pit-dom (feel free to use that word I just made up) I'm supposed to just be still and stop crawling, climbing, reaching and fretting? Maybe, just maybe, if I closed my eyes for a moment and listened, I'd hear something in the pit that I could cling to that would convict, encourage and  whisper hope into my soul that would let me really know that we're aren't meant to be pit dwellers. That circumstances aren't to define me. That if I relied on my emotions to spur me to be more Jesus-like, I'd be a sorry, hot mess. What if, in the middle of the pit, I opened my hands and unclenched my fists and just let Him carry me out? I mean, seriously, I was never meant to go at this alone.

So dear friends, this one's all for me. Allow me to share a few lessons I've learned lately. Choose a glass that's half-full, not empty. Surround yourself with a few friends that you can truly be transparent with. Be prepared to be rebuked. It's ugly, but it's gotta be done. Good friends are honest with you. Be intentional in thinking about others. Make time for your family. Pray for strength and courage to be bold. Be a missionary. There won't be time for a pit vacation, I'd say. In fact, we'd be amazed if we knew what lies ahead.

Habakkuk 1:5-Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I'm going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

Hold on, friends. Hold on.