Yesterday I met with ‘L’ a regular reader here and a fellow traveller on the road of rethinking mission and church.
I asked L how she was going and her reply was interesting. Recently her mum who suffers from Alzhiemers, had broken her leg, so there was a lot of time being spent visiting her and caring for her. L also has a very sick son, who has required a lot of care over the last 12 months.
L’s question was ‘are we people who live for God and his kingdom and fit our life (with all its complexities of sick family members etc) in around that, or does God and his kingdom fit in around the life we have to live?’
Its a good question I reckon.
Is God’s calling on us the primary focus of our lives, or does his calling on us fall subject to whatever is happening in the life of our family and those close to us?
As ihave reflected on it my guess is that its never a simple response but something of a messy convoluted ‘both/and’. We are always called to be dedicated to our families, but at the same time we may have a very strong sense of calling from God that guides our lives. I don’t think I’d like to come down hard on one side or another. I have seen family sacrificed on the altar of ministry but equally I have seen family deified and God’s calling minimised.