From the archive but still true today:

Do you work for the Lord? Is there anything you are regularly compelled to do for God that others just don’t understand? I face this issue often because God’s ways and ours are different. If you’re a pastor people understand that you work on the Sabbath, it’s your job, but they often think that is the only day you do anything. I’m just one of those people that Father called for a specific position in the harvest. “The harvest is rich, but the workers are few.”  (Matthew 9:37) 

I was called to be a daily encourager to the family. Most of my people understand that part but don’t take it as seriously as I do. The part that many cannot understand is the time of day I get up to complete my task. Currently, I roll out of bed when the night owls are just crawling in. As some of you know, I have recently decided to take advantage of God’s rule to rest on the Sabbath and spend more time sitting with Father. 

I mentioned to one of my boys how good it felt to sleep a full eight hours and not be pressured to post. It was very refreshing. He looked at me with total confusion. His comment was: “Why do you get up like that mom? You act like it’s a job. It’s not a job!” This is where the biggest misunderstanding comes into play. No one hands me a paycheck. I am not under any other publisher’s timeline. It is my choice each day. “Why don’t you just do it later?” is a common question.

First of all, if I wait for an opportunity after my family gets out of bed, it won’t happen. There is never a sufficient amount of uninterrupted time after family life begins. Second is God’s desire for me to post early enough that most people can read at the start of their own day, to help them focus on the Lord. I’ve tried having a backstock of prepared messages but Father prefers I come to him each morning, empty, fresh, and ready for my daily bread. Yes, it’s a sacrifice to get up at 2:30 am. and sleep in split-shifts but what good would any of it be to Father if I didn’t willingly give something up?

“Then I heard the voice of ADONAI saying, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ I answered, ‘I’m here, send me!’ He said, ‘Go and tell this people.’” (Isaiah 6:8) No, I don’t turn in a time card or receive a paycheck: I get paid in other ways. “Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out workers to gather in his harvest.” (Matthew 9:38)