Great Commission Churches

February 2007

Dear Sisters,

Greetings! In this month’s letter we see another excellent example of a pastor's wife. Patty Osborn, wife of Gary, describes a “typical” day in her life. I am impressed with her humble and loving heart as she daily seeks to please God and her husband.

What greater priority can we have than “to do whatever it takes to keep our eyes on Him?” May God use Patty's example to inspire you to be a person who loves Jesus Christ throughout the day.

In His love,

Sandy

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God’s Will for My Day

By Patty Osborn, Candlewood Community Church, Omaha, NE

Someone asked me recently about how I decide what God’s will for my day looks like. This is basically what I do…

First of all, I tell myself after my quiet time, “Well, at least I did the most important thing!” There isn’t anything more important than this. I do take Jesus’ statement to Martha seriously: “ONLY ONE thing is necessary.” Nothing else is as important. Doing this does help me keep my perspective right; to see the Lord for a little while anyway!

As far as the rest goes, I’ll try to share a little of how I think….

Mostly I just try to keep my priorities, and that takes up a lot of the time. Quiet time, do whatever I know Gary wants me to do, take kids where they need to go, and keep up the home. Our kids at home mostly know what they’re supposed to do each day,
so I don’t have to give a lot of specific direction. With Gary working at another full time job (besides being a pastor), he doesn’t have that much time to think up specific things for me to do outside of the regular stuff, but I do make whatever he likes a priority (I know he likes the grill cleaned every time we use it, so if we used it the evening before, that’s one thing I put on my list of things to do).

I follow routines, maybe not so exact as “every Tuesday is grocery day,” but most days have certain structures (Wayne--7th grade and Wyatt--5th grade always have school, as soon as the breakfast dishes are done, and we’ve been working on memorizing at noon, or reviewing verses; Wednesday is piano lesson day, etc.). After lunch, we relax for awhile; they read books, and I take a nap (and read). Not for a long time, but whatever I need. I’m worthless when I’m tired, and we have so many things in the evening, I have to get rest in the afternoon. I probably do a lot of things by my feelings, judging how much time I need, trusting that God is giving me wisdom. I follow principles, more than asking God continually “What should I do? For example, if we’ve been really busy, we’ll relax a little. And of course we have to fit in with my husband’s personality. He’d hate it if I was too regimented, because he’s not! Sometimes deciding what things to do is not so much the amount of time they take, but how much they wear on you. I can only get with a few people regularly, it seems, and I only have a few close relationships, even if I have the time. So I get with two or three sisters regularly for accountability. It seems the Lord has not only given us limited physical strength, but also limited ability to have relationships.

I do try to go out for an extended quiet time on Saturday morning. Last week I really missed it, but this Saturday I should be able to get back on track. Recently Gary decided we should all give out tracts more, and all the kids (all seven) should write

their own. So I’m helping them to do that now. We always want our husbands to lead in spiritual things, and when they do, we want to complain, “Another thing to do!” Really, there’s only one thing God wants us to do at a time, and doing what my
husband wants, I feel, is top on the God’s list for me.

I know if Gary had an office at home, like many pastors do, things would change a lot. When he did, I had to be ready to help him whenever he needed it.

Today we broke all our routines. Wayne needed teeth pulled at the dentist, so I thought we ought to “take a day off.” We went to the dentist at nine o’clock in the morning. When we got home, we put in our “Fellowship of the Ring” movie. I did things I could do while watching it (ironing, mending, etc.). I have been feeling stressed, just too busy. I already feel better. It’s so silly for us to think if we don’t do things, it will all fall apart. Who do I think I am anyway? That helps me relax.

Well, today the reading was Hebrews 4. My verses are 10 & 11, “For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world. Let us do our best to enter that place of rest for anyone who disobeys God,
as the people of Israel did, will fall.” The most important thing is to see Him, and not all “I have to do.” That’s my thought. Whatever it takes to keep my eyes on Him, that’s what I should do…I know that the only things I do of lasting value are the
things He is involved in, so why stress myself by doing other stuff?

How do you decide what’s God’s will for your day?

Love ya,
Patty