Sandra Heska King

daring to open doors

  • Home
  • About
  • DISCLOSURES
    • Amazon Affiliate
    • Book Reviews
  • Published
  • Contact
  • Blog
    • Commit Poetry
    • Dared

Seasons of Serving and the Nature of Love

August 11, 2011 By Sandra Heska King

“I can’t,” I snapped.

She faded back into the living room and left me alone with my pots and oils.

And chopsticks.

Newly married and still giddy from San Francisco and Chinatown, I planned my first dinner party from scratch–sweet and sour chicken, homemade egg rolls, and fried apple (?) somethings (I think) that kept me in the kitchen alone nearly two hours past serving time.

A perfect recipe for cranky.

I had a painting party. I bought a large framed canvas and oil paints and brushes. I made bib aprons (probably by hand) and invited some of my husband’s coworkers over to make a painting.

Then there was the soup party. I made the stock, and friends brought ingredients to toss in.

And the New Year’s Even open house with games and squealing over Skittles.

And the roots party where everyone brought a dish that somehow reflected their heritage.

And the women’s luncheon with tables set up under the trees in the backyard and little clay pots holding tableware.

All planned by a better prepared and more relaxed hostess with a much improved attitude.

Before kids.

Then in-home entertainment extravaganzas become a bit of a blur.

Life in general after kids becomes a bit of a blur, I suppose.

I remember occasional overnight company, a progressive meal stop, in-home Bible studies.

I continued to minister outside our home.

For the most part, adult fun stopped.

But the door revolved, and I stayed up late and got up early and listened to adolescent drama and worried and made Grandpa’s pancakes and collected soccer snacks.

Some troubled kids came and went.

And we got burned.

We moved from simply sullen teen to survival mode.

Chaos reigned.

Bringing CHAOS (can’t have anyone over syndrome.)

We couldn’t wouldn’t take a chance on having to deal with a crisis in the middle of a party.

Or a simple soup supper.

We turned inward.

Nobody reached out to support us.

And we did not seek them out.

I stopped teaching.

I felt like a fake.

And a failure.

I closed my heart.

Oh. So. Tired.

I slammed the door.

And locked it.

But God’s door was (is) always open, and I’d crawl in and climb up into His lap and just sit.

And He’d love on me.

And drip grace.

And bit by bit, my heart unfurled.

Until I could serve my family with new energy and tiptoe back into ministry.

And though I haven’t planned any more of those fun get-togethers, I’m freed to serve now in more quiet ways.

I suppose it’s in my core, this serving.

Part of who I am, how I’m wired, how I’m trained.

Years ago as I rushed past his room, I heard him shout.

“Waitress! Hey! Waitress!”

He could have been disoriented.

Or maybe it was my blue pin-striped dress topped with the flared white apron that confused him.

And he needed some care and feeding. Maybe some fresh ice water.

He needed someone to serve him, to listen, to hold his hand and sooth his brow.

Quietly.

One on one.

He was in the hospital after all.

And had need of healing in body and spirit.

And hope.

A hospitable heart leaks that.

Healing and hope.

I’ve learned there are seasons of serving.

My job is to let lean into them, to lean into Him and let Him infuse me with His love.

Then simply dispense it dose by dose, word by word, touch by touch.

Hospitality should have no other nature but love. ~Henrietta Mears

 

This week Bonnie asks us to share on the topic of hospitality.

FaithBarista_FreshJamBadgeG

 

And Emily–sweet Emily’s heart beats for Africa today, and she asks us to swing wide our heart doors.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

Filed Under: stories and reflections

Comments

  1. Duane Scott says

    August 12, 2011 at 11:09 am

    Sandy,

    Seasons of serving.

    This blog today that you wrote is a season. Your writing continues to get better and better and I love it. 🙂

    • Sandra says

      August 13, 2011 at 8:47 am

      Thanks, Duane. Step back–hug attack!

  2. Linda says

    August 12, 2011 at 12:51 pm

    I haven’t had much time to visit these past several days, but your words slowed me down for a few minutes Sandy. This is so moving; I feel it all with you. Yes…seasons, and always Him being there. This was just beautiful, touching and so real. Thank you.

    • Sandra says

      August 13, 2011 at 8:48 am

      Thanks so much, Linda. I know how that time thing goes. I haven’t had time to get around as much as I want, either. And I know I’m missing out big time. Hugs to you.

  3. S. Etole says

    August 12, 2011 at 5:56 pm

    Your heart is showing … in your words and actions and photos!

    • Sandra says

      August 13, 2011 at 8:49 am

      😀 😀

  4. imperfect prose says

    August 12, 2011 at 11:39 pm

    first of all, i LOVE the sound of your painting party 🙂 so cool. and secondly, i love how in tune you are with his spirit… how you walk alongside, and how you listen. it’s so beautiful.

    • Sandra says

      August 13, 2011 at 8:50 am

      It was so much fun, Emily. I know I have photos in one of our albums. I’ll have to dig it out. We hung it on our wall for the longest time. I don’t know what happened to it. 🙁

      And thank you for your sweet words.

  5. Faith Barista Bonnie says

    August 16, 2011 at 11:53 pm

    Hi Sandy! I have a similar story too. I prefer 1-1 or smaller groups now myself. And quiet ways of connecting. I used to feel sad I’m so different than I was before, until I realized I’m still that same person, just expressing that love for people differently. That part of us who opens heart side for others is still there, you and I. God just wants to use us differently. And there will come a season when we’ll be opening them up large again, maybe. It’s all the same to Him — by faith, it’s is all equal, glorious and beauty to Jesus. 🙂 My time to step back into a bigger space of ministry may be coming. And I’m praying I carry this wonderful gift of faith with me there again. Small, medium or large, I am confident my decade in solitude and 1-1 will keep me quiet within and listening to Him. What a good friend you are, sharing all this beauty with us. Thank you!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Meet Sandra

I’m Sandra, a camera-toting, recovering doer who’s learning to be. still. Read more…

Get updates from the stillness by email

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Archives

Categories

Instagram Inspiration

sandraheskaking

Happy first day of fall from my backyard to yours. Happy first day of fall from my backyard to yours.
Just another backyard photo… Just another backyard photo…
From my backyard tonight. From my backyard tonight.
Just another sunset. Just another sunset.
“I would like people to remember of me, how inex “I would like people to remember of me, how inexhaustible was her mindfulness.” ~ Mary Oliver in “ A Little Ado About This and That.”
Current situation. Current situation.
“This spark of life that wavest wings of gold” “This spark of life that wavest wings of gold” ~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson in “Ode to a Butterfly”
🦋
We pulled all the milkweed because it just could not support all the caterpillars. They were eating it bare and most of them died because they ran out of food. This one butterfly found this one lone volunteer.
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright futur "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority." ~ E.B. White (as quoted on today's page in my Franklin Planner)
"May you experience each day as a sacred gift wove "May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder." ~ John O'Donohue in "For Presence" from To Bless the Space Between Us
🌴
Tri-colored heron stalking breakfast in my backyard.
“. . neighbor’s tree hangs heavy with mangoes “. .  neighbor’s tree hangs heavy with mangoes. They are moving in a week. They say a family from Belarus bought the house. I hope they don’t care much for mangoes.”
**
“Beautiful Sweet Things” at https://sandraheskaking.substack.com/
"People do not grow old. When they cease to grow t "People do not grow old. When they cease to grow they become old.” ~ Emerson

It's been a while since I've written anything on my blog. Like 3 years. But I just wrote my first post on Substack. Come see?

https://sandraheskaking.substack.com/p/ten-years-ten-things
Spent a couple hours this morning with friends fro Spent a couple hours this morning with friends from @spanishriverchurch picking up beach trash. Little bits of colored and clear plastic, big bits of plastic, bottle caps, broken glass, strings, ropes, straws, socks, fast food containers, paper, cigarette holders and filters—and a couple unmentionables. Took extra care around the turtle nests. Last count was about 70 pounds, but there were also some bigger things like an abandoned chair and a plastic tent. And a big piece of burlap or something with a fishing lure and giant hook attached. D found a Macy’s gift card that he almost tossed in his bucket. But we brought it home to check the balance—$24.60! We should be able to turn that into something useful for someone. 😊
H Already dead, I am living my afterlife here in t H
Already dead, I am
living my afterlife
here
in the form of a human.
~ Xueyan from Time Peels All to Original White

Thanks to @tspoetry for introducing me to this beautiful collection via an Every Day Poems selection.
The cats attacked the window all night. The dog wo The cats attacked the window all night. The dog woofed all night. This morning we discovered the would-be burglar imprisoned between the screen and the glass on our bedroom slider. 

When I stepped out to release it (no bail), I was surprised by this brief bit of backyard beauty.
For most of us, knowledge of our world comes large For most of us, knowledge of our world comes largely through sight, yet we look about with such unseeing eyes that we are partially blind. One way to open your eyes to unnoticed beauty is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?" ~ Rachel Carson in The Sense of Wonder
#prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michigan #prayformsu #spartanstrong #spartannurse #michiganstateuniversity
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faith Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. ~ Psalm 136:1
A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana A tale of two iguanas... I did not see the iguana in the background until I downloaded the photos. That, I believe, is the one that got caught in one of the openings in the neighbor's chain link fence. We tried in several (safe) ways to dislodge it without luck and could think of no other option but to leave it. Somehow it apparently dislodged itself. We also believe this is the pair that was getting into another neighbor's garden. We haven't seen either one since the last cold snap, so we are wondering if they survived. 
🌱
Thinking some may have tumbled from their perches last night. Pretty sure it will be raining iguanas tonight since we are under a frost advisory. It's cold. And windy.
Just sing... sing a song... Singing our way into Just sing... sing a song... 

Singing our way into the weekend.
"We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramse "We don't just see. We learn to see." ~ Russ Ramsey in Rembrandt is in the Wind
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Get the Mug

Embrace the life you have t s poetry mug

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy is available HERE.

I Read Light

TSP-Red button

bibledude-net



Sponsor a Child

Join the Compassion Blogger Network

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 Sandra Heska King · Site by The Willingham Enterprise, LLC on the Genesis Framework by StudioPress · Log in