When is enough, enough?

I love when the Lord answers my prayers in ways in such abundant ways it is really hard for even someone like me to miss.

As I have been honest with God- bringing my needs to him, sharing with him my heavy heart, listing out my frustrations, letting him hear my hurts, explaining my hopes and subsequent fears - he has been good in his responses taking care to not only let me "cry it out," but once I'm in a place where I have expelled all of that "stuff," he speaks in such tender ways it not only soothes my soul but quiets the whirlwind of crazy whipping around me.

This weekend and the last few days I have been enveloped in sweet community. I have been lifted in encouragement, covered in prayer, leaned on for friendship, allowed to rest in my own need of friendship, supported in honesty, held in love, directed in perspective, relieved in laughter, gifted with grace... I mean, the list could really just continue in simpler terms as well as the embellished.

These times of sweet community have offered much to think about in questions that stretch across differences and felt in hearts of women. Currently: What is right? What is best? What is enough?

We are pressed against - sometimes literally - by many needs: family, work, ministry, missions, the world, expectations, finances, grocery shopping, relationships, etc. And this is not even touching the perceived expectations we take on from places like Pinterest and facebook- rooted from a place of comparison.

So how do we choose the right thing? How do we know when we've reached not only the right decision, but when we have given enough? Enough money, time, resources to the right places?

Here's my perspective: maybe we are asking the wrong questions.

The world will never reach the point it has received enough of us or from us- the need is too great for us to satisfy.

Rather: am I seeking God?

In this moment- how do I see the Lord moving- in me, through me, around me? Can I allow him more space to work/move?

I don't think God is necessarily always expecting our answers to questions. But I think that's the point- I think it's the working out of the answer that allows/motivates us to come close to God, to practice faith, to build trust; and this enables us to continue to move forward and, as we go, as we work this out, we allow others to see God in those places- his grace and goodness, his relational qualities and his rightful reverence.