The Art of Availability

"Howard, slow down! Why do you always walk so fast?"

I was walking down the street in Colombia in 2004 with some friends who were in the same discipleship program with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Carlos started calling me "Howardyou?" and my last name stuck as a nickname.

I had just graduated from college, where I packed my schedule with as many credits as the university allowed, and was probably one of the busiest, most "Type A" students among my friends. But during the year I lived in Colombia, Carlos and others challenged me to slow down, enjoy life, take time to talk to people, and embrace the unexpected. This is one of many way the Lord has used people in Latin America to teach me and enrich my life.

Every once in awhile I catch myself rushing or feeling the pull to add activities to my schedule, but then I remember, "slow down, Howard!"

One of the themes God is teaching me this year is "the art of availability." Although I feel so good physically, I know the healing process after hysterectomy requires intentional rest and a slower pace than might seem necessary to me. In addition, my kids (ages four and almost three) are in a magical window of time, past the infant and toddler stage, but not yet in a structured school setting -- a time I want to soak up together while we can.

Although I do not have many formal commitments, I have been surprised by what God has been doing in the "extra" or "marginal" times. Instead of "busy," life feels "full" of these beautiful opportunities:

Sharing at church
Fernando has traveled a lot this year, and every once in awhile he asks me to give the message at church, such as for the Mother's Day service for women. What a joy to help the most important person in my life in this way! I am not drawn to speaking in front of people, but I have enjoyed sharing from what God is teaching me.

Details!
Fernando is a big-picture strategist, while I like making sure all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed, whether it is emails, travel itineraries, financial wires and transfers, or organizing suitcases and receipts after a trip. It is a gift to take care of these details so Fernando's work can go more smoothly.

Conversations
Just yesterday I was taking a walk with the kids. Mr. J. saw two girls and wanted to give them a flower he had picked but wanted me to go with him. As we got closer, I heard the mom talking to her girls in Arabic, so I introduced myself in the one phrase I know, "My name is Alison." She told me she is Palestinian and stays at home with her girls. I hope we can get to know them and see what the Lord might have in store! I am thankful for time to get to know our neighbors.

Hospitality
As I shared in the last post, God has been teaching me more about opening our home to others. A single mom came over a few weeks ago to talk, and she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior. Monday morning I was picking up after the previous day's power and water outage (the house was a bit of a disaster!) when she came by to talk and pray. Having margin meant I could sit down with her for a bit knowing I could finish the housework later.

"Mommy! Come look!"
Being a task-oriented person, I have to remind myself that interruptions are opportunities instead of (annoying!) problems, especially with my kids. When I take time to stop to look at bugs, dance around the kitchen, or color on the floor (the advantage of ceramic floors and washable crayons) I realize these are usually the best moments of the day. Although it isn't always natural for me, God's patience with me helps me in turn to slow down and be patient with my kids.

I am starting to see availability as an art: there is no formula for a given person or given day, it takes practice and openness, and the result is often unique and beautiful. I imagine life will not be like this for long, and activities and commitments are valuable in their own right, but I want to be available for the small, unexpected, beautiful opportunities God brings our way.

How do you find ways to balance commitment with availability? How has God surprised you when you have been willing to be available? I would love to hear your stories.

Finally, I often think of how others have blessed me with this gift of availability: Fernando encourages me to use time, energy, and abilities as God leads; my mom and other women have shown me how to focus on other people; and those who support our ministry help us be available to serve. Thank you!