When confronted with this same question in my own life, I first went to God and repented for not being open enough to others' needs. Then I asked him to provide me with opportunities to help.
In response, he not only made me more intuitive and sensitive to others, he opened my eyes to some things in my own life that needed attending to. I found that my husband was having the same feelings, like we just weren't doing enough.
Since then we've made it our goal to simplify every aspect of our lives to free the resources he has give us (time, talents and money) to help others. Believe me, that is easier said than done.
It became obvious right away that we spend so much time being so busy...! Just thinking of all the time I spent commuting in my life, boggles the mind. The process of buying houses, renovating, selling them, starting businesses, growing them, selling them... it makes me exhausted just thinking about it.
He's given each of us gifts like for some it's wealth, for others compassion for the elderly or disabled, for some it is the ability to see when someone is hurting and knowing what to say.
There are so many distractions it's easy to spend a lifetime just getting from one day to the next trying to keep it together. Now we live in the 'Love Shack' out in the woods, and life is much simpler. We sold all of our antique store inventory, the building, our big old house, and 'collections' over a two year period, but still our attic is crammed full of stuff I need to sell on ebay.
Now we send support to a little girl in Zimbabwe, a family of 11 in Nicaragua, and two years ago initiated a strict rule at Christmas where we only give gifts to those in need in the community (and to the little ones in the family). But the gifts God has given us through this whole journey have been priceless: peace of mind, freedom from debt, opportunity to be of service, and more time with Him and each other.
Now we're so much
-- Happier
