Sacrifices or Be Good to Ourselves

Sometimes it's really hard for my girlfriend and I to decide on something we both really want to do, with good purposes and intention, but the drawbacks are several stressful or sleepless nights in return.

We talked about this several times and really gave it some serious thoughts.

Recently we are committed to the Norwich Junior Youth Sunday School on a bimonthly basis until summer 2007. We are working on this outreach with 4 brothers and sisters , each of us share the same burden, passion, committment and even sacrifices towards this group of young people. Our first official trip to Norwich will be on 21st and 22nd October (Saturday and Sunday). Both of us think we should not miss this trip, seeing that we already have not much chance to meet or communicate with this group of people. From a practical point of view, it's not easy at all to even get close to this group of youth when we meet such occasionally, let alone to influence them spiritually. Moreover, my little experience on junior youth ministry reminds me that we need numerous time, manpower and energy to blend with them, no matter it's on fun activity or bible teaching.

I will be working in Holland on the 1st of November. My original plan was to spend about 10 days to get myself settle (plenty of DIY and shopping needs to be done, plus some time to get used to the new environment). In short, both my girlfriend and I will be in real busy and occupied during that period. We have to spend our time very wisely when I arrive on 19th October. We are struggling now whether to join the outreach and arrive Holland on 23rd October, that leaves us less than 10 days to do everything that we are planning to do.

I understand to a certain extent it's not up to us to decide, coz our heart should follow what God wants us to do. But at this stage, to be frank, we are in a very dilemma situation. My heart is feeling more towards "be good to ourselves" than "present our bodies as a living sacrifices".

Dear God, please speak to us, like you always do. I'm just lost on this issue. Amen.