Listen to Mary Beth’s blog:
Yesterday, someone asked me what I have going on this fall, and my immediate response was to answer with the responsibilities I have: my job and my children’s schedules and activities. My brain then moved to commitments I have to various groups and then to some other family commitments. It was only after talking myself through all of those that I even thought about some of the things I am doing that I really enjoy outside of my responsibilities. And maybe that’s appropriate, as my responsibilities are the work God has given me to do, but I also know for me, it is often difficult to find mental and physical energy to devote to something after I get through all those responsibilities. Having “a hobby” often feels like a luxury my mind can’t afford.
I also don’t gravitate toward what I consider the typical hobbies. I’m not athletic, I don’t particularly enjoy gardening, I’m not artistic, and though I like music, my piano lessons from childhood haven’t translated into much as an adult in the way of playing regularly. My sister asked me recently what I was reading lately and after I listed the few theology and parenting books I’m slowly making my way through, she said “No, I mean for fun. What are you reading for fun?” “That is what I read for fun!” I replied. The bedtime chapter books with my seven-year-old son are filling the story space in my life right now.
So where does that leave me? In a culture screaming at us from all angles that we need self-care and to prioritize ourselves, and the Bible teaching me to look not only to my own interests but also the interests of others, I’m wondering what having a hobby should even look like.
About a year or so ago, my husband was not letting me get away with the above excuses for not finding some sort of hobby. He saw that there wasn’t much of anything that I just did for fun or that was a break from all the aforementioned responsibilities. I promise it was more than just a “happy wife, happy life” attempt; he really saw that I needed something to help me be a little bit more of myself and to, as Piper might put it, glorify God by enjoying who I am as His creation. So, he simply posed the question: “What do you really like to do?”
My answer was: conversations about things that matter. I like to have those conversations, I like to listen to those conversations, and I like to be around people that like them, too. But I resigned myself to the fact that I couldn’t possibly count that as a hobby.
In His mercy, God brought two opportunities for that into my life in the past year. One has been my husband and me leading an intergenerational small group Bible study in our home (a combination of ministry, community, and discipleship – not merely a hobby!) and the other is being invited by fellow Willowdale Women blogger Sarah Flowers to co-host a podcast called Trustworthy which is conversations about how God shows Himself trustworthy in various areas of life.
Lo and behold, the enjoyment and intellectual exercise of developing and co-hosting a podcast of pointed conversation has not left me feeling more drained, but rather it has given me energy. That’s not the purpose of the podcast, but it has been a wonderful byproduct! When I am tempted to sink into myself and only my responsibilities, of course I don’t feel like I have any more capacity to add on to my week. But when I am doing something that is not taking from me, but adding to me, the ripple effects into all those other areas are positive.
Maybe for you it’s a round of golf or joining the local theater or sewing or writing or throwing parties or…you fill in the blank. God made you with your specific likes, interests, and abilities so that you could glorify Him just by being who He made you to be. So, when’s the last time you asked yourself “What do you really like to do?”
ABOUT OUR BLOGGER
Originally from Georgia, Mary Beth Gombita is a lover of sweet tea, a proud Georgia Bulldog and an avid music fan.
She works in public relations, running her own communications consulting business from home.
Mary Beth and her husband, Stephen, have two young sons.
She is currently the editor of our Willowdale Women blog.
Fall is a great season to jump into one our women's groups. In our groups we enjoy great teaching, thought provoking discussion, prayer, relationship building, and serving opportunities. CLICK HERE to get a taste of all Women's ministry is offering, and PLEASE register ASAP to ensure we have plenty of books and materials for our first week. We offer both online and in person groups at two locations. Most groups begin the first or second week of September!
Please don't hesitate to contact Carole Hoy, Women's and Groups' Pastor at Willowdale Chapel, if you have any questions. choy@willowdalechapel.org