opportunity knocking?

Last week, I was invited to participate in a mission trip that is happening later this summer.
An in-country mission trip? Low travel costs? Helping others in a poor rural community, physically, emotionally, and spiritually? I immediately wanted to jump at the chance.

I talked it over with Mike, and his reaction was... "No way. Bad idea. Don't go."

I went to a meeting a few days ago, to get more info about details, logistics and travel plans.
I would be allowed to bring the kids! Other parents were bringing their children. There were plenty of beds. We'd cook meals together. We'd work on different projects in teams. It sounded great!

Then I came home, and thought about it some more. How could I meaningfully help others when I already had four kids to drag around with me all day? How would I be able to assist in projects if I was constantly feeding and changing a baby, and hiking with preschoolers back and forth to the bathroom? Ok, so it would be kind of challenging. But if there's a will... there's a way. Right?

Mike still said "No. I don't want you to go."
But this time he qualified it.

He told me that I am needed more at home right now, during this season of our lives with young kids. He thinks the preschoolers are too young to stay overnight with friends for 3-5 days while he works the night shift and their mommy is away in another state. He thinks it would be too stressful for me to balance the typical everyday mom-duties and drag all of them along with me on a week-long missions adventure trip in the middle of the mountains. And he isn't willing to let them stay home without me. In his line of thinking, if there are already dozens of others signed up for the missions trip, why do I need to bend over backwards to include myself? I almost think he found it selfish of me, that I would be willing to "neglect" things at home to go on a missions trip elsewhere. He said that taking care of a foster baby is a full-time job in itself (true). "Isn't THAT mission work? Aren't you doing missions every day?"

While I could have argued, I decided to be a good wife and respect his wishes.
Maybe he is right on some points.  :)

So, I won't be going on a missions trip this summer, even though I think it's a really great opportunity.
But I will continue to look for ways to serve, whether they are in my own home, down the road, in the next town, or donating gifts, money and resources to ministries in other places/countries.

There are so many ways to help others...  Are you?