farther up and further in

I find it quite ironic, or I guess, quite providential how things in my life have been progressing lately. The bottom line of life for the past six months is the frustrations and annoyances that I have suffered on a regular basis at work. I have found that my work, as much as I love it, is the source of a lot of my stress. The people and circumstances at my office have become increasingly annoying, and I have felt increasingly distanced from everything there. I still love what I do, and I still believe that what I do is my true vocational calling, but the circumstances in which I have carried out that calling are not enjoyable.
To that end, I have found my time with my family increasingly enjoyable. Having the opportunity to spend the time at home with the girls for four days straight, although exhausting, was a real joy. I feel that time together deepended and strengthened that bond, and I am reaping the benefits of that every day now when I come home from work.
Then... from nowhere has come the most recent surprise, an increased sense of calling to be involved in the ministries of my church. I have been a deacon at Covenant Church for two years now, and recently, it has become apparent that my level of commitment and involvement is potentially on the verge of becoming much deeper and much stronger. It is an opportunity that excites me, but surprises me at the same time. I have received much praise and positive response from the work I've done - work that I've felt that I've only done to a standard, acceptable level, but in the eyes of others, work that has truly been guided and blessed by God.
It's hard for me to accept the compliments I've received, and I always struggle, as a reformed Presbyterian, with balancing accepting compliments and giving the glory to God.
I so want to be proud, but I know that pride is a terribly sad state of mind. How do you balance the two? How do you give the glory to God for working through you in a way that His glory shows out from you to others? I don't understand how to do that - how that everyone outside sees Him, not you. And... is it terribly wrong that they do see you (me) when I'm the vessel?
To add to the blessing of my work, Julie has also become more involved and become drawn more into the inner workings of the women's ministries at our church. It's weird to sense this concept that we are becoming this intrinsic part of the inner-workings of our congregation. It is exciting, yet terrifying at the same time. To feel that we are holding ourselves out even more as faithful followers of Christ - while we sometimes don't feel that we are those same faithful followers on a daily basis.
In any sense, the work that I've been doing has been a blessing, because it's been an encouragement to me - a source of validation that God is able to work through me and through the things I do, despite the obstacles I face every day. Still, the obstacles exist. Even today, confrontation with others in my office can be a frustrating experience, and bring me right back down to earth.
I know that we are not supposed to focus on the temporary struggle - we discussed it this week in our Peter Bible Study, but the fact is that the temporary struggles are what is real from day to day, not the yet-to-come glory.