January 8, 2014
"Then He said to them, 'Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me also welcomes My Father who sent Me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.'" Luke 9:48
As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes motherhood feels monotonous. Caring for the same kids with the same needs can leave a mama feeling tired and worn out, longing for a change of pace. But before I give in to the cravings of my flesh I turn to the Word to remind myself of what God has to say about these little ones.
“Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on My behalf welcomes Me, and anyone who welcomes Me also welcomes My Father who sent Me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” (Luke 9:48)
Jesus says that when I welcome my children I am welcoming Him. And when I receive Jesus I get the Father too.
Jesus' words grant me a new perspective on my early risers.
When I fix breakfast (again) for my children, I fix breakfast for Jesus. When I wash my children's dishes (again), I wash dishes for Jesus. When I pull out our school books (again) I teach my children about Jesus. When I kiss the tiniest scrape or bandage a bleeding wound; when I change my tenth diaper for the day (and then change my shirt which caught remnant from the diaper); when I moderate Lego disputes; when I wash hair; when I brush teeth; when I read a bedtime story, sometimes two; I do it all as unto Jesus IF and only if I receive these children in His name.
Father, forgive me for the times that I fail to see my children for who they are--gifts from You. Help me to break the monotony of motherhood by seeing each need of my children as an opportunity to serve You.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Building Little Temples
January 1, 2014
"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord
God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will
see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly." 1 Chronicles 28:20
I have such good intentions.
Our children recently received a package in the mail from a camp they attended this past summer. The package contained a calendar and three sets of postcards. The inside cover of the calendar explained the significance of hand-written correspondence. My children immediately wanted to "write" on the postcards. But I had better intentions.
I refused to surrender the post cards until I had a chance to sit down with our children and read the information from the inside cover of the calendar. But about that same time a bowl shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces on our kitchen floor. The postcards--and my good intentions--would have to wait.
"Hand over the postcards," my husband said. "But I want to read the calendar to them first," I protested. "Hand over the postcards," my husband repeated with a sympathetic smile on his face. "But I need to teach them how to use a postcard," I pleaded.
Some may call it Type-A personality (and those some may have a point). I call it good intentions.
I want to play Ladderball with my kids. I want to make crafts with my
kids. I want to visit the elderly in nursing homes and to serve others
as a family and . . . the list continues. Yet the demands of raising a
family seem to consume most of my waking moments. When my list of good
intentions remains undone I grow utterly discouraged.
King David had good intentions too. David desired to build a temple for God. David spent much time and effort making preparations for building God's dwelling place. But God prevented David from following through with his good intentions. Instead, God chose one of David's sons, Solomon, to build His Temple. In 1 Chronicles 28:20 David tells Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord
God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will
see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly."
I too am building [little] temples for God. In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul writes, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?"
Two of our children have professed their faith in Christ. Ephesians 1:13 tells me that when our children made their professions of faith God placed His Spirit in our children. Two of our children are temples for God (they're just still under construction). My husband and I pray that the foundations in our other two children will one day prove strong enough to also become temples for God.
Proverbs 16:3 tells me to commit my actions to the LORD, and my plans will succeed.
Proverbs 22:6 promises that if I direct my children onto the right path, when they are older, they will not leave it.
Rather than feeling discouraged when I fail to accomplish my good intentions I must remember the words of David to his own son. God is with me. He will
see to it that all the work--all the work--related to building [little] temples of the Lord is finished correctly.
"Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord
God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will
see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly." 1 Chronicles 28:20
I have such good intentions.
Our children recently received a package in the mail from a camp they attended this past summer. The package contained a calendar and three sets of postcards. The inside cover of the calendar explained the significance of hand-written correspondence. My children immediately wanted to "write" on the postcards. But I had better intentions.
I refused to surrender the post cards until I had a chance to sit down with our children and read the information from the inside cover of the calendar. But about that same time a bowl shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces on our kitchen floor. The postcards--and my good intentions--would have to wait.
"Hand over the postcards," my husband said. "But I want to read the calendar to them first," I protested. "Hand over the postcards," my husband repeated with a sympathetic smile on his face. "But I need to teach them how to use a postcard," I pleaded.
Some may call it Type-A personality (and those some may have a point). I call it good intentions.
I want to play Ladderball with my kids. I want to make crafts with my
kids. I want to visit the elderly in nursing homes and to serve others
as a family and . . . the list continues. Yet the demands of raising a
family seem to consume most of my waking moments. When my list of good
intentions remains undone I grow utterly discouraged.
King David had good intentions too. David desired to build a temple for God. David spent much time and effort making preparations for building God's dwelling place. But God prevented David from following through with his good intentions. Instead, God chose one of David's sons, Solomon, to build His Temple. In 1 Chronicles 28:20 David tells Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord
God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will
see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly."
I too am building [little] temples for God. In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul writes, "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God?"
Two of our children have professed their faith in Christ. Ephesians 1:13 tells me that when our children made their professions of faith God placed His Spirit in our children. Two of our children are temples for God (they're just still under construction). My husband and I pray that the foundations in our other two children will one day prove strong enough to also become temples for God.
Proverbs 16:3 tells me to commit my actions to the LORD, and my plans will succeed.
Proverbs 22:6 promises that if I direct my children onto the right path, when they are older, they will not leave it.
Rather than feeling discouraged when I fail to accomplish my good intentions I must remember the words of David to his own son. God is with me. He will
see to it that all the work--all the work--related to building [little] temples of the Lord is finished correctly.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Do I Know You?
November 15, 2013
"On
judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your
name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in
your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you . . .'" Matthew 7:22-23
Father, do I know You?
I realize that seems like a ridiculous question. However, I believe it is a question worth asking of myself every once in a while. One day when I stand before my King I long to hear the words of Matthew 25:21, "Well done, my good and faithful servant . . .." What if instead I hear a paraphrase of Matthew 7:23, "Do I know you?"
I stand firm in my salvation. I recognize my salvation as a gift from God available to me (and to anyone else, for that matter) through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). And because of Christ I know I will stand before God one day right and pure and holy.
But do I know Him?
I teach a Sunday school class. On occasion I have the privilege of encouraging groups of women in their walk of faith. I once traveled half-way around the globe to lead Bible study.
But do I know Him?
God's own people missed Him. In John 5:39 Jesus says to the Jewish leaders, "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!"
One of Jesus' disciples nearly missed Him. "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am?" (John 14:9)
I realize this question is a lot to ask. But it is a question worth asking of ourselves more than every once in a while; more like each day.
Father, do I know You?
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24)
"On
judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your
name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in
your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you . . .'" Matthew 7:22-23
Father, do I know You?
I realize that seems like a ridiculous question. However, I believe it is a question worth asking of myself every once in a while. One day when I stand before my King I long to hear the words of Matthew 25:21, "Well done, my good and faithful servant . . .." What if instead I hear a paraphrase of Matthew 7:23, "Do I know you?"
I stand firm in my salvation. I recognize my salvation as a gift from God available to me (and to anyone else, for that matter) through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). And because of Christ I know I will stand before God one day right and pure and holy.
But do I know Him?
I teach a Sunday school class. On occasion I have the privilege of encouraging groups of women in their walk of faith. I once traveled half-way around the globe to lead Bible study.
But do I know Him?
God's own people missed Him. In John 5:39 Jesus says to the Jewish leaders, "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!"
One of Jesus' disciples nearly missed Him. "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don't know who I am?" (John 14:9)
I realize this question is a lot to ask. But it is a question worth asking of ourselves more than every once in a while; more like each day.
Father, do I know You?
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (Psalm 139:23-24)
Monday, October 28, 2013
The Litttle Things
October 28, 2013
"The
master said, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been
faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more
responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!'" Matthew 25:23
Why do the little things prove so hard to accomplish? It seems the more I have on my "to-do" list the better I manage my day. The bigger and better the task the more anxious I feel to complete it. But give me a day with only a few mundane tasks to finish and I spend most of my time grumbling and complaining. So many days I've even felt this way toward my children. "Is this all God? Stay home and raise children? Don't you want me to do something more?"
A guy in the Bible by the name of Naaman shared a similar struggle--not over raising kids but over faithfully completing the small, mundane, simplistic task God set before him. 2 Kings 5 tells us that though Naaman served as a mighty warrior he also suffered from leprosy. Following the advice of a young servant girl Naaman decides to visit the prophet Elisha. Elisha sends a messenger to tell Naaman that if he will wash in the Jordan River seven times his skin will be healed.
Naaman feels outraged at Elisha's advice. 2 Kings 5:11 reads, "But Naaman became angry and stalked away. 'I thought he would
certainly come out to meet me!' he said. 'I expected him to wave his
hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t
the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of
the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?'"
Naaman felt owed a better, more majestic course of treatment. Washing in the Jordan River seemed too small of an assignment, too mundane a task for such a mighty warrior to complete.
Then in stepped the voice of reason. In 2 Kings 5:12 Naaman's officers ever so gently suggest, "Sir,
if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t
you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go and wash and be cured!'" Naaman follows the advice of his men and receives both the physical and spiritual healing Elisha promised.
The story of Naaman reveals to me my tendency to desire only "big" assignments from God. In some ways I found it easier to minister to women in Africa than I find it to stay at home and teach my own children. I must remember it is simply a matter of perspective. As followers of Christ we do not get to chose how we bring God glory. In Hosea 6:6 God says, "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings." What better way to show love than to faithfully raise my children--His children--for Him? What better way to know God than to receive the unconditional love of a child . . . or of four children?
With God's help I proved faithful in a big thing in traveling to Africa last year. With God's help I will prove faithful with my Little Things too.
"The
master said, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been
faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more
responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!'" Matthew 25:23
Why do the little things prove so hard to accomplish? It seems the more I have on my "to-do" list the better I manage my day. The bigger and better the task the more anxious I feel to complete it. But give me a day with only a few mundane tasks to finish and I spend most of my time grumbling and complaining. So many days I've even felt this way toward my children. "Is this all God? Stay home and raise children? Don't you want me to do something more?"
A guy in the Bible by the name of Naaman shared a similar struggle--not over raising kids but over faithfully completing the small, mundane, simplistic task God set before him. 2 Kings 5 tells us that though Naaman served as a mighty warrior he also suffered from leprosy. Following the advice of a young servant girl Naaman decides to visit the prophet Elisha. Elisha sends a messenger to tell Naaman that if he will wash in the Jordan River seven times his skin will be healed.
Naaman feels outraged at Elisha's advice. 2 Kings 5:11 reads, "But Naaman became angry and stalked away. 'I thought he would
certainly come out to meet me!' he said. 'I expected him to wave his
hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t
the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of
the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?'"
Naaman felt owed a better, more majestic course of treatment. Washing in the Jordan River seemed too small of an assignment, too mundane a task for such a mighty warrior to complete.
Then in stepped the voice of reason. In 2 Kings 5:12 Naaman's officers ever so gently suggest, "Sir,
if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t
you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go and wash and be cured!'" Naaman follows the advice of his men and receives both the physical and spiritual healing Elisha promised.
The story of Naaman reveals to me my tendency to desire only "big" assignments from God. In some ways I found it easier to minister to women in Africa than I find it to stay at home and teach my own children. I must remember it is simply a matter of perspective. As followers of Christ we do not get to chose how we bring God glory. In Hosea 6:6 God says, "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings." What better way to show love than to faithfully raise my children--His children--for Him? What better way to know God than to receive the unconditional love of a child . . . or of four children?
With God's help I proved faithful in a big thing in traveling to Africa last year. With God's help I will prove faithful with my Little Things too.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Just Jesus
September 5, 2013
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God." Ephesians 2:8
"We're going to be Baptized in the river on Sunday!" my two oldest daughters explained with much excitement to our neighbor. "That's wonderful!" she replied. But as my children ran off to play, the dialog which continued between my neighbor and me filled my heart with sorrow.
"At our church," my neighbor began, "we believe all people are born with original sin stemming from Adam and Eve."
"I couldn't agree more," I replied.
"And," my neighbor continued, "we believe Baptism washes away that sin."
"Oh, no," I thought to myself.
I think my neighbor could see the concern on my face because she continued, "Oh yes, that is why we sprinkle children with water as infants, you know . . . just in case something happens."
Yes, I do know. I've buried an infant.
My neighbor continued, "Then when children turn twelve we Baptize them again and then they're set . . . "
What stirred my heart was not necessarily the method of Baptism discussed but rather the method of salvation implied.
Travel the Romans road with me for a moment.
Romans 3:23 tells us that "everyone has sinned." Romans 6:23 tells us that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Detour to Hebrews 9:22 and we find that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin."
In the Old Testament God required animal sacrifices as atonement for sin. Why the shedding of blood from an innocent animal? To foreshadow the shedding of blood from an innocent Man. But Old Testament sacrifices only provided temporary covering for sin; that is why animal sacrifices were repeated year after year. Skip forward to the New Testament. Jesus' death on the cross put an end to the sacrificial system. Jesus was (is) God's Perfect Lamb. Jesus died, shed His blood once for all time for all sin (Hebrews 9:28). We receive forgiveness of sin by recognizing and professing that Jesus died for our sin.
My surviving twin daughter recently asked me how her late sister entered into Heaven if she was not old enough to profess Jesus as her Savior. {I love young minds, don't you?!?} I explained to my daughter that while Scripture does not explicitly address the Salvation of infants I do know that God is good. I know that in Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." I know that David, whom Scripture identifies as "a man after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22) once said of his own deceased child, "I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me" (2 Samuel 12:23). I believe with everything in me that my daughter is alive and well with Jesus even though we chose not to sprinkle her with water before her death.
I write not to condemn other belief systems but to share great news! Salvation is not up to us. As one woman who paints masterpieces with her words, Ann Voskamp, wrote in a recent blog, "Your sins aren’t enough to separate you – and your strengths aren’t enough to save you." It is up to Jesus. Jesus proved faithful 2000 years ago. It's done. In His words, "It is finished" (John 19:30). The only action required on your part is to believe in the One God sent (John 6:29).
It isn't the sprinkling of water. It's Jesus.
It isn't submersion in water. It's Jesus.
It isn't good deeds.
It isn't being good enough.
It isn't the right pedigree.
It's just Jesus.
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God." Ephesians 2:8
"We're going to be Baptized in the river on Sunday!" my two oldest daughters explained with much excitement to our neighbor. "That's wonderful!" she replied. But as my children ran off to play, the dialog which continued between my neighbor and me filled my heart with sorrow.
"At our church," my neighbor began, "we believe all people are born with original sin stemming from Adam and Eve."
"I couldn't agree more," I replied.
"And," my neighbor continued, "we believe Baptism washes away that sin."
"Oh, no," I thought to myself.
I think my neighbor could see the concern on my face because she continued, "Oh yes, that is why we sprinkle children with water as infants, you know . . . just in case something happens."
Yes, I do know. I've buried an infant.
My neighbor continued, "Then when children turn twelve we Baptize them again and then they're set . . . "
What stirred my heart was not necessarily the method of Baptism discussed but rather the method of salvation implied.
Travel the Romans road with me for a moment.
Romans 3:23 tells us that "everyone has sinned." Romans 6:23 tells us that "the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Detour to Hebrews 9:22 and we find that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin."
In the Old Testament God required animal sacrifices as atonement for sin. Why the shedding of blood from an innocent animal? To foreshadow the shedding of blood from an innocent Man. But Old Testament sacrifices only provided temporary covering for sin; that is why animal sacrifices were repeated year after year. Skip forward to the New Testament. Jesus' death on the cross put an end to the sacrificial system. Jesus was (is) God's Perfect Lamb. Jesus died, shed His blood once for all time for all sin (Hebrews 9:28). We receive forgiveness of sin by recognizing and professing that Jesus died for our sin.
My surviving twin daughter recently asked me how her late sister entered into Heaven if she was not old enough to profess Jesus as her Savior. {I love young minds, don't you?!?} I explained to my daughter that while Scripture does not explicitly address the Salvation of infants I do know that God is good. I know that in Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." I know that David, whom Scripture identifies as "a man after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22) once said of his own deceased child, "I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me" (2 Samuel 12:23). I believe with everything in me that my daughter is alive and well with Jesus even though we chose not to sprinkle her with water before her death.
I write not to condemn other belief systems but to share great news! Salvation is not up to us. As one woman who paints masterpieces with her words, Ann Voskamp, wrote in a recent blog, "Your sins aren’t enough to separate you – and your strengths aren’t enough to save you." It is up to Jesus. Jesus proved faithful 2000 years ago. It's done. In His words, "It is finished" (John 19:30). The only action required on your part is to believe in the One God sent (John 6:29).
It isn't the sprinkling of water. It's Jesus.
It isn't submersion in water. It's Jesus.
It isn't good deeds.
It isn't being good enough.
It isn't the right pedigree.
It's just Jesus.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Packin' Lunchkits
August 20, 2013
"There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" John 6:9
Yesterday was one of those days. One of those days when I feel tempted to resent the fact that I stay at home to raise our kids. I realize that shocks many of you. But I didn't grow up dreaming about how many children I would one day raise. I always assumed I would have children, because having children is something most married people do, but as a child and young adult I filled my imagination with thoughts of earning a paycheck. Why else would I labor through five-and-a-half years of school in a male-dominant field of study if not to become financially self-sufficient?
I do not travel to the land of resentment very often nor do I stay in that dreary place very long but I do take the occasional day-trip, tempting myself to believe that I would find greater self-worth if I had a job which brought home a paycheck. I love my kids and I want to serve as their daily caretaker. However, sometimes I allow feelings of inferiority, insignificance and just plain ol' boredom to take rule. Is this all God has for me? I question. Isn't there something more I can do? I ponder. And then God in His goodness reminds me of His perspective.
Remember the story of Jesus feeding 5,000? Overcome by grief over the gruesome death of His cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus attempts to retreat for some alone time with His disciples. But the crowds follow Jesus. Seeing the crowd Jesus "had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things" (Mark 6:34).
Evening falls and the 5,000 men and their wives and children grow hungry. Let's feed them, says the Savior. With what, exactly? reply the weary disciples. "Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" (John 6:8-9) Jesus takes the boy's lunch and blesses it and uses it to feed the upwards of 15,000 people.
Jesus feeding the masses from the contents of a young boy's lunchkit is one of His great miracles; a story so significant its one of the few accounts which all four gospel writers captured in their books. But someone once encouraged me to consider the story from a different perspective.
What about the faithful mama who packed her little boy's lunchkit that day? A mom who pushed aside feelings of inferiority and insignificance and instead saw to it that her young son had everything he needed before he left home. Jesus blessed what that mama packed in her son's lunchbox and used it to feed thousands and thousands of souls.
The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 causes me to realize that I have a chance each day to pack my children's lunchkits. Now, one beauty of homeschooling is that I do not have to pack actual lunchkits. Come lunchtime, we simply raid the kitchen. But I do have the opportunity to pack my children's spiritual lunchbox. I have the chance, indeed, the duty--homeschooling or not--to train my children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). And prayerfully one day Jesus will bless what I packed in my children's lunchkit and use it to feed thousands and thousands of souls.
Inferior?
Insignificant?
I think not.
Rather than spending one more day in the land of resentment I think I'll head into the hallways of motherhood to see what I can pack into my child's lunchkit today.
"There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" John 6:9
Yesterday was one of those days. One of those days when I feel tempted to resent the fact that I stay at home to raise our kids. I realize that shocks many of you. But I didn't grow up dreaming about how many children I would one day raise. I always assumed I would have children, because having children is something most married people do, but as a child and young adult I filled my imagination with thoughts of earning a paycheck. Why else would I labor through five-and-a-half years of school in a male-dominant field of study if not to become financially self-sufficient?
I do not travel to the land of resentment very often nor do I stay in that dreary place very long but I do take the occasional day-trip, tempting myself to believe that I would find greater self-worth if I had a job which brought home a paycheck. I love my kids and I want to serve as their daily caretaker. However, sometimes I allow feelings of inferiority, insignificance and just plain ol' boredom to take rule. Is this all God has for me? I question. Isn't there something more I can do? I ponder. And then God in His goodness reminds me of His perspective.
Remember the story of Jesus feeding 5,000? Overcome by grief over the gruesome death of His cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus attempts to retreat for some alone time with His disciples. But the crowds follow Jesus. Seeing the crowd Jesus "had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things" (Mark 6:34).
Evening falls and the 5,000 men and their wives and children grow hungry. Let's feed them, says the Savior. With what, exactly? reply the weary disciples. "Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?" (John 6:8-9) Jesus takes the boy's lunch and blesses it and uses it to feed the upwards of 15,000 people.
Jesus feeding the masses from the contents of a young boy's lunchkit is one of His great miracles; a story so significant its one of the few accounts which all four gospel writers captured in their books. But someone once encouraged me to consider the story from a different perspective.
What about the faithful mama who packed her little boy's lunchkit that day? A mom who pushed aside feelings of inferiority and insignificance and instead saw to it that her young son had everything he needed before he left home. Jesus blessed what that mama packed in her son's lunchbox and used it to feed thousands and thousands of souls.
The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 causes me to realize that I have a chance each day to pack my children's lunchkits. Now, one beauty of homeschooling is that I do not have to pack actual lunchkits. Come lunchtime, we simply raid the kitchen. But I do have the opportunity to pack my children's spiritual lunchbox. I have the chance, indeed, the duty--homeschooling or not--to train my children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). And prayerfully one day Jesus will bless what I packed in my children's lunchkit and use it to feed thousands and thousands of souls.
Inferior?
Insignificant?
I think not.
Rather than spending one more day in the land of resentment I think I'll head into the hallways of motherhood to see what I can pack into my child's lunchkit today.
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Truth About Lies
June 24, 2013
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32
What lie are you believing?
Adjusting to life with four kiddos (one who only sleeps two hours at a time) has left me feeling overwhelmed these past few weeks. I tried to brace myself for those first few months of new motherhood: irregular schedule, little to no sleep, no regular quite time with the Lord. Yet this past weekend I found myself actually dreading the start of another day. Desperate for God to hear my concerns I turned to my prayer journal this morning.
"I'm tired, God. The baby requires so much of me that I have little left to give to our other three children. I can barely meet the needs of our kids, what about being there for my friends and for those in need? What if I miss out on what you called me to do because I'm so busy caring for our kids?"
And suddenly I realized . . . there it was in black and white.
A big. fat. lie.
This past Sunday my pastor preached about the end of King David's life as David commissioned his son Solomon to build God's temple. In 1 Chronicles 28:20 David says to Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord
God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will
see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly."
Did you catch that last part? David tells Solomon, "Don't get discouraged . . . God will see to it that you accomplish all He has called you to do."
One of my biggest fears is that I will somehow fail to accomplish the work that God made me to do. I've experienced a taste of fulfilling God's call on my life and now I find my appetite for doing God's work insatiable. But as I captured my emotions on paper I suddenly realized that I've fallen for a lie. The word "fear" served as my first clue. Fear isn't from God. Lately I've feared that I would miss God's call because I am in a season where my children consume my every free moment. But Scripture reminds me that it isn't up to me to figure out how I'll ever fulfill God's call on my life. Yes, I must walk obediently with the Lord but God will see to it that I do all He has called me to do.
Clinging to Truth instantly set me free from my bitterness and allowed me to embrace the season in which God has me. As I reflected on other times of bitterness and resentment I realized those times all shared one thing in common--those were times when I had fallen for a lie.
The truth about lies is that they lead us to believe, to settle for something less than what God has promised us through His Word. Rather than believing that God will meet our needs from His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19), we believe the lie that we'll never be able to make ends meet. Rather than believing that God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), we believe the lie that life will never be full and rich without the ones we so dearly loved.
I could go on but my weary eyes are beginning to grow dim.
What lie are you believing? Allow me to encourage you to replace that lie with Truth. Visit www.biblegateway.com or one of the many other free Bible websites and perform a word search about that which concerns you most. Replace your lie with truth and then the truth will set you free.
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32
What lie are you believing?
Adjusting to life with four kiddos (one who only sleeps two hours at a time) has left me feeling overwhelmed these past few weeks. I tried to brace myself for those first few months of new motherhood: irregular schedule, little to no sleep, no regular quite time with the Lord. Yet this past weekend I found myself actually dreading the start of another day. Desperate for God to hear my concerns I turned to my prayer journal this morning.
"I'm tired, God. The baby requires so much of me that I have little left to give to our other three children. I can barely meet the needs of our kids, what about being there for my friends and for those in need? What if I miss out on what you called me to do because I'm so busy caring for our kids?"
And suddenly I realized . . . there it was in black and white.
A big. fat. lie.
This past Sunday my pastor preached about the end of King David's life as David commissioned his son Solomon to build God's temple. In 1 Chronicles 28:20 David says to Solomon, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord
God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will
see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly."
Did you catch that last part? David tells Solomon, "Don't get discouraged . . . God will see to it that you accomplish all He has called you to do."
One of my biggest fears is that I will somehow fail to accomplish the work that God made me to do. I've experienced a taste of fulfilling God's call on my life and now I find my appetite for doing God's work insatiable. But as I captured my emotions on paper I suddenly realized that I've fallen for a lie. The word "fear" served as my first clue. Fear isn't from God. Lately I've feared that I would miss God's call because I am in a season where my children consume my every free moment. But Scripture reminds me that it isn't up to me to figure out how I'll ever fulfill God's call on my life. Yes, I must walk obediently with the Lord but God will see to it that I do all He has called me to do.
Clinging to Truth instantly set me free from my bitterness and allowed me to embrace the season in which God has me. As I reflected on other times of bitterness and resentment I realized those times all shared one thing in common--those were times when I had fallen for a lie.
The truth about lies is that they lead us to believe, to settle for something less than what God has promised us through His Word. Rather than believing that God will meet our needs from His glorious riches (Philippians 4:19), we believe the lie that we'll never be able to make ends meet. Rather than believing that God has plans to prosper us and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11), we believe the lie that life will never be full and rich without the ones we so dearly loved.
I could go on but my weary eyes are beginning to grow dim.
What lie are you believing? Allow me to encourage you to replace that lie with Truth. Visit www.biblegateway.com or one of the many other free Bible websites and perform a word search about that which concerns you most. Replace your lie with truth and then the truth will set you free.
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