"My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him." Ps. 62:5
I vividly remember it. It was Monday, March 19, 2012. The previous month Gabe had been diagnosed with Autism, and I had begun the process to get him enrolled in the early childhood ESE program through the county. We had agreed it best for Gabe to start school after spring break.
Spring break came and went in the blur it usually is as the wife of a CPA. The week culminated in the breaking of a snow globe in Gabe's bedroom. An item I had purchased for my oldest child's nursery, I had intended on passing it along to my firstborn grandchild. As I picked up the broken pieces, the disappointment I felt seemed to unearth the deeper disappointment of life. These cracked pieces weren't of some material possession but of hopes, dreams, and expectations that seemed to continually crumble.
That Monday while the kids were at school, I ran some errands and stopped at Taco Bell for lunch. I placed my order, got my drink, and sat down to wait for my number to be called. As I pondered the past week's events, I asked God to help me deal with my feelings of disappointment. I specifically remember wondering how to deal with continual disappointment and yet have faith about the future. I was thinking these thoughts when for some reason I happened to look down at my receipt where something remarkable caught my eye. My cashier's name was Jesus. Jesus!
In that moment, this is what was impressed upon me.
"Look at the way you went in and confidently placed your order. Look at the way you got a drink to stay refreshed while you waited. Look at the ease and carefree way you waited for your order. Have you not confidently placed an order with Me as well? Are you not refreshed and sustained by My Living Waters while you wait? Why are you more anxious about receiving from Me than from man? Were you even once worried you wouldn't get what you ordered for lunch?
Me: Thinking of Hannah and now of Gabe ... "But God, I didn't get what I ordered."
"What will you do if you don't get what you ordered for lunch?
Me: "I'll show them my receipt. What I ordered - what I paid for."
And then it clicked! My receipt for Hannah and Gabe is the Cross, God's Word, the blood of Jesus! In the Amplified Bible, Hebrews 11:1 tells us "faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the TITLE DEED) of things we hope for, being the proof of things we do not see and the conviction of their reality." (Emphasis mine.)
At this point my eyes were filled with tears. I was hoping no one was noticing, and if they did, hopefully they would just think my food was extra spicy!
"You have been patiently accepting, but I need you to be patiently expecting!"
Pondering the difference between the two, I realized patient acceptance might have walked out of Taco Bell had the order not been filled in a timely manner. Patient acceptance might have taken whatever was handed to them and never questioned by way of proof of a receipt.
Conversely, patient expectancy knows the order will be filled, as ordered. Patient expectancy rests in the proof of purchase! It knows what is rightfully his, and nothing short of leaving the building will stop the order from coming to pass.
What a revelation that day! What a message about patiently accepting versus patiently expecting! Yes, Jesus works at Taco Bell, (and I'm so glad he does! I'm certain I wouldn't have received this message if my cashier's name had been Henry!) And the truth is Jesus can work anywhere!
My friend, has life handed you more disappointments than you care to count? Do you wonder how to have expectant hope for the future in spite of having to accept all that has been dealt to you? Be encouraged today! Jesus is your hope! He is a firm foundation! He is a rock and fortress - a strong tower! He is your shield and portion! He is your Savior and Redeemer! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords - the very King of Glory! Rest in the proof of all He has purchased! ( Ps. 103:1-2) Don't get weary about when you will collect on it. His blood has sealed the deal! The title deed is yours, and it is stamped "PAID IN FULL!" Oh the faith we can have in His great grace and lavish love!
"Whereas this One Christ, after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, then to wait until His enemies should be made a stool beneath His feet." (Heb. 10:12-13) Jesus is patiently expecting, and my friend, we are to patiently expect too.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Sunday, May 8, 2016
Gently Led - Happy Mother's Day 2016
"He will feed His flock like a shepherd: He will gather the lambs in His arms, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young." Isaiah 40:11
I have spoken with a lot of moms since becoming one myself nearly 17 years ago, and the thing I hear most often is their concern over not spending enough time in God's word. Moms understand the importance of being divinely led, and they want to be. However in the back of their mind there seems to be this tendency to think they have to clock in a certain amount of time with God to receive that benefit. This is simply not true. Don't get me wrong. If and when you have time, pray and read your Bible. However, if you're beating yourself up because you only have 5 minutes a day to do a quick devotional, and your prayer time is an exercise in multitasking (ie, in the shower, while you drive, while you clean the house, etc.), stop it!
The truth is God not only made mothers and children. He made motherhood! He is aware of how much it takes out of us to be good mothers. He sees the sleepless nights because the baby won't stop crying. He sees the countless times of reviewing multiplication facts because the 8 year old just doesn't get it. He sees the endless cooking, cleaning, and laundry that must be kept up with. He sees the hour long conversation with the tween over their hurt feelings. He sees the life lesson counseling of the teenager who is struggling to juggle the stretching demands. And that is all "typical" parenting. If you are an adoptive parent, a foster parent, a step parent, single mom, special needs parent, or a parent with your own medical issues - He sees you. He knows fully every struggle you are experiencing. He created motherhood, and He is intimately aware of each of our individual motherhood walks.
Let's look at that scripture again. "He will feed His flock like a shepherd." That is provision ... providing for your needs. "He will gather the lambs in His arms." That is protection. "He will carry them in His bosom." That is comfort. "And will gently lead those that have their young." That is guidance and direction. What an incredible promise to those of us with young! We are trying to lead our young, but let us be aware that it requires us to be led also. I love that it's a gentle leading. You don't think God understands the weariness motherhood can produce? I do! Motherhood is a beautiful picture of giving to our children the very things we have graciously received from our Heavenly Father.
I remember when Hannah was first diagnosed back in 2003. I couldn't get enough of God's word. I couldn't spend enough time with Him. I was absolutely desperate for daily bread from Him. However, I had a child who just wanted to sit in my lap and watch Disney movies. She would fixate on a certain movie, and that would be the movie of choice for weeks on end. At first I enjoyed our time watching the movie together. Then I felt like I should be doing something more spiritual with my time. I mean there's only so many times you can watch the Lion King! It had gotten to the point where my son and I could quote the movie lines and sing all the songs. These movies started to become a real chore, and I was struggling to be my daughter's movie date.
And then one day something pretty incredible happened. You see, recently the Holy Spirit had been teaching me what it meant to be Spirit led. (Up to that point I had always been someone who had to take a poll about what everyone thought I should do before I could make a decision.) At the time, Hannah happened to be on a Finding Nemo kick. There we were sitting in the rocking chair when the scene with Dory speaking to the whale began. Dory is convinced she can speak whale, and Marlin is certain she cannot. They are asking for directions to Sydney when suddenly they are pulled into the whale's mouth. Dory is enjoying the whooshing ride of waves inside the whale while Marlin is freaking out. Then the water level starts to drop and Dory tells Marlin the whale has said to move to the back of his throat which has Marlin convinced they will be eaten. So as these two fish are hanging onto what appear to be taste buds on the whales tongue, Dory then tells Marlin the whale has said it's time to let go which she happily does. Marlin however, catches her fin. "How do you know something bad isn't gonna happen?!" he exclaims. "I don't,"she replies. Tightly closing his eyes, he lets go. Out the whale's blow-hole they go to find themselves in the harbor of Sydney, Australia. Exactly where they wanted to go!
In that moment I received such a clear picture of what a spirit led life looks like. Others may not understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Heck! You may not understand what you are doing and why you are doing it! Being Spirit led many times can involve following unconventional methods. Once we've asked God for His leading we are to trust He's leading us, even if it doesn't look like "the right way." When you are Spirit led you can have perfect peace, even without understanding. Be aware that others may not be able to embrace the plan or peace you have. After all, you're the one who received the leading, not them. People may question your ability to be Spirit led, and that's fine. But don't let it stop you from acting on what you feel led to do. Someone may pose a valid question ... "How do you know something bad isn't going to happen?!" And it's okay to not know the answer. The simple truth is sometimes it takes more faith to let go than to hold on. We will not know which path to take if we are not being Spirit led.
What a timely, much needed lesson - and from watching a Disney movie for the hundredth time! I'm certain those thoughts were no where near the intent of the writer, but God can use ANYTHING to speak to us. And that is the point of this blog. If you are a mama and you feel like life has you running a million different directions, please know God is always speaking. God is not looking at a time card. He is looking on your heart, and He knows if your greatest heart's desire is to know His heart in a situation. He will be faithful to show you in whatever way He wills. If your only moments of down time are watching your child at swim practice or sitting in the carpool line, know that He knows that. God Almighty can speak to you through the crack of a baseball bat, a pile of dirty laundry, or a sign on the side of a road. Pray to have eyes that are open and ears that are listening. Look for ways He is confirming what He has shown you in scripture. He will, and it is pretty awesome when you realize the God of the universe is gently leading you.
Happy Mother's Day, dear friend! Have a beautifully blessed day!
*I would love to hear your stories about being gently led! Please leave them under the comments section. For those of you on my Facebook blog page, feel free to leave yours there. Let's encourage each other by rehearsing the faithfulness of God in our motherhood journeys! God Bless!
I have spoken with a lot of moms since becoming one myself nearly 17 years ago, and the thing I hear most often is their concern over not spending enough time in God's word. Moms understand the importance of being divinely led, and they want to be. However in the back of their mind there seems to be this tendency to think they have to clock in a certain amount of time with God to receive that benefit. This is simply not true. Don't get me wrong. If and when you have time, pray and read your Bible. However, if you're beating yourself up because you only have 5 minutes a day to do a quick devotional, and your prayer time is an exercise in multitasking (ie, in the shower, while you drive, while you clean the house, etc.), stop it!
The truth is God not only made mothers and children. He made motherhood! He is aware of how much it takes out of us to be good mothers. He sees the sleepless nights because the baby won't stop crying. He sees the countless times of reviewing multiplication facts because the 8 year old just doesn't get it. He sees the endless cooking, cleaning, and laundry that must be kept up with. He sees the hour long conversation with the tween over their hurt feelings. He sees the life lesson counseling of the teenager who is struggling to juggle the stretching demands. And that is all "typical" parenting. If you are an adoptive parent, a foster parent, a step parent, single mom, special needs parent, or a parent with your own medical issues - He sees you. He knows fully every struggle you are experiencing. He created motherhood, and He is intimately aware of each of our individual motherhood walks.
Let's look at that scripture again. "He will feed His flock like a shepherd." That is provision ... providing for your needs. "He will gather the lambs in His arms." That is protection. "He will carry them in His bosom." That is comfort. "And will gently lead those that have their young." That is guidance and direction. What an incredible promise to those of us with young! We are trying to lead our young, but let us be aware that it requires us to be led also. I love that it's a gentle leading. You don't think God understands the weariness motherhood can produce? I do! Motherhood is a beautiful picture of giving to our children the very things we have graciously received from our Heavenly Father.
I remember when Hannah was first diagnosed back in 2003. I couldn't get enough of God's word. I couldn't spend enough time with Him. I was absolutely desperate for daily bread from Him. However, I had a child who just wanted to sit in my lap and watch Disney movies. She would fixate on a certain movie, and that would be the movie of choice for weeks on end. At first I enjoyed our time watching the movie together. Then I felt like I should be doing something more spiritual with my time. I mean there's only so many times you can watch the Lion King! It had gotten to the point where my son and I could quote the movie lines and sing all the songs. These movies started to become a real chore, and I was struggling to be my daughter's movie date.
And then one day something pretty incredible happened. You see, recently the Holy Spirit had been teaching me what it meant to be Spirit led. (Up to that point I had always been someone who had to take a poll about what everyone thought I should do before I could make a decision.) At the time, Hannah happened to be on a Finding Nemo kick. There we were sitting in the rocking chair when the scene with Dory speaking to the whale began. Dory is convinced she can speak whale, and Marlin is certain she cannot. They are asking for directions to Sydney when suddenly they are pulled into the whale's mouth. Dory is enjoying the whooshing ride of waves inside the whale while Marlin is freaking out. Then the water level starts to drop and Dory tells Marlin the whale has said to move to the back of his throat which has Marlin convinced they will be eaten. So as these two fish are hanging onto what appear to be taste buds on the whales tongue, Dory then tells Marlin the whale has said it's time to let go which she happily does. Marlin however, catches her fin. "How do you know something bad isn't gonna happen?!" he exclaims. "I don't,"she replies. Tightly closing his eyes, he lets go. Out the whale's blow-hole they go to find themselves in the harbor of Sydney, Australia. Exactly where they wanted to go!
In that moment I received such a clear picture of what a spirit led life looks like. Others may not understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Heck! You may not understand what you are doing and why you are doing it! Being Spirit led many times can involve following unconventional methods. Once we've asked God for His leading we are to trust He's leading us, even if it doesn't look like "the right way." When you are Spirit led you can have perfect peace, even without understanding. Be aware that others may not be able to embrace the plan or peace you have. After all, you're the one who received the leading, not them. People may question your ability to be Spirit led, and that's fine. But don't let it stop you from acting on what you feel led to do. Someone may pose a valid question ... "How do you know something bad isn't going to happen?!" And it's okay to not know the answer. The simple truth is sometimes it takes more faith to let go than to hold on. We will not know which path to take if we are not being Spirit led.
What a timely, much needed lesson - and from watching a Disney movie for the hundredth time! I'm certain those thoughts were no where near the intent of the writer, but God can use ANYTHING to speak to us. And that is the point of this blog. If you are a mama and you feel like life has you running a million different directions, please know God is always speaking. God is not looking at a time card. He is looking on your heart, and He knows if your greatest heart's desire is to know His heart in a situation. He will be faithful to show you in whatever way He wills. If your only moments of down time are watching your child at swim practice or sitting in the carpool line, know that He knows that. God Almighty can speak to you through the crack of a baseball bat, a pile of dirty laundry, or a sign on the side of a road. Pray to have eyes that are open and ears that are listening. Look for ways He is confirming what He has shown you in scripture. He will, and it is pretty awesome when you realize the God of the universe is gently leading you.
Happy Mother's Day, dear friend! Have a beautifully blessed day!
*I would love to hear your stories about being gently led! Please leave them under the comments section. For those of you on my Facebook blog page, feel free to leave yours there. Let's encourage each other by rehearsing the faithfulness of God in our motherhood journeys! God Bless!
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