Sunday, September 29, 2013

09/29/13


I love raindrops/water droplets....  love them more than I can describe.

Some people don't appreciate them and I understand that.

Every time I see them they catch my eye and I am so sad if my camera is not with me... as it has not been as of late.

Tears are another water droplet.

Those can be ones of joy or ones of sorrow.

Most of us have shed plenty of both.

In our humanness, we would much rather they be tears of joy, not sorrow.

I was talking with a friend yesterday and we began to share what the Lord has been doing in our lives.  We began to talk about obedience to the Lord and the blessings He has for us in return.  Suddenly, something I have been chewing on for a couple of months now came in full view in front of me as we were speaking.

I have been reading a book on Job.  Job had everything someone could want... a huge family, riches and material possessions beyond our comprehension, but the Lord allowed it to be taken away to refine him.  God saw the END even though Job was overcome with grief at the BEGINNING.  

God's blessings were actually tears.

God's blessings were actually heartache.

God's blessings were to help Job see how small he really was and how big God really is.

God also went THROUGH this WITH Job.  Job didn't learn patience until it was past him.  While he was sitting on his ashes he was questioning God and not understanding, just as we would.  However, God in His omniscience allowed Job to go through those times because He knew Job would be doubly blessed in the end.

Do we see that in our own lives?

I still struggle with this at times.

I know God sees the END while I am sitting in the dark, but He only desires me to have faith that will stand.  Faith that will trust that He has a perfect plan.

What if my blessings from the Lord were that He would allow me to go through something difficult?

It may never be that my blessings will ever manifest themselves into something of prosperity or riches, but in the simple fact that I am closer to the Lord and have more faith than I did before I sat in my ashes.

He lifts me up from those ashes once He carries me through the fire.

He is there, holding me.

He will never let go.

This song has been running through my head consistently the last few weeks.  I am reminded of it daily as my heart may hurt for a friend or loved one... or something the Lord is allowing for me alone.  May the Lord use it to be a blessing to you as it has been to me:


Saturday, September 21, 2013

09/21/13

Has it seriously been a month since I have been on here?

Sorry.

"MIA" is my middle name as of late.





I talked about this at the beginning of school this year in this blog post:  Do Hard Things.  Feel free to re-read/read to refresh your memory.


"Do Hard Things" has become a mantra in my head. 

It is easier to complain (myself included here) than to go out and do it.... whatever "it" may be.

I am being challenged by the Lord daily to get out of a mode of complaining and into a mode of getting something accomplished, whether it is hard or not.

It has also been something I have been using with Wesley and Mikayla.

The Scriptures are full of people who did hard things... with God.

Our society in general today is not expecting as much as did our generations previously.

Whereas children aged 6-11 were working full time in fields and cooking/learning about living life, we now just want children to play without responsibilities.  We don't want things to be "too hard" for them.  We don't want them to face hardships.  We hate it when a project or homework overrides any "fun."

How do we expect our children to grow into adults who can cling to the Lord during the hard times if we do everything for them?

How can we expect our children to mature and grow if no struggling occurs and they do not learn how to work through hard things?

God's Creation is full of wonderful examples of this!

Just as a butterfly has to struggle out of its chrysalis to be able to fly, so to do we need struggling times so that we will be stronger for it and "fly" to give glory to the Lord.



Here are some ways the Lord has been showing me to do my best to glorify Him, even in the hard things:

I am a teacher but homework stinks sometimes.

Do Hard Things.

I don't want to add another thing to my plate of work.

Do Hard Things.

Why do we have to do another project?

Do Hard Things.

My house looks like a tornado struck.

Do Hard Things.

How am I going to fit that in with teaching and being a Mom/Wife?

Do Hard Things.

I am expecting my precious ones to help clean the entire house even though they have other things they want to do.

Do Hard Things

I just got bit by fire ants, have taken Benadryl and now have to run a cross country meet.  
(actually happened this past week...)

Do Hard Things 
(and he did and got an excellent time)

Every night I have to work on school things for teaching... I am weary.

Do Hard Things.

You mean I have to get up in front of kids when I feel like staying in bed?

Do Hard Things.


You get the point.


 

The other side of the point is this:  BALANCE.

You still need time to refresh and rejuvenate yourself.... especially time with the Lord.  He alone is Who gives you what it will take to "Do Hard Things."

Don't believe Satan's lies that you can't.

Don't give in to his lies of saying your children can't do hard things.

Believe with God's Strength that you CAN and your children CAN do hard things.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.