This post over on Lisa TerKeurst's blog was - without a doubt - the most challenging and inspiring thing I read all week. An excerpt:
"I have preached one sermon about the words spoken in our home. It
is a simple sermon. Before you part your little sweetheart lips to
speak, you must ask yourself this question: Are my words kind,
necessary, and true?
If the answer to all three parts of that question is yes… proceed ahead.
If the answer to any part of that question is no… stop the words from coming out."
On the way to church, Ellie announced that she had brought
her own money out of her piggy bank to put in the offering plate. We asked her what she brought and she replied:
"One dime, one penny and a Chuck E. Cheese token."
"I'm not sure that God wants your Chuck E. Cheese token."
(completely baffled) "Why not?"
Why not indeed. That token was probably more valuable to Ellie than real money. I'm sure that God appreciated it very much.
41Jesus sat down
opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd
putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in
large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
43Calling
his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor
widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If
I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all
knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not
love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love
never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where
there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it
will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When
I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I
reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind
me. Now we see but a
poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I
know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13
In honor of my sister's wedding and my tenth anniversary this week.
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Somehow my job as a wife and mother manages to be both overwhelming and underwhelming at the same time.
The overwhelming parts hit me when I think about everything I need to do. Am I spending enough
time with the kids? How can I meet the needs of three kids who are three
different ages? Am I investing
enough in my marriage? Am I working too much? Should I lead Bible Study next year? Shouldn't I be doing more to reach out to my neighbors?
The underwhelming parts hit me as I'm washing the dishes - again - wondering what I accomplished that day. Dishes, cooking, laundry, cleaning, lessons, school, blogging, picking up toys... repeat over and over and over. AND OVER.
Often its not the difficulties in life that gets to me - its the drudgery. There's no gigantic mountain to overcome, no huge mission to focus on... just the everyday everydayness of life. What we do day after day - folding laundry, wiping noses - despite our knowing in our hearts how important it is, really does seem terribly insignificant sometimes. But God in His infinite wisdom has placed us exactly here, exactly now. As Elisabeth Elliot said, "He assigns and designs according to His inscrutable wisdom - always for our blessing and conformity to the image of Christ."
In the midst of the everyday busyness with young children, its important for us to remember that this is not wasted time. Some days it may seem that we're accomplishing very little. But we're not only are we raising our children and building our marriages. There's so much more than that: we're being conformed to the image of Christ, learning important lessons that will equip us for future ministry. We're learning to serve others, humility (OH, do we learn humility!), patience, how to encourage others, hospitality and time management. Lessons that will last long after our children leave our homes.
Just the other day I read this in My Utmost for His Highest: "We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing -- that he is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God's assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life."
Yesterday I was inside getting dinner started and the kids were playing on the deck, just outside the kitchen window. My husband had called from Boston and we were chatting about his classes at MIT.
Then I heard screams. Not unusual - my kids are pretty loud. But this scream sounded different - so I ran outside.
Colin's little face was peeking up from the retaining wall. He was holding himself up, HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE on the retaining wall on the side of our driveway (we live on a hill).
First, can I just say how impressed I was that he managed to catch himself and hang on?
Second, THANK YOU JESUS that he was able to catch himself and hang on, or he would have fallen 5 feet down, on the wood pile, which is surrounded by rocks, and probably rolled down the hill.
I cuddled him, cleaned up his scraped legs and have not been able to stop thinking about it.
I'm completely overwhelmed.
How can I do this? I know I can't watch and be with them every single second of the day. But things happen. And they happen quickly. One glance they were right outside the window, playing with toy animals on the deck and the next minute... Lord, HOW can I do this? I don't think I can handle this job!
Then I remembered: I'm not doing this alone. And I'm not supposed to be doing this alone.
"I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore." Psalm 121
Lord, thank you. Thank you for watching over my babies - thank you that they are never out of your sight. Thank you for the many, many countless times they have been kept from serious harm. Continue to watch over them - especially when I cannot. Thank you, Lord, that we are not alone and we have a heavenly father watching over us always.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
This was the verse painted on the wall behind the pulpit at the church we went to yesterday. And I realized something:
Perhaps the reason I'm so exhausted and overwhelmed lately is that I'm not resting in the Lord. I'm worrying over things that are totally and completely out of my hands, stressing over things that are out of my control. I'm holding on to my worries and concerns instead of turning them over to God.
Worrying is forbidden (Philippians 4:6). It is useless, a colossal waste of time. Rest is a divine gift. But why aren't we accepting it?
"Wait for the Lord; be strong, take heart and wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:1
: "We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing -- that he is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God's assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life."
