Pray for it.

My prayer for this post is that it meets you right where you are.  That these words are the words of God not just the person sitting here typing them for you and sharing my experience.

I have recently started to understand more of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Never cease praying”.  These prayers can be quiet time devotional prayers, where you are praying for specific people.  These prayers can be those breathes where you just say, “Come Jesus!”  Or these can be those quiet thoughts in your mind where you aren’t really talking to yourself -- these are prayers too.

“Never cease praying” really just means to invite God, talk to Him - eyes closed, head bowed not required!

All too often when people talk about prayer you hear something like this, “Never pray for patience.  All you are going to get is something to test your patience.”  The idea behind this comment is that when you pray for patience you are going to be given an opportunity to develop this “virtue”.

Lately, every time I hear “Never pray for patience” I cringe.  Could it be that you are in need of patience and praying for it or not you are going to be given situations to develop it?

Recently, I found myself in the shower reflecting on a class we had been taking at church.  The whole “never pray for patience” thing had been discussed.  I was standing there in the shower.  Saying - God I need the patience to get through this, but I don’t want to pray for patience, because I don’t want the little patience I have left tested.  Besides, patience is not really what I want to pray for.  It’s more than patience.  It’s the strength to wait on your timing.  It’s the faith to stay the course.  The willingness to keep moving forward.  The balance to work hard and maintain what the kids need.  That is what I need.  I need to be recharged.

Since then Hubs got a different job - which adjustments seem to just be falling into place.  We worked out schedule for when I can get breaks and when I can get away to write and work.  Hubs enforced the schedule already and I feel … recharged.

Had I not prayed for patience and all that patience is would this have come through for me?  Had I not prayed for patience and all patience is would I feel like a 3 ton weight has been lifted from my shoulders?  Had I not prayed for patience and all that patience is would I have realized that boredom is the biggest contributor to the behavior challenge in our house?  Had I not prayed for patience and all that patience is would I have been able to find more ways to keep my kids easily entertained?

I guess the answer could be maybe, but would I feel peaceful and recharged from it?  Probably not.

Sometimes you (and by you I really mean all of us) need to remember that sometimes people say what they think needs to be said in the moment.  It doesn’t hurt to heed the warning that if you pray for patience your patience might be tested, but patience is more than just patience.  It’s strength in the wait.  It is hope in the Father.  It is joy in the moment.  It is letting go of control.  It is letting go of your worries.  It is holding onto the only thing that will never let you go.

Go ahead.  Pray for what you need.  Even if it is patience.

Into the Word Wednesday: Untitled

I had gotten really frustrated recently.  It wasn’t that kind of frustrated that you just get angry.  It was that kind of frustrated where you are just annoyed and off.

This was my day:

6:30 The Herd is let out (we live with my in-laws and they have 4 dogs, hence the herd) - this happens daily and until this week I had slept through it.  This is also the time Hubs alarm now goes off.  Most days the herd wakes Little Mister, and since we had still been sleeping he would go back to sleep.

6:45 Hubs and I get up completely waking up the Little Mister.  Wanting Little Miss to stay asleep.  I gather Little Mister as quickly as possible.

6:50 Little Mister and I are upstairs getting his breakfast together.  (At some point the Herd was put back upstairs in my mother-in-law’s room.)  She lets them out, herding down the stairs and scaring the daylights out of Little Mister, sending him into a meltdown.

7:15 Little Miss is crying in bed calling for Mommy.

Mommy’s quiet-time in the morning, HI-Jacked!  I am okay with it though, I know this means they will both be napping today for a good 2 hours.  Or so I thought at 7:15.

The day went well for the most part.  Minor incidents, but nothing out of the ordinary.  They go down for nap and because of life of two families living together they were woke up early from their nap, 1 hour and 15 minutes in.  In my frustration I decide we need to head out.  Praise the Lord there is a park walking distance from the house.

As I was changing my clothes to take them to the park, Little Miss is playing with Little Mister on my bed and she says.  “I love Jesus.”  I say to her, “You love Jesus?  That is a very good thing.”  She then says, “He has my whole heart.”  Had they slept their whole nap I wouldn’t have been taking them for a walk and I wouldn’t have been changing my clothes and I wouldn’t have heard my darling 3 year old say in her sweet innocence that Jesus has her whole heart.  I am still warm inside.

It even gets better though.  Praise Him even bigger -- I found the swings!  While we were swinging asked, “Did God plant that tree?”  Somewhat absently I said, “yes he did honey.”  Then I just listened.  “God made the trees, and planted the grass.”  “God created the birds and the animals.”  She stopped and looked up at me.  I smiled at her and said, “You bet he did.  God created all that stuff, just like he created you and me.”  She then asked me if God created Thomas and Dora and their stroller.

Thank you Jesus that I am here to experience the love for you growing in my little girl’s heart.

I began reflecting on this and wondering what God is trying to show here.  I just keep thinking about how Jesus said we have to become like children to enter the kingdom.

When she asked me, “Mommy, did God plant that tree?”  I could have went the logical route - the overly taught mind route.  That tree was probably planted by blah blah blah (all of which God put in order to happen just that way).  When she asked me “Did God create Dora?”  I could have told her about how television shows are made, but God planted that dream into someone’s heart and Dora was born.

She just accepts it.  She accepts it as truth.  Her brain has not been warped by all the logic of 35 years.  She loves God and she knows that God loves her.

How does she know that?  Well, she just knows.  I would like to think it has something to do with the example we are setting and what she is learning at Sunday school.  But, I doubt it.  Her soul was with God not that long ago.  She is only 3 ½.  I mean we really remember things that happened only 3 years ago.  Ask us about something that happened 15 years ago we get fuzzier.  Ask us about something that happened 35 years ago.  There is no way that we remember.  Time washes away the memories of what our soul knows to be true.

When I think back over my own life.  I didn’t grow up with any religious/spiritual upbringing, but deep down I knew there was more.  I just knew.  I believed in God as long as I can remember and I believed in Jesus.  I just didn’t have a relationship with him or understanding of him.  The best way to describe it would be to think of someone you know existed, but don’t know much of anything about.  Like Ghandi or Buddah or even George Washington.  We know they existed - we don’t question that, but we don’t have a relationship with them.  That is how it was for me and Jesus.

My prayer for my children is that life doesn’t take away that “I love Jesus with all my heart” and that belief beyond the shadow of doubt.  Logic doesn’t step in and tarnish all of that innocent child like faith.  My prayer for all of us is that we can see their faith and regain ours.

Prayerful Laundry

Joyful and thankful in all circumstances?  Even 8 loads of laundry needing to be washed, folded and put away?  Yes.  Here is a practical way to do it too!

{Into the Word Wednesday} Child Like Faith

God has been showing up through this little girl a lot lately.  I had shared this story about her at church last week on Into the Word.  A lovely reader mentioned this scripture. {Much to my surprise this was featured on this week's Into the Word Wednesday.  Thanks Upward Not Inward}

I then shared this story with our pastor and he referred to the same scripture.

Christmas day while at the in-laws house she went to jump on me and I had to stop her.  I said, "Honey, you can't jump on Mommy right now."  She says, "Oh, the baby is in there."  At that point I tell her that the baby got really sick and had to go live with Jesus.  I swear she didn't hear a word I said.

Then bedtime happened.  She looks at me and says, "Mama, is Jesus' mama holding the baby right now?"  I just hug her.  When I can speak I say to her, "Well, I guess so.  Since Jesus is a grown man now his mama can hold the baby."

The innocence of her faith is uplifting and encouraging.  

Her faith is even entering her imagination and play time.  New Year's Day our little girl "disappeared".  Any time you called for her she said, "I am Mary!"  She wrapped her blankie around her shoulders and told us it was her Mary dress.  She wrapped her baby Belle up in a blanket and carried around Baby Jesus.

I would like to say that we talked Jesus and the Christmas story that much during Christmas that it all just stuck with her.  I more think it was the fact that every time we left our house or came home we drove pass a church that has an amazing nativity scene.  She would ask, "Who is that wearing the green?" or "Where is baby Jesus?" or "Where is Mary?"  We also have a book that she loved hearing, "The Real Story of Christmas" which retells the Christmas story in kid language. 

She believes in Jesus.  She thanks Him for everything in her life.  She prays before she puts food in her mouth, meal or snack.  Her faith has not been tainted by the world.  Maybe we need to take a look at the faith of children to be reminded of that child-like faith we used to have. 

Small Examples Stick

This is a typical Saturday night/Sunday in our house.

Usually it is Hubs, "What's the deal tonight?"  {Saturday night putting the Little Miss to bed}

Little Miss, "No whining, No crying, No getting out of bed."

Then I usually add, "What is tomorrow?"

Little Miss, "Church day."

Me, "So what do you get if you say in bed without whining or crying?"

Little Miss, "I get to watch the music."

This is exactly how it happened Saturday night.  It was the best night that she had gone to bed all week!

Sunday we were running late.  She had to change rooms in the Children's Ministry, so we went straight to drop off instead.  After church she looks at us, "Can we go watch the music now?"  We go to the early service at our church so we could easily stay to watch the worship of the 2nd service.  So that is what we did.

Little Mister even got to watch the music and he really enjoyed it too.

Why am I sharing this - because something interesting happened.

At the start of worship our worship leader was talking about sometimes we have to remember to tell our bodies to worship, it is not just a mental thing.  So to do whatever we feel - close our eyes, raise our hands, bow our heads - whatever we feel lead to do.

Little Miss has seen me lift my hands in worship and we "dance" to the more upbeat songs.  Dancing as much as you can in seat space.

Song 1, I am holding Mister, and Hubs is helping Miss stand on the back of seat to see the stage.  Mister and I are dancing some - I even think I heard Hubs worshiping.

Song 2, We are singing and I hear, "psst"  I look back and there is Miss with her hand up in the air.  Hubs said later he had looked around and no one near us had their hands up.  It warmed my heart to see her worshiping how ever she is lead.   

My prayer is that she continues to worship God, pray and build a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father.  I just pray we are setting Godly examples. 

{Into the Word Wednesday} Be Still

On Monday I just needed some time to do just this.  Be still.  I feel it even now.  The enemy has found a great way to attack me.  It is my focus.

It always, without fail, happens when I am stressed and worried about money.  The enemy swoops in and finds that little hole and makes it the size of that pond! {Can you believe they call this a lake in our community? - I am sorry, that is a pond, I am from WI - that is no lake!}

So I am putting my hands up -- up, up, upper as Beth Moore put it.  I am giving it to You Lord.  I am being still.  I am trusting.  I am doing the what, You will do the how.

I know, it's short - but I am listening .... and God is telling me to move.

How or What? {Into the Word Wednesday}

I may not have disclosed this ... I am in the middle of my first ever group Bible study.  To say I am enjoying it would be an understatement.  These ladies and this study are stretching me ... and it they are the first group of ladies that I don't feel like they are millions of miles ahead of me when it comes to our walks. I feel like we have such a good mix.  I know a few of you are stalking by, so I say HI!

We are studying Esther with Beth Moore.  If your church offers Beth Moore studies I would suggest checking one out.

Last week we are watching the video portion of the study and it was a bit of a literary lesson, but it was still good.  Then Beth says the 7th scenario ... "It's Tough being a woman who feels responsible for the how."  She goes into what she means by this and says "God is bring the how, you do the what."  I was meditating on that and she said something (which I heard at the time) and followed it up with, "Girlfriend you need to fire yourself!"  I bust out with a verbal AMEN!

This was so freeing! Just do what God wants you to do.  Just do the what... no matter how much you try to work out the HOW the HOW will come in GOD'S time and GOD'S time only!

Well than last night there was more about this same scenario.  Now she is giving us thing to turn around these scenarios.  Things like ... when we are worrying about the how we are not trusting God. So then remember:

"The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement" 2 Peter 2:9

"For He knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:14

God is giving more and more all the time.  Recently he gave me something to hold on to and how to let it go {which I used just today}.  Now I have scripture to remind me THE LORD KNOWS HOW!

I am linking up with Into the Word Wednesday.