Only One Resolution Needed

Get in shape?  Read more?  More down time?  Lose Weight?  Travel more?  Pray longer?  

What do you say when you are asked the question, "What are your New Year's resolutions for this year?" 

I don't think there is anything wrong with asking the question, nor the discipline of setting goals for the new year.  We all need time to pause and reflect on what we would like to change or do differently in our lives, and what more natural point than going into a new year?  And yet, when I evaluate my own life and listen to others around me share, I feel we are burdened by setting goals that we anticipate we won't be able to keep.  What is more, we often place a lot of pressure on ourselves to fix numerous items at one time, when we know that it is hard to work on more than one thing at a time.

Just for fun, I googled the most common resolutions people set, and found that they all had to do with overall health for ourselves, things like; more time with friends, more exercise, breaking bad habits, getting out of debt, learning something new.  Without becoming too inwardly focused, it is a good thing to look at what parts of our lives need to be changed.  It is also helpful to evaluate those areas and see where we are at and compare it to where we feel we should be...but over time I have found I only need one real resolution. 

This has become my annual new year's resolution - and the only one I need - to spend time knowing God and growing in His Word.  Now before you write that off as boring or not really applicable, realize what that resolution does with the most popular resolutions that people chose.  God tells us in His Word how to build healthy relationships, how the Spirit can grow us in self-control, how to make wise choices with our finances, and on it goes.  The Bible says in Proverbs 8:35 that, "Whoever finds me (wisdom), finds life and receives favour from the Lord."  This is where all of the rest of life should be shaped ~ by God's wisdom pouring into our lives.

Don't let me discourage you from setting some new resolutions for your new year, especially if you have found you are one of the few that carry them out and make real change.  BUT if you are someone that feels like you have failed before you have begun, then consider trying something new - only resolve to be in God's presence each day, Bible in hand and say, "God what do you have for me today?  What can I change, grow in or work on, WITH YOUR HELP, that will move me closer towards what you have for me?"

Be blessed as you anticipate all that lies ahead and have a truly Happy New Year!

"I know what I am doing.  I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.  When you call on Me, when you come and pray to Me, I'll listen.  When you come looking for Me, you'll find Me.  Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed.  I'll turn things around for you." 

(Jeremiah 29:11-13 in the Message)

God's Word Always Speaks

It never ceases to amaze me how God's Word, the Bible, can speak...no matter where we turn in it, and no matter what we are going through.  We are told in Hebrews 4:12 that, "The Word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE.  Sharper than any double-edged sword...it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."  I don't know about you, but over the holidays is especially the time I need help in monitoring the thoughts and attitudes of my heart.  It seems so easy for wrong motives to sneak in or unkind words to slip out. 

During the busyness of travel, family and holidays - although we have shared some devotionals as a family, I have missed taking consistent time alone in the Word.  Sporadic here and there, never replaces that regular time of immersing myself in what God has to say to me and show me. As I curled up this morning with the Word, I wondered how I could have allowed that to happen? How is it possible to neglect my relationship with the One who knows me best, and wants more for me than any other? How can I allow it to become stale for even a day? When I turned in my Bible, I came to I Kings 17:7 where it says, "Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land." As I read those words, I felt they described how I was beginning to feel inside - dry. As the verse implies, we don't become dry overnight, it says some time later, but I know the difference when I am heading that direction of drying up and when I am well watered.

Just as our sweet children allow us to pick them up in our arms - and they experience safety and security - we need our Heavenly Father to pick us up, water us well and prepare us to move into the next things He has for us.  Because of His love and grace, there is no place of "earning the right" to come to Him - because of the cross, we can run into His arms with freedom and safety.  The only thing that can keep us from that place of our Father's arms is: listening to the words of the enemy who will try to tell us we don't deserve it, or ourselves not taking time to come to the Word and ask God to speak - He always will!

Run into those arms and let Him love you and speak to you today - there is no reason to be dry, when we are being offered fresh, living water.  Jesus said in John 7:38, "WHOEVER believes in me...streams of living water will flow from within him."  May we be filled with the Father's love and refreshed with the living water of the Spirit, pouring fresh into our lives.

Truly Thankful

I had the privilege of overhearing a sweet exchange between a parent and a child recently, while I was sitting in a restaurant.  At the completion of their meal, the little girl, who could not have been older than six, looked up to her dad and said, "Thank you so much for such a wonderful supper, Daddy, it was really good."  I was touched by her sincerity, but even more so by knowing it was voluntarily offered and not reminded.  It caused me to think of how often we have worked with our children to remind them to express thankfulness, and how amazed I am that these expressive moments rarely come naturally - they are taught.

It is valuable information to know that the good things we want to see our children modeling are not going to come naturally.  To a certain extent, if we demonstrate thankfulness they will duplicate it, but we need to take it further than hoping they copy us.  We need to teach thankfulness, encourage thankfulness and expect thankfulness.  Going into the holidays is a good time to put into practice simple reminders for the younger children in our lives, that will assist them into the social settings they may find themselves in.  We have tried to share our expectations with our children, before we arrive at a new destination or before our guests arrive, of what we would like to see them remember to say and do.  With our older children, it may be as simple as reminding them to hold out their hand to greet our guests and offer to take their coats; and with our younger ones it is the reminders of saying please and thank you, as well as looking our friends in the eyes and smiling when they are spoken to.

I have to be honest in telling you that as our first children began to grow a little older, I was disappointed at how much they didn't remember what they were taught.  We would go somewhere and I would need to gently whisper to say please or  use a hand sign to them for thank you - not just once or twice, but over and over.  I really thought I was doing something wrong - why aren't they able to remember this?  I would wonder.  Have you ever noticed how other people's children can seem more well behaved or grateful than our own?  But what I began to notice over a lot of time was that I wasn't reminding them nearly as often; and now as I watch my oldest ones I have often found they go above and beyond what I would have asked or expected of them and it comes naturally to them. 

My only intention in sharing these thoughts, is to encourage you - especially if your children are young - that as in most things, kids do not learn thankfulness overnight.  It is normal and good to gently and patiently remind them lots of times of what we need and expect of them.  It is not a reason to lower our expectations of their behaviour but certainly a good reminder to keep our expectations reasonable of the time frame in which they learn these things.  As with so many other points in parenting - "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old (that means much, much later) he will not turn from it."  (Proverbs 22:6)

Remember, as we instruct them with God's words from the Bible we will lay a foundation that they will not forget - one of our children's favourite stories on thankfulness is when Jesus healed the ten lepers.  Whenever we would read in Luke 17 about Jesus choosing to heal ten men from such an awful disease and only one came back to say thank you, our children would feel very sad.  "How could the other nine not say thank you to Jesus?" they would ask.  This became a perfect lead in, to examples we were working on, like how could we not remember to say thank you to the person that did _______ for us?

Watch for ways to be an example, set a standard, share stories and make it fun.  Being thankful is a gift we can give others, it shouldn't be a chore for us or our children, but a wonderful way to let others know we appreciate them.  Most of all, if we continue to express, out loud, our thankfulness to God and all He does for us and gives to us every day, we will make an impression that will be engraved on their hearts for years to come!

On High Alert

I realize it may not seem very festive to speak of being on high alert - spiritually speaking - over the Christmas holidays, but I feel I would be wrong not to remind us all that the enemy doesn't take a vacation.  Even worse, I am suspicious that his plans may include ramping up the pressure to a certain degree, when it comes to the celebration of Jesus' birth and time shared together with friends and family.  Oh, but that is not fair - you may say - it is our week off, I don't want to think about those things.  Is it not far better to think about those things and feel slightly less festive, than to ignore them and give the enemy an opportunity to add chaos to our festivities?  Let me explain...

The Bible warns us many times of the devil's strategies - he comes to steal, kill and destroy; he roars around like a lion looking for those he can devour; he has flaming arrows; and on it goes.  As I think of the holidays, it makes me think of the times our government can become informed of threats of terrorist activity in our countries and they take the regular alert and increase its warning, to a high alert.  As un-festive as this may seem, try to think of the holidays this way and see if it doesn't make a difference for you this year. 

I don't speak of going into Christmas afraid - not at all - remember God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind; and greater is He who is in us, than he that is in the world.  We have nothing to fear with God on our side - but we do need to be aware and take due diligence.  If we knew that there was an increased chance our children were in danger of going missing by visiting Disney World, would it mean we would never take them, or go and have a miserable time? Neither should be true - we would go and have a wonderful time, but we would be more alert and cautious.  Same is true for the holidays - don't be fearful, don't let thoughts of the enemy frighten you in any way, but be on alert and be cautious.

Take some time and read through and apply the wisdom of Ephesians 6 - it is a good review at any time of the year, but at Christmas I  think it helps us be aware of some of the enemy's tricks.  It says in Ephesians 6:10,11&18, that we are to, "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers...and powers...and forces of evil in the heavenly realms...With this in mind, BE ALERT."  When we can recognize that some of the challenges we face as we gather with extended family, or even our own families, over the holidays, are really our battle in the spiritual realm, it puts the focus in proper perspective.  Often frustrations that are directed at family members and an offense they may cause, really should be directed at the enemy and the damage he may be trying to do in our family.  When we can recognize this, we can fight the true enemy and put right perspective to the relationships around us.

Please don't go into the holidays with any fear - go into them with full anticipation of all the good things God has for you and yours, but just as you would at Disney World, keep an extra snug hold on your family members and an eye that is scanning for any danger.  Enjoy these moments, celebrating Christ's birth.  It is because He came that we have the authority to stand against the enemy this Christmas!

Unwrapping the Wrapping Paper of Life

It is definitely the time of year to think about giving gifts! I don't know about you, but as a parent, I get far more excitement out of giving my children gifts than I could ever experience in getting them.  I spend months in advance carefully listening for clues of what they might be hoping for, watching in stores for ideas of something they might like and then secretly tucking items away until that special morning.  In our family, we only give two gifts per child; one from mom and dad, and the other from the sibling who drew their name in a draw.  This has helped us keep the day balanced in remembering Jesus really is the true meaning of Christmas, while still savouring the joy of receiving and giving gifts - it also means we put great effort into choosing just the right gift.

I was reminded this week, as I wrapped presents and thought hopefully towards our children opening them, that God is the greatest giver.  In fact, when it comes to giving gifts - He refers to us as evil in comparison to how well He gives gifts.  Now before you take offense - think about that - He is trying to show how abundantly better He chooses and wraps up presents in life for you and me, than we ever could.  When it comes to unwrapping the wrapping paper of life, we are blessed by a God who loves to give!  Matthew 7:9-11 tries to paint a picture of this for us, when it says, "Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"

I know that some of us may be pre-programmed to think that this must be speaking to wealth and prosperity, but don't shut it down so fast.  This is God's Word and we need to read it for what it says -  God is our parent, and the Bible tells us over and over that He loves to give gifts; it also says that He gives good gifts when we ASK Him.  This puts the responsibility back on us, doesn't it?  When we open the wrapping paper of life, are we expecting nothing from God?  Something chintzy because we are not really thinking He is listening?  Or do we understand the magnitude of which our Father God loves and cares for us, and do we comprehend that He wants to do this for us?  If our children didn't think we cared, would they bother asking for anything?  Probably not - but when they know how much we love them and that we want to have presents under the tree for them, do you not find you hear more than a few suggestions of what they would really love to have?

Once we have asked, then it is Father God who makes the final decisions.  Do you remember in a previous post that I shared I needed to make a tough decision on a toy that my son wanted but I knew would not last him?  I had to choose to do something else, even though that is what he thought he wanted - I am absolutely sure he will love what has been done in place of that even more.  Similarily, I believe that is the way God chooses to work -  He may know of something even better for us than what we have asked for, but we can be assurred that it will be GOOD and it will be for our BEST!

Pour our your heart to God today, and each day - share with Him your longing and desires for what you need and want!  And most importantly, let it flow from your love for your Father God who loves you perfectly.  Trust Him - we are not submitting a wish list to a Santa in the sky; this is our Creator God, who knows us intimately, loves us completely and longs to give us what is best.  It flows out of a relationship with the one who loves us most!

Expect What You are Not Expecting

As time goes along, I have not only learned that there are many things in life that I can count on, but there are also many more things that I cannot count on.  Years ago, I was known to quote the expression - "Expect the least and you won't be disappointed", but my husband challenged me that this wasn't good thinking nor did not line up with God's truth.  I began to retrain myself to not let that expression slip out and instead began thinking more positively and expectantly! 

This year, as we were preparing for Christmas, one of our children expressed great anticipation in a toy that they really wanted to receive for Christmas.  Unfortunately for that child, I had already gone to the store and looked at the toy they had requested and made the decision that we wouldn't give it to them.  My reasons were that I knew the novelty would quickly wear off and I didn't feel it was a quality toy that would benefit them in any way, even though it fit within the budget of what I could spend.  In order to prepare their heart, I let them know that they needed to begin expecting what they were not expecting.  What?  To look forward to something that they didn't know what it would be.

This led me to think about God, and His love and activity in my life.  How often am I disappointed because I don't get what I am hoping for, even though in the long run I get something much better?  I have been known to express frustration when things don't work out the way I would chose and yet, rarely, do I look back on the change and wish it were different  in the end.  If we are really going to take God at His Word, when we are told in Romans 8:28, that "In ALL things God works for the good of those who love Him," then we better be willing to expect what we are not expecting.

There is a song by Garth Brooks called "Unanswered Prayers" that tells the story of a man meeting up with an old girlfriend that he had longed to marry many years before.  It comes out that he had prayed over and over that she would become his wife, but God didn't answer that prayer.  Then as he looks over at the wife He loved and God had chosen, he says...

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers, 
Remember when you're talking to the man upstairs,
That just because He may not answer,
Doesn't mean He don't care,
Some of God's greatest gifts...are unanswered prayers.

Rest in knowing that we can expect what we are not expecting with God and we will not be disappointed!

Why So Downcast?

The day seemed heavy, the tasks too large, the sky dark, the bickering loud, the to do list never ending, the stairs long, and my heart low.  What was wrong?  I really don't know.  Have you ever had days like that when you just can't put your finger on the real problem?  The best way I could have described myself was, as David said in the Bible, downcast.

So what did I do?  Nothing but keep whispering David's verse from Psalm 42:5, "Why are you downcast, O my soul?  Why so disturbed within me?  Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God."  I struggled through the entire day and probably quoted that verse 20+ times, till I finally fell into bed near midnight, glad to go to sleep and whisper a quiet prayer for the next day. 

The better question is -  what should I have done?  Hindsight, they say, is 20 / 20 ~ I wish I had taken the time to put in a worship CD and sing my heart out, because I know from many times before when we put on a "garment of praise" it deals with a "spirit of heaviness".  Or I could have called my husband and asked him to pray with me - but those thoughts eluded me.  I feel like I merely survived the day, and yet...

I believe God allows us to go through times like those in order to lean heavy on Him and know He is there.  The Word says in II Corinthians 7:6, that, "God...comforts the downcast."  That is how I felt.  At the end of the day; bone tired and emotionally weary, I was very aware of God's comfort and thankful for it.  The verse from Psalms kept truth and perspective before me, even though the day was hard.

We live in a time when we all want to be "fixed" right away, but that is not reality.  Sometimes reality is doing our best and staying close to God in those times...giving up on perfect and just being real in His strength, while reciting His wonderful Word until it reaches the deepest parts of ourselves.  After the rain, the sun seems to shine even brighter than before!

Giving Knowledge

I find reminders around me constantly that reveal how much our generation does not believe that there are any absolutes in life, or any true sense of right or wrong.  What a difficult time to train up children...and yet God gives us everything we need to do the job, IF we turn to Him and trust in Him.  So how do we navigate training our children when there are no clear answers around us?  Hosea 4:6 says that, "My (God's) people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."  That means that when God's people did not understand what was needed, they did not survive.  This refers to people who were personally acknowledging God, not just the general population.  If that is the case, what is the knowledge we - and our children - need to have, in order to avoid destroying our lives?

I believe with all my heart the knowledge we need is an understanding of God's truth, found in the Bible.  God, as Creator, made us and our world to function on biblical values, and when those are ignored, we slide into chaos - just as we are seeing demonstrated all around us.  BUT that does not mean we have to follow anyone down that slippery slope, nor allow our children to follow either.  God told us right from the beginning, that our job as parents was to lay the foundations in our children's hearts DAILY - as we rise, as we walk, as we lie down...it is serious business and should be of highest priority in our families.  This is the true foundation of eternal value - which also helps put perspective to ballet lessons, hockey and anything else we feel is of value for our children.  I am not saying those things can't be part of our lives, but we need to be sure that laying God's foundations remains top priority.  These are the formative years, when we have a brief window and privilege to lay values based on God's truths that can last a lifetime and help them navigate the waters they will have to face.

Why are these foundations so key?  God has promised in the book of Isaiah that when His word goes out, it will not return void but accomplish what He desires.  We know that God desires godly values and principles to be planted into the hearts of our children, but it doesn't happen without serious effort.  I don't mean that the experience is "serious", but we should find ourselves so full of God's Word ourselves that it flows out into the practical applications of life with our children.  I had  a real life example of this recently with my four year old, as he came to me and shared something special; he said, "Mommy, I wanted to take something that didn't belong to me, but I didn't, because I remembered that God says we shouldn't steal." I was blessed in that moment, because it was God and His Word that did not return void - not my wonderful parenting skills.  More and more, I am convinced that the only hope for our children is the Word of God planted deeply in them.

Will we see the benefits right away?  Absolutely not!  That same little four year old was guilty of hitting his sister less than an hour later.  He knew that God's Word says we are to be loving and kind, but as I brought Scripture to apply to a new situation, his heart was stirred and he again became aware of what he had done wrong and made things right.  I wish I could tell you that there is an easier way, but there isn't - it is God's truth applied over and over and over again in our children's lives that is going to reap the harvest.
May we not be found part of the people who are destroyed for lack of knowledge, but instead be like the people described in Psalm 1, where it says, "(They) are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in season and whose leaf does not whither.  Whatever they do, prospers."

Rear Guard in Parenting

There are days in parenting - many, in fact - that I can feel that I am in over my head with the issues I face as a mom.  Do you have days like that?  It is during those times that we need to keep the perspective of Who gave these children to us to raise and that His desire for them to flourish is even greater than our own.  There is a verse in Isaiah that paints a picture of one of the ways God is with us, that has powerfully impacted me.  It says in Isaiah 52:12, "The Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."  Can you picture that with me?  If God is before us AND behind us as our rear guard - is there any place that we are not protected?  No, He has us covered, watching over from the front and the back.

When I have felt that I cannot possibly deal with the issues facing me in parenting, this is one of the verses that God has brought to remind me of His ability to work through these times with me.  I was reminded of this recently, when I was facing an attitude issue with one of my children in the way they were treating their siblings.  This child was completely resisting my encouragement and designated consequences that I was implementing to try and modify their behaviour, and the treatment of siblings was declining.  Finally, out of frustration (and I am not sure this was the best way to handle it but God was faithful), I told this child that I was not sure what was going on in their heart but they needed to get alone and figure it out because the behaviour toward siblings could not continue.  This child came back to me only moments later with a smile on their face and a look of shock...here is why.  They had walked back into the school room and picked up their Handwriting workbook (which is based on scripture verses), with still no further desire to change their own heart, God had stepped in.  This child told me, "Mom, of all the days to write out a verse, let alone the verse that was chosen - I can't believe this one.  I know God is trying to speak to me." The verse was from Proverbs 11:17 & 18 and it read, "Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel...the good man's reward lasts forever."  I have to tell you that the fruit of God dealing with my child, after I had done my best, were night and day.  This child enjoyed the rest of the day with a peaceful heart and a kindness to siblings that was unmatched from weeks prior.  God was before me and behind me as a rear guard so clearly that day, as I gave my meager offering in attempting to parent, He stepped in and blew me out of the water.

Obviously, this does not mean that I will not have issues again on this topic, with this child; but as in the past when God has spoken to one of them, there is a reference point to go back to.  There is far more fruit when God becomes personally involved in our parenting, than when we try to do it alone.  Ask God to be your rear guard and back you on issues you may be facing as you train up your children in the way they need to go - He will be faithful.

Christmas is Coming...So is Jesus

As we enter into the Christmas season, I find myself almost as guilty as our children in the anticipation of a few gifts to open and the fun our family will share around the tree.  I do not feel that this is a bad thing to share in the natural excitement, but it has caused my heart to ponder my sometimes lack of anticipation of a much greater event - Jesus' return!  For as much as Jesus came to earth as a baby, grew up and lived among humankind; He has promised His return is coming and great things are in store for those who have accepted Him and love Him.

God has challenged my heart as I am moving towards Christmas and all that our family will enjoy; to let it be a reminder and reflection of where my heart needs to be year-round, in regards to Jesus and His promised coming.  There is much told to us in the New Testament of how wonderful heaven will be, of the magnitude of the event when Jesus returns and of the surety of it.  When I think about our Christmas tree - I can hope that I might get what I want for Christmas, but it is very likely that when I open my few gifts I may need to smile and be appreciative, while swallowing a bit of disappointment because what I have opened does not look like what I might have wanted.  BUT not with Jesus! 

The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 2:9 that, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."  I don't know about you, but when it comes to Christmas - if I was told to imagine the biggest gift possible and money was no object (which is not the case) - I am sure I could imagine pretty big!  How much more will we be amazed when we see all that Jesus has prepared for us if He has been working on it for 2,000 years?

Don't let me steal your joy in the anticipation of the season, but allow me to add a reminder to the reason for the season of celebrating Jesus' birth - look with expectancy to all that is in store for us in eternity (that means forever and ever and ever, by the way).  Revelation 22:20, being the second last verse in the whole Bible, should carry some weight in our lives, when it says, "'Yes, I am coming soon.'  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus."

Enjoy the season in the present, with your heart looking forward to the future.

Patience in the Kitchen & Everywhere Else

Oh, to have more patience! Is that not the whispered prayer of every mother you meet?  We know in our hearts that God must have more for us than frustration in moments of pressure, and yet, it is often hard to rise above those emotions.  I am glad to say that as we continue to press into God, over time, He takes us to new levels of patience that we would not have imagined possible - but I am sorry to say, it is not instantaneous.

When I think back to my early days of baking in the kitchen with my children, as an example; I remember lots of moments of fun, that blend together with moments of mommy's significant lack of patience.  It was not the way I wanted to be, but due to having my own set of standards and expectations, I often found my patience was what was lacking.  As I have grown as a mom and a woman, I have found God has done, and definitely continues to do, a deep work in my heart which has allowed patience to increase.  Now when eggs drop on the counter (see above) it can be time for laughter and not frustration.  Know what your areas of greatest weakness in excericising patience are and ask God to help you with that specifically.  When the Bible speaks of patience, it is recognized as one of the fruits that the Spirit produces in us and not just something that comes from "trying harder".  The most important step we can take, is to continue to ask God to fill us with His Spirit, in order to walk out the daily moments in the ways He would have us to.

It is challenging, as a mom, to find the balance in our lives that keeps us from being too hard on ourselves when we do lose our cool; and yet, NEVER settling for acceptance that lack of patience must be just the way we are.  We are told in the Word that LOVE is patient (I Cor.13), and we are called to be patient with everyone (I Thess. 5).  God would not tell us these things if they were not achievable - so don't accept your current situation (that is, if you feel you struggle in lacking patience) as the final answer to this problem. 

Press into God and ask Him to grow more patience in you; and do not believe the lie that it means He will just bring more troubles your way.  That is one of the most overused arguments I have ever heard around the topic of praying for patience - we know that God never allows more than we can handle and He works ALL things for our good, so we should welcome all areas of life as opportunities to grow.  Remember some of the most beautiful flowers that are in the world, are often found growing in the most challenging of environments; if we want God to grow in us a fragrance that blesses our family and others, we need to be open to God's gardening in our lives.

As we spend time in God's Word, we will grow in understanding and wisdom, and as Proverbs 19:11, "A person's wisdom makes him slow to anger."  As we become wise to God's ways, we will grow in applying His truth to the moments of frustration that we will encounter.  Don't give up in growing in patience!

Dark Bundles

I have noticed, as I walk this path of life, that when things are going well, I feel light and free; but when the times of challenge come, a heaviness can settle over me and the darkness can feel so close.  I have learned that mountains (light) and valleys (dark) are not an unusual part of life; both are necessary for healthy growth.  But what is not healthy, is when we are in the dark trying to find our own way out; instead of allowing God to help us, and if need be, carry us.

I recently came across a beautiful retelling of a dream that radically changed one woman's view of her life - it lifted her out of the darkness and placed her into the light.  This happened because she realized the heavy burdens, or as the dream says - dark bundles, were not what God ever intended for her to carry.  Let me share it here, in its original form - taken from Streams in the Desert, written in 1925...

An eminent Christian worker tells of his mother who was a very anxious and troubled Christian. He would talk with her by the hour trying to convince her of the sinfulness of fretting, but to no avail.  But one morning the mother came down to breakfast wreathed in smiles. He asked her what had happened, and she told him that in the night she had a dream.
She was walking along a highway with a great crowd of people who seemed so tired and burdened. They were nearly all carrying little black bundles, and she noticed that there were numerous repulsive looking beings which she thought were demons dropping these black bundles for the people to pick up and carry. Like the rest, she too had her needless load, and was weighed down with the devil’s bundles. Looking up, after a while, she saw a Man with a bright and loving face, passing hither and thither through the crowd, and comforting the people.
At last He came near her, and she saw that it was her Saviour. She looked up and told Him how tired she was, and He smiled sadly and said: “My dear child, I did not give you these loads; you have no need of them. They are the devil’s burdens and they are wearing out your life. Just drop them; refuse to touch them with one of your fingers and you will find the path easy and you will be as if borne on eagle’s wings.”
He touched her hand, and look, peace and joy thrilled her frame and, flinging down her burden, she was about to throw herself at His feet in joyful thanksgiving, when suddenly she awoke and found that all her cares were gone. From that day to the close of her life she was the most cheerful and happy member of the household.

What a witness to the reality of where many of our burdens, or dark bundles, come from - but a far more important reality is portrayed by showing us where our lightness and freedom can and should be coming from in our lives.  The enemy wants us to be so burdened down with "life" that we fail to see what God has made available to us - the freedom to truly soar, as on eagle's wings. 

If we would see that we do not need to take up those bundles, but instead cast our cares on our God who cares for us, we could rise above the places where the darkness tries to overcome us and be set free!

Psalm 81:6 "I removed the burden from their shoulders;

 their hands were set free."