So Close & Personal

     I sensed that someone had entered the still-darkened bedroom but my eyelids were too heavy to force open.  I felt breath, small and warm, on my face and I surmised it was my youngest child.  Then the covers pulled back and little feet slid in next to mine.  I continued to doze, only half aware of their presence in the bed, until I perceived a change in their location.  Now I guessed my little friend had propped himself up on an elbow.  I cracked open one eye and grinned at what I saw . . . a miniature face with eyes that bore into mine.  Only inches away . . .  patiently waiting to talk.

     Personal space -- what's that?  A professional distance -- haven't had that in years!  And to be totally honest, I don't mind one bit . . . I love these sweet little people that float in and out of the moments of my day with their faces squished against mine.  I am thrilled they like to be close.

     I am also glad that God likes to be that close.

     WHAT?!  Did that sound odd?  It shouldn't -- He really is that close and that involved.

     Listen to what the giant slayer, David, knew about God . . .

     "The Lord is MY rock, MY fortress, and MY deliverer; MY God is MY rock, in whom I take refuge, MY shield and the horn of MY salvation.  He is MY stronghold, MY refuge and MY Saviour."(II Samuel 22:2&3)

     No wonder that man David could kill a giant without even blinking in fear.  David KNEW God was intimately interwoven into his personal predicaments -- the real, involved thing -- so close and so personal. 

     Do we know that God can still be that close and personal?

     Do we know that He wants to be our rock / fortress / deliverer / refuge / stronghold?  That list alone is like looking up "safest place in the world" in a Thesaurus and being handed the definition.

     God IS that personal.  And He wants to be THAT involved.  BUT He never pushes . . . He waits.  Waits to be invited into our fears, into our problems, into our exhaustion -- then once we open the door?

     Look out . . . the Bible doesn't say He might save; it tells us that God is mighty to save!

     The God that was close and personal for David in the Bible is the very same God that is available to be close and personal to you and me . . . the Bible tells us that He never changes and He always stays the same.  So stop questioning and wondering whether God cares, and start pressing in and telling Him what you need.  He cares THAT much!

"If God is for us,

who can be against us?"

Romans 8:31

When Kids are Sick

     "Ohhhhhh, my head hurts . . . ohhhhh, my stomach aches . . . ohhhh, I need more ginger ale . . . ohhhh . . ."  The moans and demands continued to flow from the living room couch -- the location of our make-shift hospital.  Five nauseated kids later, mommy is more than a little worn down, but that is hard to avoid when kids are sick.

     A "normal" week usually demands that, as moms, we give almost everything we've got -- but add a few (or more) feverish, achy children to the mix, and it feels like we need to give MORE than we've got!  What's a mom to do? 

     1) Recognize that you only have to take ONE moment at a time -- don't try to imagine how many kids are going to catch what the first one has, or how many times THIS ONE is going to need you  -- you only HAVE TO DO what is required in each single breath of time.

     2) Remind yourself that you are not alone -- God has said that when we are weak, He will be strong for us, so tell Him you need Him to be that for you.

     3) Savour the fact that you are needed -- I know, "demanded of" might be more accurate, but regardless of the wording, these precious little ones (or bigger ones) put their hope in us to care for them.

     4) Look for as many ways as possible to simply life in every other area, so you can be focused at home -- it never ceases to amaze me how a previously full week can be emptied -- you can even say yes to pancakes for supper.

     5) Invest, invest, invest -- some of these "sick days" have become my favourite memories when I look back after my kids are healthy again -- although I may feel exhausted at the time, I take it as a perfect opportunity to invest in my kids: we snuggle lots, experience great books, create special snacks, and overall just be together. 

     A quote from Zig Ziglar says, "It is your attitude, not your aptitude, that determines your altitude."  Whether you are a professional "mommy nurse" or not, doesn't matter; pour out your tenderness on those sweet, indisposed loved ones, and remember whatever we do for the least of these, we do for God.

"Steadily, pouring yourselves

out for each other in acts

of love."

Ephesians 4:2

The Clean Up Blues

The scene that met my gaze as I rounded the corner, made my passion-for-organization-heart sink.  A room, previously clean only mere hours before, was disseminated by the busy hands of my red-cheeked little boy.  As I stood in the hallway, I could feel a smile pulling at my lips, but recognized that more than humour was required in that moment.  As I strained to suppress the urge to let out the laughter, I drew upon my "mommy voice", and informed my four year old that the mess had to be cleaned before supper.  The tears that followed were enough to twist the heart of the most stern of mothers, but I held firm to my issued decree, knowing he was capable of what needed to transpire next.  I carefully laid out some simple steps of an orderly way to tackle the disaster and then walked out of the room, leaving my tired little man to test his abilities.  I didn't go too far away, in order that I could be available for any cries that might move from sadness to desperation.  The first few minutes passed without much difficulty.  Before long though, the tears began again...

My first inclination was to step in and do it for him and the second was not much better; I would have gladly sat down and tackled it with him, but neither option seemed to suffice given the circumstance.  I felt this was a battle that my four year old was capable of confronting, so that he could hopefully savour the victory in the end.  Time ticked by slowly and when I returned a bit later, I was pleased for both his sake and mine that some progress was made.  It was not finished quickly, nor without a few more tears shed by my, now weary, little man; but it was worth the persevering.

Why would a loving mother heartlessly make her four year old handle such confusion?  Was it because I didn't care?  No, it was because of my great love for him; my confidence that he was capable even when he did not believe he was, and my greater perspective of life in knowing that he needs to learn and grow in these areas, even if he doesn't enjoy it at the moment.  A short term solution was not going to help this little man grow in the long term view of things - although there were tears and pain, these are what will make him into the big man he will need to be someday. 

Does that not prompt you to think of our Heavenly Father and the ways that He cares for us?  As I reflect, there are many events in my life in which, that as I look back, I can recognize the wisdom of needing to suffer through them, but I assure you at the time, I could see no benefit whatsoever.  How similar this is to my little four year old and his room - I know that he did not think for a moment that I knew what was better for him.

The fleshly nature in all of us longs for the easy road in life.

But God, who sees far beyond our short-sighted vision, knows we need those lessons that do not sit comfortably at the moment.  He is working out a much more magnificent design in each of us and He knows how much heat from the fire we can take before we get burned.  Without exception, it is through our Refiner's fire, that our hearts are strengthened and purified.

What was the ending to the story of my four year old and his room?  He melted down and lost all sense of hope just moments before completion.  Did I walk away and give up on him?  No, I knew by then he had as much as he could take and I went to his side and helped him finish the job.  It only took two more minutes to complete, but I recognized that he could go no further. 

In the same way, you and I have felt the Father come alongside us, haven't we?  When we felt all hope must surely be gone, there He is, lovingly helping us clean up the mess we have made and put things back were they belong.

Thank you, Father, for always being so very near to rescue us when the heat is more than we can bear!

"The helpless call to Him, and He answers; He saves them from all their troubles."  Psalm 34:6

You Are a Conqueror

Did you know that you are a conqueror?  A conqueror is someone who defeats someone or something or one who triumphs after great effort; and the good news of Romans 8:37 is this: "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us." What a verse...it is full of hope and promise because it says we ARE, not we will be or we might be, but we already are conquerors.  Not only are we already, but Paul says that we are MORE THAN conquerors - can you tell he was searching for the biggest way to tell us that we have everything we need at our disposal?

There is one key hidden in this verse, and that is the one that tells us where that ability comes from - it comes THROUGH Him (God) Who loved us.  How backwards is that in our society?  God already poured out His love and provision for us to conquer before we needed it - now it is accessible to us.  So, the question is not, "Are we conquerors?" but "What do we need to conquer?"

This is where the application comes in - what is in your daily life right now that you need to conquer?  Is the laundry piled higher than you know how to tackle?  Are the kids fighting so much your head hurts?  Is your husband needing more encouragement than you feel able to give?  Are the bills piling up to the point of what feels like no return?  If any of these things are true for you, then it is time to remind yourself of what the enemy doesn't want you to know - YOU ARE A CONQUEROR!  God has said that He doesn't give us more than we can handle, so as hard as life may feel, with His help we can walk through and overcome those things in our lives that are threatening to overwhelm us.

We may be tempted to think that this verse in Romans only applies to big things or important areas, but I would challenge us that laundry and fights are not little nor unimportant and that God deeply cares about all areas of our lives.  It can feel like those areas of our lives are ours to manage and God's job is to worry about the grander things, but I disagree ~ in fact in James 5:2-5 it is laid out why we have to work through these things and it confirms that God wants to help us.  In the Message version it says, "Consider it a sheer gift (all the laundry, the fights, etc.), friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.  You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours.  So don't try to get out of anything prematurely.  Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.  If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father.  He loves to help."  Isn't that wonderful - if we don't know what we're doing (that is me, most days) - pray - He loves (and really wants to) help us.

I encourage you today, that if you are feeling overwhelmed, have a chat with God about what you are finding heavy.  Tell Him that you have tried to work out these areas of defeat in your own strength and now see that you need and want to do it in His strength.  Victory may not be instant - but it will come.  Remember that you ARE (already) more than a conqueror THROUGH Him who loved us.