A Lesson from a Lesson..

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. (Matthew 6:30-33 - The Message)

It was these very words I read to my oldest son tonight. We were talking learning a lesson about HOW to overcome selfishness, pride, and the desire to always be right. We talked about God being a priority, not an afterthought. He wrote this passage numerous times, and as I read them, again and again, it occurred to me, he wasn't the only one learning a lesson.

How much time to I spend, preoccupied with worldly things? AND, while I want Him to be top priority in my life, how often does He actually occupy that spot? It seems that this parenting thing teaches as many lessons to the parents, as the parents do to the children. 

The part that really got me, probably isn't the most notable part of the verse. "People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God AND the way he works." --- Yikes! What does this say for me? About me? To me? It said, "Read on!" And I did. "Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find ALL your everyday human concerns will be met." 

Steep your life in God-reality. Powerful words. But do I? Sometimes I do, sometimes I have days where I am completely in His presence. But more often, I'm not. God-initiative, God-provisions. How much of the abundant life am I missing? LOTS!

I know that I want my children to struggle less than I do, in all things, but especially in developing their faith. I want them to seek Him daily, without having to "make" time for Him. I want them to know Him so dearly, that He is a part of their every breath, their every moment. And so, it occurred to me, that I must steep my own life in Him! It is my example that they will most likely follow. I want them to KNOW that their everyday human concerns will be met, because He is good and just and ALWAYS sovereign. 

So my priorities were made clear tonight, through a lesson I thought I was teaching. What lessons are you learning? What are your priorities? 

The Eraser and The Cross....

Two very different things...from two very different times...yet so much in common.  I watched my youngest son, learning to write, make a mistake and erase it. No evidence remained of his previous mistake. And he was able to write again, successfully. The eraser did the magic. It took away the mistake, left him a clean slate to try again. Just like the cross, I'm learning and forever will be. I make a mistake, I ask my Father to forgive me and mercifully, he does. My slate is clean, I get to try again...and again....and again. Two very different things...from two very different times....yet so much in common.

But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done. 1 John 1:9 (NCV)

A moment in time.....

These moments, so precious, so few.....his hand on my chest, his breath in my face, watching the rise and fall of his chest....the minutes have changed to hours, the hours into days, the days into weeks, and weeks into months, now months into years....so precious, so few....As I've watched him grow, I'm amazed, that what began so new, so innocent, has become this being, so amazing, so brilliant, and yet, the innocence remains. I'd like time to stop, if just for a day, so I could take it all in....rewind a few years, to remember the smells, the sounds, the moments....they're all but memories now, and all to soon, he'll be grown, a family of his own, cuddling his own little one to sleep and repeating these thoughts....