Praise In The Midst Of Trials

Excerpt from the book "31 Days of Praise" by Ruth Myers

Father, I'm so delighted that you are both loving and sovereign, and that you cause all things to work together for good to those who love you, to those who are called according to your purpose.  So I thank you for each disturbing or humbling situation in my life, for each breaking or cleansing process you are allowing, for each problem or hindrance, for each thing that triggers in me anxiety or anger or pain.  And I thank you in advance for each disappointment, each demanding duty, each pressure, each interruption that may arise in the coming hours and days.

In spite of what I think or feel when I get my eyes off you, I choose not to resist my trials as intruders, but to welcome them as friends.

Thank you that each difficulty is an opportunity to see you work...that in your time you will bring me out to a place of abundance. Thank you that they (my trials) prepare the soil of my heart for the fresh new growth in godliness that you and I both long to see in me...and that my momentary troubles are producing for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  I'm grateful that you look beyond my superficial desire for a trouble-free life; instead, you fulfill my deep-down desire to glorify you.

God Grants a Child's Request

In life, I've found, there are those moments when God just likes to reveal himself and essentially say "Look, here I am."  Last night we encountered one of those moments.  My husband, daughter and I jumped in the car to go to a prayer service at church.  As we drove around a curve we saw part of a rainbow up ahead.  We love rainbows in our family.  For us, they really do feel like a promise from God that He is with us.

During our conversation about the beauty in the sky my daughter stated what she wished God would do with rainbows.  First - she said she wished that God would make them last a long time and not fade away so fast.  Second - she said she wished He would make them longer (because usually we only see a partial rainbow).  Then I added a third request.  I said God should make them darker so we could see them better.  You know because sometimes they're barely there.

Well, in a matter of moments, a full rainbow appeared ahead of us.  I said to my daughter: "Wow!  You asked for a bigger rainbow and God gave it to you."  And as I was speaking the colors of the rainbow began to become more prominent.  Who doesn't love to see a brightly colored full rainbow.  It was stunning really.  Two requests already answered and we hadn't even got to church yet.  And wouldn't you know it - that rainbow was still there when we got out of church an hour or so later.  That's a long lasting rainbow.

Sure, I know, people might say I'm crazy for thinking God was listening to us at that moment and felt the need to respond.  If they'd prefer to believe God doesn't interact with us, that's their choice.  As for me - I choose to believe God loves listening to us (especially to the hearts of little children).  I choose to believe He wanted to show Himself - to reveal not only His majesty and power, but also to show us His heart.  Oh - how He loves us!  As we marveled at the symbol of beauty in the sky we couldn't help but say "GOD IS GOOD!!"

I took a picture on hubby's cell phone but it doesn't really do it justice (plus I was in the car - taking the pic through the window.)

Website Supermoms

This morning I was looking at something on the internet which led me to a link to another website.  At first I was intrigued.  I thought, "What a great site". There was so much information.  You've probably seen sites like this.  It was written by a mom who pretended to be just like you and me only she was really a Supermom in disguise.  The more I looked at the site the more I started going into a downward spiral.  I thought how do people like her do this (and by "this" I mean "everything")?  How is it that these people have that much time in their day to clean the house, plan menus, cook all the meals, homeschool four children, write curriculum, have individual time with each kid, and time with the husband, do Bible studies and write a blog all in 24 hours.  I think there's sleep somewhere in there.  Anyway - you get my drift.  I can barely manage a portion of that.  I looked at my husband in disbelief and said "What's wrong with me?"

Yes, I have a problem with comparing myself to "Supers".  I always wonder if there's a secret I'm not seeing.  My husband reiterated to me that I can't compare myself to other people and that people work at different paces.  This didn't actually make me feel better.  The realization is - I'm slow.  That's how I was made.  God didn't make me a high-octane person.  But, ironically, He made me with a desire to do a million things at once and to do them perfectly.  This is incredibly frustrating at my low-octane speed?  How am I suppose to do it all at that speed?

I don't know the answer to that.  But here is my big take-away for the day:  I shouldn't compare myself to the "Supers" of the world.  Instead I should compare myself to couch potatoes!  Then - my accomplishments will seem all the more significant.

In the end I know that God created me to be me.  He has never asked me to do more than I have the ability or the ability through Him to accomplish.  I need to learn to do a few tasks and do them well.  Loving God is the most important task of all.  All the rest is business!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

It's the little things, isn't it, that make us smile and give us warm fuzzies.  The other night it was "store night" at AWANA and one of the things my daughter picked up was a mini flower decorated fingernail file.  Why, out of all the things she could have chosen from, did she pick that gift?  She is, after all only seven and has a way to go still on being obsessed with fingernails (or at least the habit of keeping them nice and trimmed).  She simply chose the file because her mommy (me) has one. 

It warms me up inside when my daughter likes to do and have things just because I do.  She wants to be like me.  If I wear a t-shirt to bed, she wants to wear a t-shirt to bed.  If I put lipstick or perfume on, she wants to do the same.  If we have similar shirts, she wants us to wear them together (okay - she's kind of growing out of that phase).  The thing is - little girls imitate their mommies.  But let's be honest - that's a fact that is both sweet and terrifying at the same time.  It's a lot of responsibility to be a role model.  And truthfully, I don't think about my impact often enough.  I want to be a good example and not just of the manicured nail kind.  I want to be an example of a God-following woman, wife and mom.

So - I found two blessings in her fingernail file.  One is the blessing of having a little copy-catter. They say copying someone is the best form of flattery.  And I LOVE that she likes me.  The second blessing is this: being reminded of the what a special privilege I have been given - to mold a precious child after God's own heart.

Be Yourself

Recently my husband and I watched the movie "My Week With Marilyn".  The movie gives a brief glimpse into the life of Marilyn Monroe.  On the surface she was the most popular movie star of her time and yet her reality never seemed to mirror that illusion.  She was incredibly insecure and desperately longed for love and affirmation.  She feared and seemed to believe that everyone who loved her would eventually leaver her.  There was such loneliness found in someone so popular and adored by so many.

As the movie ended I couldn't help but feel sad for Marilyn.  Her on screen image became like a trap for her.  The question is - how can you find happiness in life when you can never be yourself - when the image people like isn't really even who you are.  Is it any wonder she fought depression.  Despite the adoration of millions there was always the constant question.  Do they like her or the person on the screen?  The eventual truth is realized.  Them loving her image is not the same as them loving her. In the end - everyone just wants to be loved for themselves.

One of the great things about God is that no matter what we've done or who we are - he loves us.  He would prefer we lose the act and just be ourselves.  After all - he created us.  He knew us before we were born.  He knows our idiosyncrasies.  He knows all our weaknesses and faults.  He loves us despite them.  And he will never ever abandon us.  With him - we don't have to be someone we're not.  What a great feeling to be loved so much.  With God - we can be free to be ourselves.