Pull your husband close and dance barefoot in the kitchen.
Cradle your littles and kiss those chubby cheeks.
Hug your tweens and tell them they’ll always be your baby.
Grab that teenager and tickle those stinky feet.
Pray in the car.
Point to Jesus.
Serve when it’s hard.
Choose love when it hurts.
Be thankful.
Gather your family for meals every day.
Speak life every chance you get.
Choose worship over worry.
Live,
Read,
memorize,
and teach your children
The Word.
Give honor to the One who created your family.
Fall in love with Jesus by falling on your knees.
Courageously pour hope into your home.
Stand your ground, mammas.
have a mother’s courage.
šIt means so much that you’re taking this journey with me.ā¤
Drop your email for a FREE SEVEN-DAY DEVOTIONAL: CLICK HERE FOR DEVOTIONAL
Last week, I had a –how did my walls get this dirty?! – kind of day. Our adoption social worker was coming over to redo our home safety report (because they LOST the original. Yup.)
I can’t even. I found myself, knees pressed to the wood floors, scrubbing off fingerprints…or maybe they’re toe-prints? I don’t even know.
One smudge rallied so hard against my efforts- it was like a caveman painting fighting to not be erased from our home history.
So how did my walls get so dirty? Because people live here; little dirty people and big dirty people. This is our safe place; our “come as you are “place.
Let’s be real- Our safest walls are always the messiest.
When they walk through the doors of this house, I don’t demand they clean up right away. I don’t insist on showers the second they burst through the door from hours of bike-riding, or soccer-playing or middle-school surviving.
I let them rest a bit. Breathe a bit. Eat a snack. Grab a drink. I let them just…be. And although this is a picture of grace, it’s still not excusable for them to intentionally wipe a muddy cleat on my hypothetical white rug, or smudge a happy face on walls with their grubby fingers.
Our home parallels our relationships. The more intimate the relationship, the messier it can get. The safer we feel, the more careless we can become. There are days my hubby comes home and I soil his spirit with careless words, sarcastic comebacks, and hurtful eye rolls. All the junk that’s clung to my shoes and wedged under my skin from the day, I carry straight to my people.
It’s OKā¦but it’s not OK. We have to take responsibility for checking the condition of our hearts when we enter our safe spaces. We canāt treat our people like itās their job to stand still and let us wipe our junk all over them.
When my kids come in stinky and tired, it’s true, I let them rest. But eventually, they’re getting in that shower y’all! It’s the same with our attitudes and spirits.
The home is where grace and discipleship should be profoundly weaved together. Healthy homes cannot have discipleship without grace, and grace is not effective without discipleship.
I try to hold my tongue when someone spills in my home. It’s simply human nature to mess up, but even more so, to sin. There’s no value gained by verbally ripping into my family, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues” (Proverbs 10:19).
However, I don’t allow them to walk away without taking responsibility to clean up. When the mess is dripping off the table, soaking my rug, I’ll snatch another towel and jump on the floor with my kiddo to help. At times, the stain is so tricky, I’ll need to explain how I know white wine gets out most anything. Ā Our kids are still kids. We need to guide them on how to clean up the messes they make.
This same model of discipleship can be used when our kiddos verbally smear their siblings. I’m struck by The Message’s version of Matthew 18, āBut what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. Itās from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments…”
As parents, don’t we get it?! I know I struggle to remember this! It’s not the words we should be scurrying to mop up- itās the āvomitā collecting in our hearts. We offer astounding love when we help our kids notice thereās a well from which they draw their words. Harsh words and attitudes don’t pollute the heart; they ooze from a polluted heart.
We all have days that leave our souls caked with mud-like frustration. It’s expected weāll need a safe space to wash up. But showing someone our dirty hands is different than shoving it on them.
Itās my instinctual reaction to yell, donāt you dare say that! or apologize right now! But Iām praying for patience and wisdom. Maybe the question I should really pull my kiddos aside and ask is, why do you think you just said that? And instead of demanding a flippant apology, challenge them to think, why do you think Iām asking you to apologize?
If we donāt teach our kids, (and ourselves!) how to āheart checkā in the midst of bubbling emotions, weāll be spewing all over our beloved home asking, how did our walls get so dirty?!
God’s word beautifully reminds us that our words have the power to give life.Ā Check out these Bible verses for inspiration: God’s Word Marked by Love
Once, I swung open the front door of my mini-van, jumped inside, heard a growl, peeked over my shoulder and found myself face to face with two black dogs.
Seriously, who the heck put their stinkinā dogs in my mini-van?!
Um. Yeah. Not my mini-van.
Itās a bit terrifying how long it took to realize my mistake.
No one in the van was happy…and somebody definitely peed a little.
Hereās the deal: Donāt climb into someone elseās mini-van uninvited. It doesnāt matter how much it looks like yours. Same goes for our lives. Someone may appear to have a similar life, outlook, circumstance, parenting triumph or woe – but until youāve entered in, youāve no clue whatās really going on inside.
Never assume. Itās a waste of time. And donāt barge in. Itās too risky.
Wait to be invited.
This can be so tricky. Especially if the door of their life appears wide open. Ā Dusty goldfish are pouring out, the leaking juice box under the backpack has puddled next to a runaway credit card. You just want to offering a suggestion…right?! Stop. There could be some snarling teeth in there. Someoneās going to get hurt.
I canāt tell you how many friendships in my life have been strained because weāve felt judged by one another. Ā It makes all of us shut down and pull away. Ask yourself two questions:
Have I established mutual trust with this person?
If you havenāt known this person long, and you get all up in their business, it can feel like judgement. It may not be your heart! But remember, they donāt trust you yet. Itās not fair to expect them to know your intentions. Be wise and hold your tongue. But love them like crazy. Be a constant in their life.
Has this person indicated they want your opinion?
I have friends who I know donāt want my opinion- even though they love and trust me. Bummer is, Iām still prone to give it. Weāve got to know our audience yāall. Ā Itās hard for this Italian/Irish girl to shut it down! Iām learning at the speed of molasses ā I need to discipline myself in this area.
Does your friend let her kids watch rated R movies at the age of nineā¦guess what?!
Thatās not your mini-van!
Or maybe a friend doesnāt believe in vaccinations, or home-school, or private school, or public school, or any school!!
Yeah. Thatās not your mini-van either. Get out girl!
Itās hard to be a mom these days. Everyone and every book out there hisses, āYouāre doing it wrongā or, āYou can do it better.ā Our generation has trouble trusting God can equip us properly.
We turn to the next, āHow to…ā book, before we turn to Godās book.
We ask Siri before we ask the Spirit.
I believe the enemy’s in this; undermining our God-given instincts to parent our children well. He uses social media, articles and most aggressively- he baits us to tear each other down. We don’t need to be another blasting horn of judgement towards our sisters! Godās heart is for us to, āEncourage one another and build each other up.ā(1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Donāt know how to do this? I think it starts with less worrying about getting into someone elseās life, and inviting them authentically into your own. Living out grace is a powerful witness and gift; loving people regardless of their parenting choices. If a friend does ask your opinion, it’s a safe place to practice honesty. Any fiery pups in her mini-van should know you well enough not to snap.
We call it, āThe Dark Hole of our Marriage.ā I was thirty and had birthed three kids in 2 Ā½ years. Everyone around me was a total jerk. Everyone. Other mammas, my mirror, the mailman, and especially that speed-walker dude on Kellogg. Trust me – but donāt trust me. I hadnāt slept and each day was a blur of diapers, feedings and potty accidents. It wasnāt until I was thirty-three that I began to feel a bit human again. Kids were sleeping more; playing in the toilet less. I finally understood; maybe everyone around me wasnāt really a jerk. Maybe the honking lady in the Sprouts parking lot truly cared my baby was rolling away with my shopping cart. Maybe.
Perhaps, they were just offering an oxygen mask to a suffocating girl.
Life’s truly a canvas of mountains and valleys. One of the greatest dangers for extreme mountain climbers is lack of oxygen to the brain. When this happens, they get disoriented and canāt think clearly (Hello, motherhood!). They become incapable of ascending or descending the mountain alone. A fellow climber must place their own oxygen mask over the climberās mouth and physically help them down.
This is how God designed fellowship to work. Because we all have āmountainsā to climb, dear ones!
On some mountains, youāll be stronger than me. Your faith wonāt falter. Youāll have a week when all the kiddos are healthy, and youāve had bunches of quiet time with Jesus. Your oxygen tank will be 100% full with a backup in the mini-van.
On other climbs, I might be honking at your kiddo in a runaway shopping cart.
But what is our spiritual oxygen tank filled with? Encouragement? Wise words? Dinner on the doorstep?
All ofĀ these are precious and certainly loving. But weāre talking about our sisters SUFFOCATING!!! I donāt care how epic your baked pasta dish is, itās not going to cut it.
Two things are made from the breath of God in the Bible: Mankind (Genesis 2:7), and Godās word (1 Timothy 3:16).
This is no coincidence. When our spirits are gasping for air, we need the breath of Godās word poured into us. But what happens when weāre too worn out to lift relief to our lips? Youāre not the only gal who struggles to find time to read Godās word. But you donāt need to collapse on the trail and declare it hopeless.
Look around for other climbers – other believers. Use what’s left in your lungs to cry out, āSomeone, please speak the word of God over my life right now!ā
This is not shameful. This is brave.
Your life, your children, your marriage, your sanity, in some way, depend on your ability to recognize, youāre too exhausted to ascend higher by yourself. Some days, weāll need a sister to hoist us up, press the word of God upon our lips and carry us straight to Jesus.
And if this isnāt you right now, get ready for a search and rescue season! I guarantee thereās someone with an empty oxygen tank on your trail. Scoop them up, speak Godās truth into their life and take them to the King.
Sometimes Mammaās need help. But all the time, they need grace.
Once upon a time, at Trader Joes, I allowed my three angels to push their own mini-carts. Soā¦they decided to play bumper carts down the aisle of wine bottles. Smack in the middle of the horrific scene, another mom sauntered by, her two children peacefully pushing one cart and said,
āYou know, itās really not the best idea to let each of your children have a cart.ā
I donāt remember what I said. But I did not say,
āWow, thatās such wonderful advice. Youāve helped me feel like a non-idiot. You clearly care about me and the six shattered Merlots Iām about to pay for.ā
Yeah. I did not say that.
Moments later, a heroic Trader Joeās worker, rushed to my side as I confiscated the horrid mini-carts. I was attempting to balance all three on top of my big one.Ā She gently offered the kiddos a sucker while I completed my mission.
I look back on this day and ask myself-Ā Which character in this embarrassing story do I want to be? Our words and actions, even well intended, are pathways.
Here are key questions Iām learning to consider:
Is what I say or do, leading someone down a hallway to Godās love? Or, is it a route to my own self-validation?
Will this help them feel better, or me feel better?
Which corridor am I nudging people towards when I come to their aid?
I donāt think the mamma at Trader Joeās had a heart to help me. Ā She wanted to make it clear, she knew more about this parenting thing than me. Iām super guilty of behaving this way, too. We all struggle with insecurities when we seek validation outside of God’s love.
Once I shamed a mamma for packing her daughter marshmallows as a āhealthy snack.ā Not my finest moment. But advising her how not to feed her children, validated the way I chose to feed mine.Ā It was vain. Godās word makes it clear, āDo nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.Ā Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.ā (Philippians 2:3)
Holding my tongue is just as hard as the Bible says. Godās shown me, sometimes I donāt really want to help, I want to be heard. If being heard by others becomes more important than loving them, weāve missed the mark big time. This is true in our friendships, marriages and everyday encounters.
Jesus didnāt say, the greatest commandment is, āLove the Lord your God with your heartā¦And the second is to give judgmental advice to all the tired moms on your street.ā
Nope. He said, āāLove the Lord your Godā¦Ā Ā And the second is like it: āLove your neighbor as yourself.ā(Matthew 22:37-39)
How did you feel loved when you were in this bleary-eyed stage? Consider those thingsā¦and then do them for others. Next time you see a crazy mamma balancing mini-carts in Trader Joeās, help her get the third one up with a smile. Ā She doesnāt need your advice, she needs your grace.
I have one big brother; and he is all brother. When we were kiddos, his love language was messing with me. I believed his Every. Single. Word. Stuff, like-
At the age of 12, Iād be sent to live on an Indian Reservation to make bead necklaces for the rest of my life–because I was a girl.
Andā¦
Dr. Pepper was called āDr. Pepperā because you were supposed to pour red crushed peppers in before you drank up.
Iām relieved my parents forgot to send me away, and eventually, I traded sucking red crushed peppers through stubborn straws for my beloved non-fat, with-whip, mochas.
My whole life Iāve had the ‘fun’ of knowing what it means to have a brother…but not a sister. Last week my daughter received a letter with the precious words crayoned,
āCiana, you can call me Sisterā.
I read it over and over, and all the feel-goods sprinkled over my spirit. My cousinās daughter had written them. Sheās adopted from Uganda and understands more than most, love makes a family. And God is that love. We enter a loving relationship with God; strike down genetic laws; and become sisters with other believers. But it doesnāt always feel that way.
If someone at church referred to me as āsisterāā¦I figured theyād forgotten my name. Honestly, there are times when hearing it from random ladies makes me roll all my eyes. Why can it feel so patronizing? When itās stripped down: we may be sisters in Godās family, but we often struggle to treat one another that way. It’s not on purpose! We’re busy. We’re tired. We’re overwhelmed keeping precious little humans alive and forget to really pray when we say we will.
When someone in a family struggles, it affects the whole household. If something is lost, all grubby fingers dig under the couch cushions to find it. If one kiddo hurls their body into the mini-van late, all the kiddos run like hyenas to get to class on time. If youāre in a healthy family, your lives are intertwined. But if you donāt live under the same roof, this gets tough. I think of the letters between Ciana and Milla. At such a young age, they’re making an effort to keep their lives intertwined. And thatās the keyā¦they’re intentional.
True sisterhood speaks these words:
When you struggle, my spirit will wrestle in prayer for you.
When youāre lost in an area of life, Iāll search Godās word for answers with you.
When you feel youāll never make it to the finish line, Iāll carry your heavy diaper bag.
But how can we authenticate our spoken words of sisterhood when life is so….much?
Here are three things Iāve found to be practical, powerful & completely do-able:
1. Fast together.
When a friend lays out a deep concern over coffee, I offer to fast with them for a week over the issue. Fasting doesnāt have to be dramatic. It can simply mean going without something you enjoy and replacing it with specific prayer. I typically choose to stop eating sugar. The struggle is so for real. Every time I’m all cravy, I stop right there and pray for whatever unique trial my friend is dealing with.
2. Pray at the same time everyday together.
Most likely, you donāt see your friend every day. So set an alarm on your phone to remind you both to stop what youāre doing and pray. I had a friend who was struggling with her husband when he came home from work. We set our phones to alert us to pray thirty minutes before he got home. When we were done praying, we would simply text, āAmen,ā to each other.
3. Dedicate a prayer journal to your friend.
I love to do this! I buy thin journal packs at TJ Maxx or HomeGoods, sharpie a friend’s name on the cover, and fill it up with prayers over their life. Some fill up faster than others and I donāt do it every day. Sometimes Iāll take a quick picture of the cover and text it to my friend saying, āYou were just covered in prayer.ā I imagine when I go home to Jesus; my children will find them and deliver them to my living friends.
Iām praying these practical tips spur your relationships to a deeper level. Itās not easy when youāre in the jungle of āAdultingā. But thatās why itās so important, isnāt it? We all need to know someone is genuinely in the thick with us. We all want someone to take the time to say, “Friend, you can call me Sister.”
āCarry each otherās burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.ā (Galatians 6:2)
When I was a kid, some lady bundled me in winter clothes and threw me into a swimming pool. I think she was my swim teacherā¦or an escaped mental patient. Either way, the struggle was real.
I donāt recall having any legal representation or signing a waiver. Ā I just heard the zip of a puffy jacket, felt my feet lift off, and everything went silent as my head sunk under water. I tried to kick, but the snow boots cemented to my feet were SOO-AAA-HEAVY. Luckily, I had freakishly strong arms.
I fixed my eyes on the side of the pool. My muscles were burning. My mom was cheering. She saw an ability in me I didn’t know I had. If I wanted to make it to that edge, I had to forget about the weight on my feet and focus on my strength.
Iāve never been able to shake the memory of this day. Not because it was mildly horrifying, but because I made it to the edge of that pool. Even though Iād been thrown into an unknown circumstance, bearing the weight of unwanted burdensā¦
I did it.
I knew I could do it again.
How many times has it felt like God has thrown you into a cold pool with a Patagonia jacket and a pair of UGGS?
How many times has it felt heās standing on the side watching you struggle for air?!
It can feel cruel.
Feelings lie.
God sees the strength in us we forget to claim. He sees HIS spirit in us, the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. (Romans 6:10-11) He wants us to see this truth, too!
He wonāt allow the world to throw us in a pool and watch us drown.
He knows thisā¦but he needs US to know this. We canāt fathom how the power of God can propel us through the waves, unless weāve endured numerous storms.
It has nothing to do with our freakishly strong arms, but everything to do with our fiercely strong God. When we are weak, He is strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-11) How can we claim this, if we havenāt lived this?
Iāve experienced Godās supernatural ability to carry me through some goopy gunk. I know on a profoundly personal level, āthose who hope in theĀ LordĀ will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.ā (Isaiah 40:31)
We all find ourselves floating in unknown circumstances, bearing the weight of unwanted burdens.
We all have a choice.
We can focus on the weight pulling us down, or focus on our strength– Christ in us.
Focus on Him, and we claim our holy ability to endure and press on.
We begin to trust we can survive deeper waters, swim a little farther, stay in the fight a bit longer. We begin to believe God keeps his promise to never leave us nor forsake us. He will always deliver us to His perfect willā¦even if it takes wearing soggy snow boots to get us there.
Iām on all fours, straining to flick out the blue, wriggling tail thatās slide under my oven.
I need something long, but not sharp.
Ā Alexaā¦Will a butter knife cut a beta fish?
Alexaā¦how long, can this thing live out of water?
Goodness, my daughter is crying. She begged to help me transfer the fish into his clean water bowl. She didnāt want to help, she wanted to do it herself.
I knew it was a bad idea. Weāve had London two years now. Iāve made it clear to him,
If you jump out and fall on the floor, Iām not picking you up. Youāll die there, buddy.
However, when the tragedy unfolded, I couldnāt let him die, undignified, on a sticky kitchen floor.
No. Iād save his life! And I did. He was softer than Iād imagined. Grossā¦but soft.
I kinda, sorta, totally love him.
I imagine weāve all pleaded with God to give us something. Unlike me, heās a perfect parent. My fuzzy feelings for London the fish, are nothing compared to the love God has for the desires of my heart.
He knows when weāre ready.
He knows when weāre not.
We may drop the responsibility on the floor, shrink behind a stool and cry. Not because we donāt want to please God, but because we arenāt equipped yet for the call.
For years, Iāve asked God,
Why have you allowed so many trials in our pursuit of adoption?
Iāve begged and begged…
Just let us do this Lord!!
Heās answered on several occasions the same way,
Iām making you stronger.
I donāt know all the reasons weāre asked to wait. However, I do know there is perfectly holy reason for every situation.Ā Sometimes heĀ waits because I haven’t allowed him to shape my desires to his perfect will.
Desires of the heart arenāt docile and tame. More often, hope slips out of our hands and wedges itself in a hot, messy crevice. When it does, we canāt flip out and pronounce it dead. We need to be ready to get on our knees and breathe life into it through arduous prayer.
The third time the door shut on adoption; I swear the rupture in my heart was audible.
But I remembered, Jesus was, āa man of suffering, and familiar with pain.ā (Isaiah 53:3)
I also know he pushed through, āFor the joy set before him he endured the cross.ā (Hebrews 12:2)
There was a joy our Savior didnāt reach until he endured great suffering. He knew the suffering was worth it because there was incomprehensible joy on the other end.
God cherishes the desires of our hearts so immensely, he won’t hand them over until our hands are perfectly aligned with his for safe transfer. Then, we must allow his hands to cup our own and lead us in the right direction.
So many times, Iāve pulled away from his will and forged the journey on my own. Ā Heās super patient. Heās watched countless āfishā splat on my lifeās floor.
Every so often, by his grace, my hold stays in perfect unison with his. This doesnāt mean things move forward without a hitch. I canāt flawlessly love and persevere like Jesus. But when something on the brink of death is stuck under my oven, I donāt freak out like I used to.
I understand desires of our hearts require constant care and dedication.Ā We need to love them as much as God does. Sometimes, it’s necessary to face things that once grossed us out; like picking up a fish or seeing the corrupt underbelly of adoption institutions.
Whatever God places in my little hands, is something he totally adores. He doesnāt give it to me to watch it suffocate. He has to make me brave enough to stretch into the unknown and fight for its life when things get shaky.
God withholds, until we’re prepared to take holy-hold of the things he loves.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.Ā He has also set eternity in the human heart; yetĀ no one can fathomĀ what God has done from beginning to end. “
If one more soccer ball crashes against our disintegrating patio cover, it might collapse. At our house, thatās every 2 minutes.Ā Iāve learned not to judge other mammas.Ā But, seriously. Why did this sweetie choose such a precarious place to nest her egg?!
We named her Penelope. Sheās the best little mamma, tirelessly tending to the hope beneath her. She wants to be ready when life breaks through. Her delicate frame flutters about, eyes watching for the slightest movement. She rests, but not for long.
Her focus is constant.
My focus has changed.
Instead of wishing weād tear down our patio cover and replace it with beautiful wood, Iām praying it stays up. Iām rooting for the budding life, cupped in splintered hands. My eyes go straight to the nest now.
I no longer look at the defective, but at the life Iāve detected.Ā Ā I love sitting under my creaky shade, cup of coffee in hand, watching for new life with my feathered soul sister.
Weāre so eager to tear down things that arenāt perfectly lovely in our life. We donāt want to look at rickety boards and chipped paint. We don’t want to have awkward conversations and squint to see potential. Nurturing hope is intentional work. The world doesn’t have patience for this. It preaches,
If your marriage is struggling, tear it down.
If your friend betrays you, close the door.
If your dream shreds easily, throw it out.
If your ministry doesnāt grow, give up.
STOP.
This is the worldās way. It is not Godās way.
Donāt bring in the demolition crew so quickly.Ā Look for life. Even if the promise is huddled in a fragile shell.
When the Lord brought Ezekiel to a valley of dry bones, he asked, āSon of man, can these bones live?ā Ezekiel answered, āSovereignĀ Lord, you alone know.ā (Ezekiel 37:3)
And God did know.
He spoke to the bones, āI will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am theĀ Lord.āā (Ezekiel 37:6b)
Ezekiel saw dry bones. God saw an opportunity for a miracle. Anyone can bring death to a situation. Only God can bring life.
Walking away from a valley of dry bones is not Godās way.
Breathing life into them is Godās way.
Raising the dead is His way.
Letting a baby bird hatch in a termite palace, is His way.
Hover over these truths. Be patient. Keep praying. Ask for Godās spirit to breathe into every situation.
Try not to focus on broken boards framing the circumstancesā¦choose to find the nesting egg, the dry bones that God can bring to life.
Always tend to the hope among the decay.
If you do, youāll be ready to welcome new life like Penelope.
āRejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.āĀ (Romans 12:12)
I know you and Dad saw a piece of our early childhood bruised and lonely. The owners neglected it like a stray cat. Its ribs poking out, its rosy complexion, pale and lifeless. Your nostalgic ādrive byā led you to the ugliest house on the block. The cushy grass you trampled to scoop us after a fall, is crunchy and brown. The sidewalk where Dad chased close behind as I learned to ride my bike, is cracked and uneven. Not a trace of tender attention youād poured into it was reflected in the rear-view mirror.
Donāt be sad.
That house wasnāt built to last. The space where your grandchildren gather to giggle and bake, wonāt last either. The olive tree in the front that every neighborhood kid triumphantly climbed, has already passed away. The gaping hole where it once reached to the sky, reminds me, life is a breath.
Houses of wood and stone and brick crumble. The branches of epic climbing trees rot away.
I want you and Dad to know one thing…
Youāve built a house for me more gorgeous than any Zillow listing;Ā
A house built on Christ, the solid rock.
When you prayed over dinner, over sickness or at the foot of my bed as I drifted offā¦
Ā A strong foundation was poured-
Prayer wasnāt only for hard times.
Prayer was for all times.
Prayer was for everything in my life.
When you brought us to spend long afternoons piecing together puzzles with widows like āGrandma Myrtleā, I didnāt understandā¦
Ā A thoughtful frame was being pieced together-
Love is patient & kind.
Everyone is worthy.
Ā I was worthy.
When youād order bags of extra hamburgers at Burger King to hand out to the homeless man after church, I was unsure of the filthy, life-worn hands grabbing at the foodā¦
Strong walls were being raised in my life-
God sees everyone.
God loves everyone.
God sees and loves me.
When I woke up exhausted the morning of my baptism burdened with bad dreams, you helped me get dressed. You rolled down my ruffled sock whispering, āThereās an enemy. He doesnāt want you to get baptized. You cannot let him wināā¦
The roof of my spiritual house was secured-
I would experience fierce battles in my life.
My God was stronger and fiercer.
God made me strong and fierce.
Now that Iām a Mommy, I want my precious kiddos to dwell in a solid spiritual house like the one you created for me.Ā I thought of this as I baptized my children, your grandchildren, in the very pool youāve generously opened up to friends and neighbors for the past 32 years. I felt God beaming with pride as Aaron and I dipped their precious heads back into the water.
The Great Commission starts in the home.Ā I learned this from you. Iām aware God will equip us to build a spiritual house with a unique rhythm and calling.
But itās not a new house.
Weāre expanding the construction youāve started. Just as you added a fresh wing to what your parents crafted for you.
āEveryone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be likeĀ a wise man who built his house on the rock.Ā Ā And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rockā.Ā Matthew 7:24-25
Mom and Dad, the rain fell, the floods came, winds blew and beat on the houseā¦but it did not fall. It never will.
One day, we’ll dwell in the house of the Lord together, forever.Ā The grass will never turn a dusty brown and paint will never peel. There will be more than one olive tree for your grandchildren, and their great grandchildren to climb. I imagine we’d have tears of joy…if tears were allowed. But they’re not. So don’t cry Mom.
