Category Archives: Mothers of Children with Special Needs

He began the good work- and He will complete it

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Baby books, photo albums, crocheted baby blankets, re-organized closets, fitness plans, weight loss goals, and an untold number of nonfiction and inspirational books. What do these all have in common? They are all projects I have started at one point, but never brought to completion. In scripture we see how very different God is. The works He begins He is always faithful to finish.

Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Being confident of this- When Paul wrote these words to the young church at Philippi, he wanted them to be assured that He would keep working in their lives and through their church, despite many challenges. Like these believers, we face many challenges that tempt us to lose faith that God is working. Days when God seems distant or days when He seems silent can all cause us to lose faith that He is working. He calls us here to be confident that He is.

He who began a good work- God is good- and what He produces is good. A child once proclaimed, “God made me- and God don’t make no junk!” When He begins a work, even if we do not know what its end result will be, we can be sure it will be good. Good for His glory and good for His children.

Will carry it on to completion- The King James Version here reads God will “perform” it, and the New American Standard Bible reads He will “perfect” it. God is working in us a work He not only is willing to finish, but He is able to finish. He can and He will bring all his “projects” to their ordained perfection. In a sense they are a performance for him- showing the watching world His grace and love and power. He gets the glory!

Until the day of Christ Jesus- This working He is doing in us will not be done tomorrow. It will not be done next year. It is clear here that it will not be done until Jesus returns or calls us heavenward. He will still be working in us until then. We have been ordained to become like Christ, but that doesn’t happen until we are in His presence.

1 John 3:2 We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Michael W. Smith’s song Waymaker has these strong words:

               Even when I don’t see it, You’re working

               Even when I don’t feel it, You’re working

               You never stop, You never stop working.

We can rest assured that God is working- for our good and for His glory. He is working in our lives, in the lives of our children, in the lives of all those around us.

Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.

You can read your name into this verse- and the name of each of your family members.

It is God who works in ___________________________ to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.

Do you believe that? Can you “be confident in that”? He will complete each work He begins.

Hebrews 13:20-21 Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him.

I love to crochet- and when time allows me to pick up an unfinished project and actually finish it, it brings be great joy. Watching the colors and design come together for their intended purpose (usually a new baby of a dear friend) makes me very happy.

God holds all eternity in His hands, and time is never an issue for Him. I have to believe working in our lives to bring us to our intended completion brings Him great joy.  

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The Greek work for workmanship here is “poiema”-  a masterpiece. He is writing into our lives a beautiful poem. The Master is shaping us to be a masterpiece.

May we have full confidence that He began the good work- and He will complete it.  

Mary Knew

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And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Luke 2:18-19

 Try to imagine this moment for Mary. Imagine the quiet and the stillness that surrounded her.

After their long and strenuous journey. After her hard and strenuous delivery. After the unexplainable visit of the shepherds and the unbelievable telling of their visit by angels.

All the sights and sounds (and smells) of the last few days had been nearly unbearable. And yet, in this quiet moment that followed, there rested Mary.

I imagine her holy newborn sleeping peacefully on her chest and Joseph perhaps off seeking a meal and his own moment of peace.

And I imagine in this moment, when all had come quiet, Mary’s breathing slowed, and her heart rested, and with a surrendering sigh, she just took it all in.

Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

There was a stillness there- and there was a great fullness. All had come to pass just as the angel had told her. This faithful young woman surely had moments of doubt, even as this Spirit-conceived baby grew in her womb. But in this moment- in the fullness of this moment- Mary knew.

This child Emmanuel- was now with us. This child Jesus- had come to save us. This was the Messiah- come to set His people free. This was her Son- lying peacefully in her arms in that cold and crude stable.

The scripture tells us Mary treasured up all these things. To treasure is “to hold or keep as precious” or “to collect and store up for future use.” I think Mary did both. All these things she had experienced over the last nine months were precious to her. They brought joy and brought forth great gratitude and worship back to her God. I think also they were given to her to store up for future use. The mother of Jesus Christ, who would grow to serve and save the world, would need a big store of treasures for her long journey ahead.

We see this phrase used again, twelve years later after their family visited the temple. “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” (Luke 2:51). Mary needed a big store of treasures for all she would watch her son endure. Years later, Mary would watch this son she bore hang on a cruel cross. (What a precious moment there when Jesus entrusted her care to his beloved disciple John.)

The scripture also tells us Mary pondered these things in her heart. To ponder is “to think about, to reflect on” or “to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply.” I think Mary did all of that. In the rush of all that had happened, she hadn’t had opportunity to reflect on any of it. But here she sat quietly, soberly, and deeply pondering the goodness and faithfulness of God and the fullness of all He had done in and through her- of all He had done, and would do, on her behalf and on behalf of her family.

There were so many things in this moment and throughout Jesus’ life that only Mary witnessed. All these things given her to treasure and ponder- to fill her soul so that it would overflow with praise and glory to her God and Savior.

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:46)

“These things” she knew filled her soul so she could endure the hard journey set before her.

We have much to learn from Mary. We need to pause- if even for a moment on our hard and strenuous days- to rest and reflect. As hard as it may sometimes be to find- in a quiet and still moment, we can take in all that God has done in us and through us- and all He has done on our behalf and on behalf of our family.

We need to treasure and ponder the glimpses of God’s glory given only to us. Hold them in tight- store them up for the hard journey ahead.

“For the Mighty One has done great things for me- holy is His name.” (Luke 1:49)

“For nothing is impossible with God.”

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“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God…For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:34-37

Mary was given a very big assignment, but she was given that assignment by our very big God who promised to be with her.

A young virgin pledged to be married, whom we can imagine faithfully carrying out her daily responsibilities there in the city of Nazareth, was visited that day by an angel sent by God with miraculous news. For 400 long years of silence from God, generations of her family and all of Israel had waited expectantly for this news. Mary’s response shows us she also had been waiting for God’s Son to come and bring redemption for His people.

Mary was given very big news- unexpected and unbelievable news. With it came a big promise that the big God she served would be with her. His Spirit and His Power would bring forth this holy child in her. The long-awaited Messiah was coming to save the world through her womb.

“For nothing is impossible with God.”

Abraham and Sarah were also given a big assignment. They received unexpected and unbelievable news, that in their very old age they would bear a son, and there would begin the blessed nation God had promised.

“Then the LORD said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD?”  Genesis 18:13-14

Later, we read of Abraham’s trust in this big promise “against all hope.”

Yet Abraham did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what He promised.´ Romans 4:20-21.

After all he had lost and learned through his time of testing, Job spoke his faith in God’s power in reply to the Lord, saying “I know you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:1).

In a time of upheaval and captivity under the Babylonians, Jeremiah prophesied of the redemption of Israel- a testimony to God’s unfailing love and covenant promises far above the sinful wavering of His children.

“Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” Jeremiah 32:17

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah: “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

Jesus later would be asked by a rich man how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus’ answer left he and the disciples questioning, “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” Luke 18:27

What big assignment have you been given? What unexpected or unbelievable news have you received? Can you trust our big God to be with you and give you His big power?

As Mary was promised, so also have we been promised, that “the Holy Spirit will be with you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

In His strength, by relying fully on His power, we will see the impossible become possible.

Nothing is too hard for God. He has the power to do what He’s promised. No plan of His can be thwarted.

Nothing is impossible with God.

Two Kinds of Rest

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Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Come is a Command

This familiar passage opens with a command. We often read it as if Jesus has his loving arms extended offering a gentle invitation to come and find rest with him. But this ‘come’ is a command. Come to me! Come now! ‘Come’ is one of the earliest and most difficult commands to teach little crawling babies (and little puppies too!). ‘Come!’ requires giving up something we thought we wanted, something we were looking for or even chasing after. ‘Come!’ requires a voluntary turn-around we often resist making.

Many times, ‘Come!’ requires the one commanding it to go and literally retrieve the one resisting it- leading them to the place called for. In this case, the place called for is a place of rest. It’s a wonder we resist it so often.

Tired from Within- and With-out

Jesus commands the weary and burdened to come to him. ‘Weary’ means tired from within, exhausted from extended labor and effort. Weary is just flat worn out. Out of gas. Beat.

‘Burdened’ (or some translations say, ‘heavy laden’) means weighed down by a big load- tired from ‘with-out.’ It is a term used in describing ships carrying large amounts of cargo. I can relate to the feeling of carrying large amounts of cargo, weighed down by so many physical responsibilities and even more so, by emotional stress and anxiety. ‘Burdened’ is feeling like I’m sinking under that load. Barely able to keep my head above water. Going under.

Rest #1- A Temporary Rest

 Jesus’ command to come comes with a promise- that He will give us rest. The Bible dictionary says this ‘rest’ means, “to cause or permit one to cease from any movement or labor in order to recover and collect his strength.” It is a rest to recover- a refreshment or re-fueling- that will allow us to collect our strength and continue on our journey. Picture the neighborhood convenience store- where we stop to refill our gas tank and often grab a drink and snack- so we can go on about our business for the day. This rest is a temporary rest, and one God created our bodies to desperately need and depend on for daily sustenance and perseverance.

Rest #2- An Eternal Rest

 The rest Jesus offers us here in Matthew 11 is a different kind of rest. There is a rest He offers by extending believers the invitation to enter eternal rest through His death and resurrection. Our eternal rest is found in a person and a place, in Christ Himself and in Heaven where we will one day rest forever in His presence. One commentary describes this rest as “the heavenly blessedness in which God dwells and of which He has promised to make persevering believers in Christ partakers after the toils and trials of this life on earth are ended.”

Two rests: One that refreshes and re-fuels us so we may continue on in the toils and trials of this life. And one that comes after all the toils and trials are ended.  

 We need both rests. One to come into as many times each day as needed. One to look forward to. One gives strength for today. One gives hope for tomorrow.

Because of that day, I can face this day.

Because of that day, I can endure this day and finish this day, rest again and face tomorrow.

He commands us to come, weary and burdened, and find desperately needed rest for our bodies and our souls. Will we heed His command? (Or will we run ourselves all the way to empty, stranded on the side of the road, useless to ourselves and our families?)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Building Up or Tearing Down?

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Proverbs 14:1 “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

This verse begs a compelling question for us as mothers: Am I building my house up? Or am I tearing it down? It says I am fully capable of doing both- and that should cause us all to consider which we are spending our days doing.

I am particularly convicted by the thought that I am capable of tearing my house down “with my own hands.” There are plenty of things in this world that will come and try and tear our houses down, but God forbid it would be my own hands. How could these dish-washing, diaper-changing, clothes-folding, toilet-scrubbing hands be tearing my house down?

The King James Version of this verse reads, “…but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” The Messages reads, “tears it down brick by brick.” The idea is more of a slower un-doing than a total destructive bulldozing. I think it speaks to the little ways we can “pluck” apart our families and homes with two things- our motivations and our mouths.

Our daily tasks and the many roles and responsibilities we’ve been given can be done “for the Lord” (as Colossians 3:23 reads), or they can be done with a selfish motivation. Are we tending the dishes, diapers, clothes and toilets with bitterness or resentment? More out of guilt than out of joy? Are we looking to “pluck” appreciation from those we are serving (i.e. they’d better be grateful!)?

Then comes what I think is our greatest “tearing down” tool- our mouths. James speaks to the power of the tongue and says it can “set the whole course of our life on fire.” (James 3:6). By our words, we absolutely are capable of tearing down those with whom we share our homes. A careless word that stings the soul of a child, a frustrated criticism that cuts to the heart of my spouse, an angry or cold remark spoken in bitterness or resentment.

James goes on to say, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers (sisters) this should not be.” (James 3:9-10). Are my words building up my home, or are they tearing it down word by word, “brick by brick”?

Of course, we want to be home builders. We want our work to be done with God-honoring motivation, and our words to come from encouraging mouths. We want to build a home that protects those inside and where their character and strengths and hopes are all built well to hold up against the destructive forces of this world.

The book of Nehemiah tells a whole story of builders. God’s people were working together to rebuild the wall around their city so they could protect their homes. Their enemies were “very angry” and “they all plotted together to come up and fight against Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 4:7-8).

So, catch what the determined Jewish builders did. Nehemiah 4:17 says, “Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other.” May we be mothers who build up- one hand on our work and, when needed, another hand on our weapons.

There are plenty of enemies working to tear down our homes from the outside. May nothing I do assist them by tearing it down also from the inside.

Jeremiah records a prayer of promise God spoke for His children Israel, and I think we can speak it for ours as well.

My eyes will watch over them for their good.

I will bring them up and not tear them down.

I will plant them and not uproot them.

God will give us all a heart to know Him.

We will be God’s people, and He will be our God.

(Jeremiah 24:6-7).

Strengthened through Struggle

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weightliftingI hate it when my kids hurt!

All moms hate it when their kids hurt. And the worst hurts are the ones we can do nothing about. All moms know the deep soul ache of watching a child suffer, desperately wishing we could take the pain on ourselves for them.

In the midst of painful storms, difficult hurts and big disappointments with our children, we find comfort in knowing “this happened for a reason.” There is hope in knowing there must be some purpose for the trials God allows in our lives. But what is the reason? What is that purpose? Especially when what comes is so not what we expected and so terribly difficult that, as Paul says, “we despair even of life itself.” (2 Corinthians 1:8)

“No pain, no gain” is what athletes are told. To get faster and stronger, athletes train through pain, working their muscles to fatigue and even soreness. The not-so-technical explanation for this is that as muscles are strained with greater intensity, small tears are made in the muscle fibers. As those fibers heal, the muscle tissue grows stronger and able to work at higher levels. Over time, as muscles are worked, they grow bigger and stronger, able to do more work than before.

The scriptures tell us that this same principle is true with our hearts- with spiritual training. No pain, no gain. God uses trials to shape and sharpen us. And like a potter working his clay on the potter’s wheel, the pushing and prodding needed to transform the clod of clay into a beautiful vessel does not feel very good to the clay. So trials don’t feel very good to us, but some of the pain is soothed knowing there is a greater reason and purpose for the pain.

It is helpful to cast our struggling feelings against a backdrop of what we already know to be true. I find three things help me hold on through the hard.

  1. He is working all things together FOR US.

And we know that in all things God works together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28

We don’t need to see the good or know what it will be to trust God’s promise that that is what He is doing. He promises to work all things together- for those who love Him- for His purposes. As a weaver is working in different colors, textures and patterns, at times individual rows look quite ugly or out-of-place. But in the completed tapestry, all work together to produce a beautiful piece of art. We cannot see the completed work. We are only looking at this moment. But we can look at the Weaver and trust that He knows what He is doing.

  1. He is working IN US to make us more like His Son.

For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son. Romans 8:28

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:8

 The work God is doing in us – and in our children – is molding us into the image of His Son. And He promises to complete that work. He wants us to be like Christ – wise and strong, compassionate and overflowing with unconditional love.

  1. He is readying to work THROUGH US to bring others to His grace.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Compassion and the God of all Comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 The struggles we face are not just for our good, but also for the good of those we will better serve in the future. We will greater offer grace and compassion when we have experienced them so greatly. Our hearts are softened to others’ struggles, and we more readily give comfort when we’ve been comforted. It may be years before we see this come to pass, but God will surprise us at the heart connections we will make with people facing similar trials.

God, show your mighty hand working for us, in us and through us. Even more, we ask you to show our children your mighty hand working for them, in them and through them in a way they can understand. May our hearts be strengthened through the struggles. Show your grace in the hard place. Write our story – and their story – for your glory.

 

 

 

If the LORD had not been on our side

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If the LORD had not been on our side- let Israel say- If the LORD had not been on our side.  Psalm 124:1-2

 Pause with me for a moment and consider what might have been, what could have happened, where we might have ended up- had God not been on our side. I can think about each member of our family- and imagine a completely different outcome in several of our most difficult situations- if the LORD had not been on our side.

It’s a little scary- well, actually, downright frightening- to imagine the pain and loss and tragedy the enemy may have wreaked in our lives- or we may have wreaked in our lives ourselves.

There are several scenarios the Psalmist considers:

“When men attacked us” (v.2)- The attacks of men take many forms- criticism, rejection, slander, or “anger flaring against us” (v. 3). Knowing the LORD is on our side, we are able to stand strong on truth, trusting that it is not men who define us but the God who created the universe. We are able to “take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the enemy.” (Ephesians 6:16). And ultimately, we are able to find healing from the hurt, and freedom found in forgiveness. The attacks of men leave deep wounds- but God protects us from hopelessness and provides for healing and even reconciliation.

“The flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away” (v. 4-5)- The storms of this fallen world beat against us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Yet, how often can we proclaim, “this could have been so much worse”? We see God sparing us from total ruin and disaster, even in the hardest circumstances.

Paul writes of these near-death trials:

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; persecuted, but not abandoned, struck down, but not destroyed.  2 Corinthians 4:8-9

 We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.  2 Corinthians 1:8-9

 Continuing in Psalm 124, a third scenario is described like this:

“Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped.” (v. 6-7)- A predator has captured it’s prey, ready to devour it. But the snare is broken, and the prey escapes. Our predator is Satan himself, and just when He was set to devour us, His snare was broken.

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?  1 Corinthians 15:55

 Praise the LORD!  The death and resurrection of the Son of God and Son of Man, Jesus Christ Himself, broke the snare of Satan’s grasp on humanity. He died and rose again, breaking the power of sin and death- setting us free to live in all the fullness of the abundant life He gives.

If the LORD had not been on my side, I would still be striving hard after the approval of man. I would be struggling to find significance and meaning in this world. I would be seeking after my own glory- trampling on others all along the way. And I truly don’t know what I would have done in the countless tragedies that we have faced. I fear I would be lost in the hopelessness and despair, totally unaware that God is working all things for my good.

If the LORD had not been on my side, I don’t think I would have many friends, and I know I would make a pretty awful wife and mother. And maybe more than anything, I would be stuck in the shallow perspective of living only for this world, unable to see the greater blessings of an eternal outlook.

Praise the LORD! God Himself has been on our side. Let us all resound as we consider the what-might-have-been’s. Let us cling to Him and trust in Him and seek His glory in all we do.

What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? …Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  Romans 8:31-37

Only a Mom

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On most days my first born little girl woke up happy. We would hear her in her crib just talking to herself and singing away, waiting for one of us to get up and start her day. But I remember one morning when I heard a different sound.  It wasn’t all the way to a cry, but it was definitely a sound of distress. As I approached the door, the smell announced that something was definitely wrong. And when I opened the door, there stood my fussing child absolutely covered in vomit- along with the crib, the wall, and the surrounding carpet. I’ll never forget her pitiful little voice telling me, “Mama, I had big burp!”

I will also never forget the great motherhood revelation I had that morning. As I looked on the mess, while taking in the awful smell, I had two thoughts. First, “Where’s my mom when I need her?” My mother can take on anything, and has rescued me from many of the messes I’ve faced in life. But she lives a thousand miles away. So my next thought was, “Do you realize there is no one else on the planet who can clean up this mess?” I could hear a voice prodding me on with the thought that only a mom could handle this mess, and I was the only mom this poor child had. I had to clean it up!

The revelation that morning has stuck with me- the great privilege and challenge that there is no one else on the planet who can be the mother of my children. That realization should guide my priorities and greatly impact how I choose to spend my days. Motherhood is one of my primary roles- a role that only I can play. Along with motherhood of course is my marriage, and also my other family relationships. Only I can be a sister, a daughter, a granddaughter. Secondary roles are those responsibilities that I have been called to, like my role with my job or at my church. It is an important role, but it is a role that another person could serve. (Someone else served it before me, and someone else will serve it after me). Keeping primary roles primary, and secondary roles secondary is the great challenge for all moms.

There has been a gradual, but major shift in our culture in the last 50 years devaluing the role of motherhood. Perhaps through the rise of feminism (when women demanded equality with men), or the legalizing of abortion (when motherhood became optional), motherhood no longer was held in such high regard. While progress has brought many more opportunities for women to be successful outside of the home, being successful inside the home has become progressively less important. I know this shift has impacted me, and my prayer is that I can strive to honor God first in my home, and second in the outside-of-home places He’s called me to serve. I’m the only mom my kiddos have, and that role has great value.

Motherhood is challenging, rewarding, confusing, fun and exhausting.

Motherhood is a great joy, yet brings great sorrows.

Motherhood is an adventure, always bringing something new.

Motherhood is a gift.

As we honor mothers this week, I am thankful for the woman who has served that primary role in my life. Only my mom has been there in my darkest moments and in my greatest joys. Only my mom has a sixth sense that tells her exactly when to call in a time of crisis. Only my mom would greatly love my husband and children, and encourage me to be the strong, loving mom for them that she has been to me.

May we greater value our roles as moms. May we see motherhood as the high calling which it is, with eternal rewards that far outweigh the messes we must clean along the way.  May we raise our little girls to look forward to and anticipate their roles as moms.  And may we pause at each day’s end to hear the voice, “Well done, good and faithful mom.”

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive your reward. You are serving the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians. 3:23-24

 

Crucified with Christ

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Good Friday.

As a teen, I remember coming to the realization of the gravity, and really the gruesomeness, of the crucifixion of Christ and wondering why we call it Good Friday. It certainly didn’t seem good that Jesus was put to death on a cruel cross. It didn’t seem good that the One who had the week before paraded triumphantly through a crowd shouting “Hosanna!” was now laid bare to suffer before a crowd hurling insults. And it didn’t seem good that God’s One and Only Son bore the fullness of our sin and was separated from His Father in death.

Now later, I see the goodness- the very good-ness- of our Savior’s death. It is good that He would choose to take on our sin and once for all pay its penalty. It is good that the sacrifice of this sinless Lamb of God brought us righteousness and reconciliation with God.

God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.  Colossians 1:19-20

Because He died for our sins, we are counted sinless before God- and that is good. It pleases God.

If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.  Matthew 16:24-25

Yes Jesus died for us, but He also asks us to follow Him in that dying. He invites us to die with Him- not in a literal dying as He did on the cross (though some will be called to pay the ultimate price for their faith), but He calls us to die to our sinful nature.

Those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Galatians 5:24

Followers of Jesus crucify their sinful natures by (1) denying themselves, (2) taking up their cross, and (3) following Christ.

Denying myself- Clearly we sinners most naturally think of ourselves first. We like the world to revolve around me, myself, and I. Yet we are called to deny ourselves- for the sake of Christ. What I have found to be true through many different challenging circumstances, is that the Lord will set before me ways to learn to deny myself. Or as I call them, “flesh killers.” When I was planning a special “me” day shopping and getting a manicure, and my child turned up sick, He gracefully forced me to deny myself. When I thought I had a new direction, and my husband and friends agreed it was not right, I had to “kill the flesh” again.

While daily we face short-term interruptions and inconveniences that cause us to conform our will to His, many of us face “long-term flesh killers.” A chronic illness for parent or child, a child whose physical and emotional and mental needs are ongoing and long-term, a husband who is absent- either literally or figuratively. These extreme challenges force us to daily deny ourselves as they whittle away- sometimes gash away- the flesh within. I wonder if we can learn to welcome them more as we see their benefit in this war against self-centered sin.

Taking up my cross- As the cross was where our Lord suffered, so our cross represents the sufferings of this life that we are called upon to carry. He did not promise that we would be free from suffering, but promised rather to be with us through all the suffering that comes.

All in this world suffer much- in many different ways. What Christ promises, if we will deny ourselves, is the peace and the power to persevere. And in that we experience the joy of “sharing in His sufferings” (Philippians 2:10).

We can all think back through the most difficult seasons of our lives- and there we see God’s nearness was most evident. He is here in the hard. Though it would have been hard to say it then, I would not have traded those hard days, for in them I grew closer and more dependent on God. Lord, give us the faith to ask you- “Jesus bring the rain.”

Following Christ- Our Lord calls us to follow Him in daily Christ-likeness- in the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and faithfulness of His Spirit. (Galatians 5:22). His life as told in the gospels clearly displays this godly example. We are told in Romans 8:29, that we have been “predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.” The beauty of sanctification is that Chris is making us more like Himself, and giving us a heart more ready to follow Him.

Denying myself. Taking up my cross. Following Christ. Here’s where I want the fullness of this Good Friday to settle into my mind and heart.

As we honor the crucifixion of Christ, may we join Him in the crucifixion of ourselves.

I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.   Galatians 2:20

 

Hope Surrenders to God’s Whisper

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Stillplace

Over the past two years, we have looked at hope- special hope- as it holds as an anchor for moms of children with many unique needs. We have seen that hope trusts and hope rejoices. And we have seen that hope surrenders- to God’s will, His way and His word. Now here we look at how hope allows us to surrender to His whisper. 

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”  Isaiah 30:21

 You’ve heard that voice before. In a moment of fear or uncertainty, you heard it. Or in chaos or confusion, it’s been there. In the loud, it has reached you. God’s whisper.

His Spirit comes near in our times of need and gently instructs us on how we should go. He speaks quietly, but clearly, to our souls, and we can choose to listen and obey, or go our own way.  With our hope secure in God, we can surrender to His whisper, even when it seems to go directly against our gut feeling.

The LORD said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  1 Kings 19:11-12

 We sometimes look for God to come in the loud thunder of the wind, earthquake, or fire. Send me a sign, Lord! Yet, often He comes in a gentle whisper, speaking softly to our heart and mind to assure us of His presence and direct us in His peace.

Can we listen for that whisper- even in the loud we often find ourselves in? Crying kids, fighting kids, even just laughing kids, can be very loud- bringing on “mommy” headaches that can be excruciating. We know we have to keep our cool even the crazy, or else we will all lose it, right?

Susanna Wesley was the mother of famous preacher John Wesley in the late 1600s and early 1700s. She birthed 19 children of her own, though 9 of them died in childhood. She was responsible for managing the household and all of the children’s education. Talk about crazy!

Susanna is known for her very strong faith and commitment to God. In their small and crowded  home, she would make time to sit in her rocking chair and lift up her apron to cover her face. This was her “prayer closet” time, and all of the children knew to leave her alone for those important moments.

How can we follow this example? We can be committed to our quiet time with God, even in the chaos. We can intentionally listen for God’s whisper even in the noise. That may happen for just a moment in the bathroom (yes, you have the right to go to the bathroom by yourself!), in the shower or in your car once the kids are dropped off (you will be amazed at what you will hear if you’ll turn off the radio!).

My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  John 11:27

 Jesus is the Good Shepherd, laying down His life to protect and provide for His sheep. We can hear His voice if we’ll listen above the noise of the other sheep. We can know His voice, as it is very different from the voice of the world or of Satan who wants to steal, kill and destroy.  He knows us, and we can follow Him.

Susanna Wesley was a woman full of wisdom, and thankfully, much of it has been passed down through the generations. One quote of hers that I find especially encouraging is this one:

“I am content to fill a little space if God be glorified.”

What little space has he placed me in? What small voice is He speaking to me with? Have I tried to make life more grandiose, glamorous and complicated? Have I surrendered to the whisper of His will, His Word, and His ways?

When I surrender, there is serenity.

When I pause, there is peace.

When I believe, I am blessed.

When I stop wrestling, I can rest.