Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy
Psalm 47:1
Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy
Psalm 47:1
Blessed is the one whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty
Job 5:17
I love people. I do. I love smiles and hugs and listening and quirks and eye twinkles.
I am pretty good at finding at least one redeeming quality in each person…most of the time.
And so…I often wonder why people frustrate me SO MUCH.
I suppose the answer is in the first sentence. I love people. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t care that they were ruining their lives. I love people…my people…my kids, my husband, my parents, my family, my friends. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t care that other people were attempting to ruin their lives. The latter trumps the former reason, but both reasons are truth.
I am tired! I am tired of swimming upstream to teach my children that those going with the stream do not have their best interest at heart. I am NOT tired in a way that I will give up. I am tired in the way that makes me sad…sad for those going downstream, sad for what my children have to know, sad for where innocence has gone.
I know this post may make some upset. That’s okay. Perhaps you will be upset because you care. Disagreement does not equal hatred. Please know while these issues may sound like random ventings, they are all true, honest and fully supported thoughts of this average girl/wife/mommy. With the world changing so fast, I am trying desperately to hold onto my roots and my faith most importantly. I am hopeful and prayful that my roots will grow into strong branches that yield good fruit and that God’s strength and wisdom is evident in my children.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven
Ecclesiastes 3:1
He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit
Jeremiah 17:8
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
Psalm 23:2
The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
Psalm 50:1
Psalm 1:1-3
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
My children find ways to convict me each day it seems…and they don’t even know it. Yesterday they had a pretty great day in terms of kids…fun activities, good food, lots of mommy time…and yet they complained. Soooo…they had to listen to the mommy lecture of how they were given so much in which to be thankful, and instead of being happy or thanking mommy they found things to complain about.
Don’t get me wrong, my kids are pretty good with manners, but I think we all get used to being treated a certain way…and they have a pretty good life…thanks to God! 🙂
Not very long after I gave them the lecture, it hit me that we all, me included if not me especially, take for granted what God gives us on a daily basis. We are richly blessed…RICHLY BLESSED! We all have trials…some little, some rather large…but looking at the bigger picture, wow! We need to be thanking God first…abundantly…and maybe we will find less to complain to Him about.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
Romans 6:23