Our
children return from college for their spring break. They enter home to
sleep, be fed, and be heard.
Father, that is home
. . . entering into Your place of peace to rest,
be
fed, and be heard.
Our
daughter shared a written moment, a tender moment of Truth bubbling out of her
that she had journaled. And it let our hearts know that she knows. She knows where guidance can be found.
And she wrote:
I
flopped onto the bed with a sigh.
At
last I had been given some free time for a few hours from the babysitting. I
had been up the night before with Joseph, who had a horrible cough, and we were
both exhausted, but that little two-year-old has two naps a day and if I am
lucky I get a quick power nap between caring for his other siblings.
I
lay there trying with all my might to fall asleep, but two things were stopping
me: the incessant crying and whining that was going on upstairs and the Still-Small-Voice in my head
telling me to go the extra mile.
I
curled tighter, determined to make-up the hours of lost sleep.
Choose this day whom you serve, daughter.
The
battle inside my mind began in earnest. Lord, she told me I could rest. I don't need to
go up there right now.
Who is giving her a chance to rest?
She was up last night, too.
But she is the mom. She is used to
being this tired all the time and I was up more than she was.
Do nothing from selfishness or empty
conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than
yourself.
I
sat up grumpily. Fine,
Lord. I'm going.
Do all things without grumbling...
Isn't it enough that I going up
there to help her? Why do you care if I'm cheerful about it or not?
Whatever you do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
God, I'm too tired to be thankful
and cheerful. Can you hear the kids up there? At least two of them are crying
the other one is whining. God, I can't do it! I'm worn out and emotionally
empty.
My grace
is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.
I
walked up stairs and into the chaos of life holding tightly to His Word. I knew
that if I let go of Him, I would fall.
And my God held onto me.
After reading the journal entry, I closed the
book and smiled. And I prayed:
Father, at the end of the day
when all is said and done, I just
want to know that our
children have the tools to live this life
for You. That they have
You . . .
. . . or maybe it is
knowing that You have them first . . .
in the palm of Your
hand.
You have let me know
that she knows! Thank You
May you know Jesus Christ is the One who hears your prayers. And in that place of quiet with Him, may you find rest and sustenance and a listening ear. It is home.
Love always,
Angie
Angie
