When It's Time to Surrender

My heart is so heavy today...one of those days you need His strength for every step. This is my third day of feeling so weak in my humanity.

My husband's abscess ordeal got worse. The nurse practitioner didn't get all the infection with the first incision. Yesterday she confessed this is more than she can handle--something I wished she'd confessed when he first went in to this low-cost clinic for the uninsured and underinsured. They apparently don't have doctors at all--just nurse practitioners.

The clinic is trying to get a referral to a dermatologist who will take my husband on a sliding-fee schedule, but that could take some time, and meanwhile, abscesses get worse and are harder to treat, and the risk of serious complication goes up (blood poisoning for one), the longer you wait and let it grow. They have an epithelial cell lining to them that antibiotics can't penetrate. Thus, the need for incision and drainage procedures, which are excrutiatingly painful; they often can't get all the tissue covered with the local anesthetic. My husband almost passed out during the first procedure, and the thought of another makes him sick.

And me? I can't handle this. Not the daily dressings and the worries and the draining of the savings account, with no end in sight. Not the inconvenience of tub baths and me washing his hair in the sink, because the wound must stay open and packed with gauze longer because it is still draining; it can't get wet. No offense to my husband intended, believe me, please, but this is like suddenly having another child to care for, and with even less help. Better women might handle this like a minor glitch, but I'm sinking.

I have faith and I don't know why this seems so huge, but it does. One can have faith, but not endurance and strength. I'm short on those, what with Beth's tonsil and adenoid surgery coming up too, and a new volunteer job as a nursery and preschool church coordinator (though I look forward to that, beginning in July). And these neighbor kids sucking me dry, here so often now that summer's upon us.

For my sanity, I've limited each neighbor's visit to 40 minutes. The reasons are complicated, but suffice it to say these kids are not the best role models, and I have to disciple my kids through each visit, helping them to be strong against peer pressure. You fit in with God and your family, and that is enough. Don't ever do an act just to fit it, even if it's just removing your hands from the handle bars as you ride your bike. That might be something everyone tries, but that doesn't make it less foolish.

Everyone is usually wrong, and that is one of the biggest lessons of a child's life. Don't follow everyone. Follow Him.

As a non-Christian young person, I remember distinctly thinking, "But everyone is doing this. Can everyone be so wrong, and so few be right? That just doesn't make sense."

No, it doesn't make sense. Following God is an upside-down phenomena from day one. I'm glad my children have the opportunity, through neighbor kids, to strenghten their faith, but it's killing me. I'm so weary.

I'm praying for their steadfastness. For them to cling to God apart from Mom and Dad. To call Him their own, in every sense of the word. I believe all my children know God and are saved, but I can't get inside their hearts deeply enough to know for sure, at least at these ages. Kids have more questions as they get older, and their free will is still a powerful force.

My job is to pray, be the best role model I can be, and be ever-present to answer questions, and to ask questions--a lot of them, to help my children make Him their own forever. To help them choose Truth and reject everyone's tyranny.

And lastly, there's so much pain going on right now elsewhere. One dear one had a miscarriage, another dear one, Kristin Welsh, is going through incredible trial right now, along with Maureen, who runs Mercy House Kenya.

My problems are insignificant, I know. But anything financial- and health-related is always very hard, with so many wearying risks.

What verse of Scripture is needed? What will calm, sustain, strengthen us, in the midst of trial, however small or large?

First, we must imagine ourselves at His feet, just resting and crying, like a little child. We must do this in our minds...go through it as though it's real. Because it is.

He is there, meeting our need. As we cry and seek His comfort, he relieves our spiritual burden. He takes it upon himself.

And next, we must cling to the beautiful love words He's given us...in the Bible. Everything is there. Everything we need.

But we must choose. We must choose to sit at His feet. We must go through these motions of surrender.

So often, instead, we fret and cause ourselves greater trouble.

Choose Him today. Choose Peace and not everyone's tyranny. Everyone's tyranny says we can work this out on our own. Everyone's tyranny says we just need to be stronger.

But surrending all to God? That's genuine strength.

Knowing He is bigger than our pain, our troubles, our dreams, our need for ease? That's genuine wisdom.

Prayer Time: Dear Lord, We love you. We thank you that this life is just a vapor. These afflictions momentary. We thank you for never failing us, never rejecting us, always taking us back into your fold, filling us with your love and wisdom. You hold us dear, so dear, Father. We are filled with gratitude for your steadfast love.

I pray for Emily, that you would help her trust. That you would mend her broken heart and help her surrender her plans to Yours. Hold her in your divine, perfect arms. And Father, another pregnancy for her very soon? And Tesha's broken heart, too, please mend it. Help her to carry this new baby with trust and complete joy. Complete, utter joy in the moment. Innocent joy.

I pray for Kristin, for Maureen and for Maureen's siblings as they mourn the loss of Maureen's beautiful mother. I pray for all those who contributed to her brain surgery, that they would see your glory in this anyway. That their contributions will be blessed, their obedience rewarded. And for the thieves, God, who would break into the new Mercy House Kenya and steal from Your ministry? I pray for justice, for their salvation, for your glorious replenishing of what was lost. Two Mercy House babies will be born tomorrow via C-section. I pray for all to go perfectly and for the miracle of new life to renew broken hearts. For life is a miracle. Your love is a miracle, And It Is Enough!

I pray for my husband, that you would heal him so that no further surgical help would be needed. I pray for protection from MRSA and other complications. I pray for strength for him through the pain. I pray for a doctor who will take his case and for wisdom for that doctor. I pray for myself and for my children, that we would trust you completely for healing and financial provision. Bring glory through this little glitch, Father. Show your glory to my children, even as they deal with a weary mother.

In Your Son's name I pray, Amen

Psalm 28
1To you will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if you be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. 2Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your holy oracle. 3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. 4Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. 5Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. 6Blessed be the LORD, because he has heard the voice of my supplications. 7The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him. 8The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. 9Save your people, and bless your inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

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Childhood, Joyful and Rich

Did I tell you about my Mary?

She smiles at a pretty dress, but needn't try it on just now; no thanks Mom. She's interested in only girly colors, but unlike her thoroughly-girly sister, who changes clothes for fun, my Mary puts clothes in their place.  

Clothes are for covering us, nothing more.

When Mary awakes, nature sings unto her heart, beckoning her. As fast as she can, she dresses, waiting for Mom to have a shower so she can go outside. She submits to the morning hair brushing, dreaming of the escapades to come.

She makes frogs her friends, observes bugs, searches for snakes, plays with water and mud, catches butterflies, swings on tree branches. She becomes one with her environment.

The adventures change with the weather. Sometimes, when there's a heavy rain and laundry is already plentiful, I keep them in, preventing a muddy onslaught.

Other days I remember, thanks to the Holy Spirit and my own mother-spirit, that childhood is for getting dirty and exploring. For laughing at the rain and dancing to its beat.

Childhood is an open book upon which each day writes its own story. Childhood is for believing in joy and creating joy from the raw materials God provides.

Childhood is for inspiring the adults. Have faith like one of these, my Father tells me.

Toys r' Us has nothing on a glorious Heavenly Father who knew us before we were born. The richest child doesn't own toys. The richest child has a yard or a safe street and a Momma who will do the extra laundry and run a bubble bath.

After four hours in a muggy Ohio rain, clothes and body wearing mud from head to toe--high fashion for a child--she came in when I called her for a bath, some lunch and a little school.

Smile wide and wondrous, and grateful too, she announced:

"That was the most fun I've ever had!"

As moms we need to remember how the tyranny of chores can rob us of joy in the moment. But our kids? They live in the moment, unless we ruin that for them. Let's not over-schedule them or over-indulge them.

The Lord loves the little children and what does he want for them? To be able to go outside and say, "What do you want to show me today, God?"

A child's first experience of God is a personal one, not a parent-directed one. God reveals himself through his Creation. When they are told that first time, Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, the lights begin to go on and when they go outside, they remember.

God created. Flowers. Trees. Birds. Water. Mountains. Rivers. Sun. Stars.  

God created everything and everything is as interesting as it is beautiful. And He loves me.

The magical moments that make childhood rich are put together by God, not by the local Rec Center employees or camp counselors.

When I asked Mary what Bible verse she wanted to say on stage at the end-of-year AWANA awards assembly, she didn't hesitate.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

When Mary goes outside, she worships. God put His glory in her midst and now she knows Him intimately. He's the glorious God who put the purple in flowers and the yellow in butterflies. He sent the rain that made the puddle that beckoned and delighted her.

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Set the little children free so God can speak to them in a way they understand. Set them free to find Joy, and Peace the Person.

Homeschool and Mother's Journal, June 7

In my life this week:
Life always has surprises for us, yes? A pleasurable weekend hike left my husband with a mosquito bite-turned-into-an-abscess. The pesky mosquito penetrated a benign cyst in the area, wreaking havoc and generating medical bills and much pain. With no insurance we can only go to clinics, so it was a nurse practitioner who did the minor surgery, necessitating four visits so far. Yikes! We're also spending a small fortune on gauze and tape and ointment, with no end in sight.

But God is good. We have the clinics, at least.

This is a small blog but lo and behold, I got an e-mail offering a $25 gift card if I would insert one sentence about a certain product (with link) into a relevant post. After the medical bills it looked enticing, but I just couldn't respond. This blog reflects my heart and my heart isn't for sale. I don't begrudge those who use blogging to generate income and perks--it's a job like any other job--but I could never bring myself to do it here.

I don't believe my Lord--who didn't want his Father's house turned into a marketplace--would ever make it necessary here, on a personal journal. More than anything, my journal records the nudgings and whispers of the Holy Spirit unto my heart and that is sacred to me and to Him.

Last week I pontificated about a minor drought here in Northeast Ohio, and this week we have a flooded garden; the heavens wouldn't stop dripping.

On the bright side, tomorrow promises good hiking weather, after which we'll cover all mosquito bites with ointment and bandaids for a time, because y'all, I've learned my lesson. A mosquito's bite is bacteria's delight.

In our homeschool this week:
We dove into half days this week, after which we'll break in August for 6 weeks. The children had a good year and we could certainly stop, but too much free time is as dangerous as too little, and momentum is important.

Since I don't need their help on the farm (I wish we had a farm) continuing to read, write, do arithmetic and listen to stories for a few hours a day seems like the best option...and a good excuse to keep them out of the sun from 11:00 to 2:00. Two of mine would play outside from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM if I'd let them.

First I want to share our favorite picture books from the week.



There are so many beautiful picture books packed with learning and grace, that we scarcely need buy lower-elementary curriculum at all. One such book comes recommended by Honey for a Child's Heart, and tells the story of a  pioneer woman, lonely and heartsick out on the prairie, longing for friends, family and flowers. A Packet of Seeds by Deborah Hopkinson is a heartwarming story about a woman's broken heart and her young daughter's desire to see her mother smile again.

"I knew Momma wouldn't ask Pa to leave this new land...but I wondered if I'd ever see her smile again."

Woven between the skilled, poignant words is the story of all pioneer women and the incredible hardships they endured as our country expanded...a book every mother and daughter should discuss and enjoy together. The lovely Momma in the story must practice submission when her husband suggests moving west; she does so with grace, though she's heartbroken.

And the boys in your home? They can learn empathy for a wife from this lovely tale; don't leave them out of the reading. While it's labeled for ages 4 to 8, I think the depth is there for this to be a wonderful learning experience for kids up to age 14.

Picture books that teach history are rarely just for little ones. Who doesn't enjoy pictures to go along with deep story? I loved the art work in this book too, painted by Bethanne Andersen. Beautiful!

Have a blueberry lover in your home? Why not check out Blueberries for Sal, which is a tale as charming as they come for little ones, by Robert McCloskey (also recommended in Honey for a Child's Heart).

You'll find this suspenseful, surprising, and delightful. Afterward I recommend hands-on math games with blueberries or a suitable substitute. Grab a pale and do addition and subtraction as berries are manipulated to and fro. Visit a blueberry farm for picking and make something delightful with these nutritious berries, discussing the healthful antioxidants and other vitamins.

And don't forget all the preparation animals go through to prepare for winter, much as Sal's mother plans to can her blueberries for winter nutrition, and bear's mother explains why her little bear must fatten up for the long winter nap. Can your child brainstorm other animals who must prepare...like squirrels and chipmunks?

Been raining in your state? How about a walk down rainbow lane with A Rainbow of my Own, by Don Freeman. This classic tale lends itself to science experimenting with prisms, and to tissue paper or watercolor rainbow art. Or even to torn construction paper rainbows, not to mention a splashy walk in the summer rain.

11-year-old Peter is enchanted this week by The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg., winner of a Newberry Medal. Full of humor and originality, this book both teaches and delights.



My Paul is reading Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, set in the 1770's, a book recommended by Sonlight American History, Part One.



Technically, for the 2012-13 school year we're doing American History, Part Two, but we didn't buy the whole set of Sonlight books last year, and since I had a little extra curriculum money this year we purchased (used of course) the remainder of American History, Part One, Johnny Tremain included. We'll go back and read the best of what we missed this summer, and my girls, when they're ready, will have the whole set ready to go.

The following excerpt is from a wonderful study guide for Johnny Tremain, found at the Glencoe Literature Library:

In Johnny Tremain, readers share not only a historical journey but also Johnny’s personal journey of growth and discovery. When planning the novel, Forbes was determined “to give Johnny room enough to change and grow.” She also wanted “an obstacle [for] Johnny . . .to face from the beginning to the end of the book. . . . This obstacle was to have psychological significance.” At the beginning of the novel, Johnny is an arrogant and impulsive boy, but then life knocks him around quite a bit. He runs into some bad luck and also creates some problems for himself with his excessive pride. He has to face his problems and try to figure out who he is and what matters to him. When the dramatic events of the American Revolution involve Johnny, he must decide what ideas and beliefs are worth fighting for.

Even if you don't homeschool, I highly recommend this story as a family read-aloud, or as required reading for your upper-elementary or middle-school children. Sonlight recommends it as a read-aloud, but instead I'm reading it alongside my boys, to both challenge them and make sure the depth sinks in.

The boys are also busy building Lego Creations amidst the heavy rain we're having. They're playing with magnets, caring for the snapping turtle we're observing, learning new chores, and settling with Mom what "half-day school" means.

We continue to enjoy Writing With Ease, Level 4, by Susan Wise Bauer. So much more learning is packed into this resource than just writing instruction. All the selections Susan chose for us to use in dictation and narration are from a classic perspective. My boys learned so much about Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance, just from their dictation and narration exercises! And there's much more to come. I'm so grateful for this resource, which is self-contained, thorough, organized, and well thought out.



Helpful Homeschooling Advice to Share:
I highly recommend starting with Morning Meeting, right after breakfast, which entails prayer, a Bible reading, and discussing the day's agenda and expectations. I've found this really sets the right tone for the day and makes all of us stay on track better. I have check-off sheets on the walls, but I still need to go over the expectations each day so the children won't forget their chores or other responsibilities. I have one son who hopes I'll forget the check-off sheets, and sometimes, without morning meeting, I do!

This goes without saying, but it works best to let the little ones leave the meeting earlier than the older ones.

Places We're Going and People We're Seeing:
We went to a movement, craft, and literature class at the library for my two girls, ages 4 and 6. And this Sunday afternoon we're visiting a pig farm with some friends so Peter can take pictures for a library photo contest. Promises to be fun and educational for all! Weather permitting, we'll do another family hike this weekend.

My Favorite Thing This Week:
My favorite thing is nearly always the same--reading to my kids! It relaxes and bonds us so well. And I'll have to add in the family walks this week as well.

My Kids' Favorite Thing:
Sometimes I know the answer to this question without asking them, but this week I had to ask:

Paul - That Mommy didn't have any headaches, family walks.
Peter - Storytime, family walks
Mary and Beth - Loving my Mommy, family walks.

I'm so glad I asked! :)

Things I'm Working On:
You know how the master bedroom seems to collect all the clutter, especially when you're cleaning for guests and short on time? We don't have a garage or basement so we're more challenged in this area. So this week I organized, decluttered, dusted and shined up the master bedroom. It's modestly beautiful, at last!

I told a neighborhood girl she can use our Teaching Textbooks math DVD-ROM to improve her math grades, but I don't know if she'll actually come (her motivation is low). Nevertheless, the room is ready for her, no longer a distracting disgrace. The computer in there is the only quiet place to listen to the lecture on the DVD-ROM.

 It would be a miracle if our 11-year-old friend earns a high-school diploma, I'm afraid. She's at risk for so many things, but none of it's too big for God...I'm thankful for that!

I'm back to regular walking and I love our neighborhood this time of year. So many pretty flowers and neat yards. Always a delight to stroll here, either alone or with the whole family.

I'm Cooking:
Dinner so far this week: french toast and cheesy eggs; crockpot whole chicken; chicken noodle soup; tacos; bowtie pasta; grilled chicken.

Our grill needed a part but thanks to Amazon's quick service we're back in business tonight.

I'm Grateful For:
Time with my children, fewer and fewer headaches, low-cost clinics for the uninsured, sweet kids, green lawns, walking, flowers, family dinners, a like-new master bedroom, that God always provides, that every day is meant for learning and growing closer to Him

I'm Praying For:
Family, husband, kids, friends, country, church, neighborhood, Compassion kids, my own heart to cling to Him for sustenance

Photo, Link, or Quote to Share:

How about a poem attesting to the delight children are to our hearts and lives, found here?

No Children!
Edgar Guest 

No children in the house to play--
It must be hard to live that way!
I wonder what the people do
When night comes on and the work is through,
With no glad little folks to shout,
No eager feet to race about,
No youthful tongues to chatter on
About the joy that's been and gone?
The house might be a castle fine,
But what a lonely place to dine!

No children in the house at all,
No fingermarks upon the wall,
No corner where the toys are piled--
Sure indication of a child.
No little lips to breathe the prayer
That God shall keep you in His care,
No glad caress and welcome sweet
When night returns you to your street;
No little lips a kiss to give--
Oh, what a lonely way to live!

No children in the house! I fear
We could not stand it half a year.
What would we talk about at night,
Plan for and work with all our might,
Hold common dreams about and find
True union of heart and mind,
If we two had no greater care
Than what we both should eat and wear?
We never knew love's brightest flame
Until the day the baby came.

And now we could not get along
Without their laughter and their song.
Joy is not bottled on a shelf,
It cannot feed upon itself,
And even love, if it shall wear,
Must find its happiness in care;
Dull we'd become of mind and speech
Had we no little ones to teach.
No children in the house to play!
Oh, we could never live that way!

Have a blessed week friends! If you read all the way to the bottom, I owe you thanks. :)

Trust and Obey

 

Hello Friends. I'm in Philippians today and contemplating these verses:

Philippians 2:12-13
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

This passage proves a difficult one to translate from the original Greek to the English. In Word Studies for the Greek New Testament, Kenneth Wuest says it well:

“The English translation is good, if one uses the words “work out” as one does when referring to the working out of a problem in mathematics, that is, carrying it to its ultimate goal or conclusion. The Greek word here means just this.”

In other words, we don't work for our salvation, we live out the salvation we already have. God's Holy Spirit makes us want to obey God's Word. Next, he gives us the power to obey. We will succeed because God's good pleasure wills our success.

Practically speaking, what is our job in the whole effort?

Trust and obey.

Trust and obey has everything to do with how we use our time. We can fill our days with non-biblical pursuits and say we don't have time to do more. Or we can write down God's commands and build our schedule around those. It's the difference between God first or me first.

Here's what this looks like:

~ God commands that we read our Bibles, so we pick them up and open them. We make the time, God does the rest.

~ God commands us to serve one another, so we serve at home, at church, and in the neighborhood. We make the time and God does the rest.

~ God commands that we pray, so we sit down and start talking; the Holy Spirit gives us the words.

~ God commands us to love the poor, the needy, the widows and orphans, so we spend less and give more, trusting God to give us the courage to live a humbler life than the rest of the culture. We set aside the resources and/or time, and God does the rest.

~ God says to disciple our children, so we talk to them about Jesus, about sin, about salvation, about God's work in our hearts. We share God's Word and we pray with them. We make sure our children are with us enough to accomplish this, and that we're not too busy ourselves. We make the time, God does the rest. The outcome is not our responsibility, just the obedience.

~ God commands us to be humble, so we practice not getting our way, and not consciously or subconsciously promoting ourselves before man, remembering our position before God, trusting the Holy Spirit to do the rest.

Working out our salvation is like a knee-jerk reaction. God commands something, we do it...without question or grumbling.


Philippians 2:14-16 

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life....

If we are Christians, God is speaking to us. We can't deny it, can we? He's nudging us to follow Him. The path is at times unspeakably difficult, like it was for Paul in prison, but that's where trust comes into play.

I will trust God, even though these hot coals will surely burn my feet. I will trust God, even though losing a job feels like the end of the world. I will trust God, even though having more children doesn't seem affordable. I will trust God, even though my husband doesn't deserve my devotion right now. I will trust God, even though my children are ansty when I read the Bible to them. I will trust God, even though I can't stand that neighbor across the way.

One important example came up recently in my own life. I wish I could say I trusted and obeyed immediately, but it's more an example of God's perseverance in my heart and life.

The children's ministry coordinator at our church resigned as of June 1. A notice went up in the bulletin in early May, asking for a successor. My heart immediately quickened. I have four children in Sunday classes and with that comes the responsibility to help make the programs a success.

But, I told myself, I have standing AWANA and VBS commitments, a once-a-month nursery commitment, and a Children's Bible study in my home each week (every other week in summer). I'm also a wife and homeschooling mother who teaches, prepares 21 meals a week, writes, and does laundry and cleaning.

How could I possibly be a children's coordinator? Especially when my boys have told me about behavior problems in the older classes (there are four rooms total). If having children hadn't retired me from teaching, behavior problems would have.

I knew coordinating means frequent teaching. Securing volunteers for children's ministry is very, very hard, and sometimes they get sick, or too busy and they resign. Or worse, they forget and don't show up sometimes.

I did nothing for two weeks, hoping someone else would step up. It seemed to me I needed more time to relax, not less.

The notice remained in the bulletin.

I realized I was grumbling in my mind, making excuses. God put the job on my heart right away and he wouldn't let me dismiss it.

In the third week I began praying, and then offered to coordinate for just the nursery and preschool rooms. I meet with the Pastor next week to discuss the ministry. I don't know if I'm a good fit for their vision, but I know God has given me skills to match the job.

I wrote the e-mail offering my service, and I'm trusting God to do the rest. My part is to be obedient; the outcome is not my responsibility.

Trust and obey.

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”

Humility and Gratitude: Multitude Monday

Hello Friends and Happy Monday.

Twice I've written on humility this week: here and here. Today I'd like to explore the connection between gratitude and humility. Which begats which, do you suppose? Do I learn humility as I give thanks, or do I give thanks because I'm humble?

Wearing humility and thankfulness are not an option--not just an ideal. We're commanded in scripture to be both humble and thankful.

"Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done" 1 Chron. 16:8.

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

Peter teaches that humility is something we put on, like our clothes for the day or our deoderant. It's not an easy garment to put on, but we must practice: we must wear it and walk in it.

But how? The short answer is that we do it through prayer, but there's a longer answer too. There's a fundamental truth we must grasp before we can put on humility and take off pride:

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

Our daily bread, shelter, clothes, family, jobs, gifts, friends, joy, peace, spiritual growth, and comfort. All of it is gift...undeserved gift.

Romans 11:33–36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

It's when I grasp this concept that without God I am nothing and have nothing, that I begin to see everything as gift. I understand that I am completely dependent on God. He is the Almighty Living God and I am the created being. He is sovereign and all powerful; I am powerless and incapable of generating good outside of God's Holy Spirit.

This understanding of our position before God is crucial. We are beggars.

A beggar is thankful because he knows that without the handout, he starves. A beggar is humble because he has nothing; he has no source of pride. In fact, to be prideful--to quit begging to uphold some image--would mean sure starvation. A beggar can't afford pride.

From an early age we're conditioned to say thank you for birthday gifts. Not everything from God comes with birthday wrapping, but it's just as much a gift. When I begin to see these gifts--instead of feel entitled to them or take them for granted--I am thankful. My God is an awesome God! Without Him I am nothing. He's generous and loving. He sustains me. I praise You and thank you, Oh God!

Does a thankful person become humble, or does a humble person give thanks?

Yes and yes. A beggar is clothed in humility and gratitude. Both these graces are given to the beggar simultaneously by an Almighty God who loves to be glorified.

If God didn't love His own glory so much, He'd let us succeed in our own strength. But in fact we were created and saved to bring Him glory...not for our own pleasure. We are loved with an inexplicable, sacrificial love, and as that love transforms us, God receives His due glory. And we? We develop a love so deep, so all-consuming for Him, that we grow to delight in His glory.

A person who assumes a beggar's pose is one who fully understands; I am here for God's purposes and I get everything from Him.

When we come before the Lord begging for these graces, we are in fact praying. Our best prayer sessions with the Lord come when we are desperate, in full surrender, knowing we cannot generate what we need. Our hands are out-stretched. Our hunger is profound; we are humbled by dire need.

When in His infinite love He satisfies us, we're overcome with gratitude.

For from him and through him and to him are all things. 

 "When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, ‘He is good; His love endures forever’" (2 Chron. 7:3).

Giving Thanks Today

Dear Lord, thank you for these graces and blessings:

~ 3 bird nests in the yard

~ little girls cuddled against me, enjoying good books

~ a steadfast husband

~ more rain

~ squash coming up

~ a son who loves cultivating the ground, making beauty from dirt

~ a prolific strawberry patch in the backyard, delighting my snacking children

~ half-day summer school here at home

~ library programs

~ good friends

~ my Heavenly Father, who continues his good work in my heart in spite of  me

~ lessons on humility

~ the power of God's Word

~ my family extending everyday grace toward an imperfect mother, wife, and homemaker

~ church dresses from the thift store for my girls, all at the bargain price of the day, and flawless

~ a loving church family

~ far fewer headaches

~ time with my children every day

~ the bonding gift of the family read aloud 

~ a son who once hated math, saying he's good at it and he likes it

~ a boy who likes to write stories and has a way with words

~ a snapping turtle to observe

~ a large yard

~ a strong desire to put on humility

~ the blessings bestowed on the one who dares to beg God for daily bread and blessing, knowing that outside the Lord's handouts, there is no sustenance

What's blessing you today, my friend?

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