Listening And Learning

Today's Proverbs 31 Devotion, Altercation to Altar Call, talked about the importance of listening to God, and then obeying His voice. But all too often, life gets so distracting, we not only forget to listen, but we may even forget how to listen!

Let's do a little exercise to refresh our memory. If your radio, television or IPOD are on, turn them off.  Now sit up straight in your chair, close your eyes, and be as still as possible for 60 seconds.  Listen intently to anything you hear, making note of each sound. Then open your eyes.

What did you hear? The sounds of conversation around you... a busy office... cars passing by outside your window... dogs barking... birds singing... children playing... the ticking of a clock... crickets chirping... the sound of your breath?

Seldom do I stop, sit still, and just listen. But when my body is calling for rest, and I actually give in to a few moments of silence, I hear things that I would have otherwise ignored or tuned out,  and maybe you realize you often do the same thing after doing this little exercise.  Listening to God takes the same concentration and silence, as does pausing to listen for background noise in our lives. 

Since I work from home, I usually have the TV running even though I rarely actually watch it. It's just background noise to break up the silence. Yet, when I need to spend time with God, the TV gets turned off immediately, so I can concentrate in the silence and listen for God's whispers. If I am in the car, I turn off the radio if I want to pray, so that my thoughts are not subconsciously tuned into the music, instead of focusing on God.

Noise can become one of the biggest barriers to hearing God's voice when we fail to pause and listen in silence. Not only noise from external things, but also from our internal thoughts.  God is ready to pull us into conversation with Him the second we are ready to talk, but it's easy to do all the talking, and none of the listening! 

Listening to God requires a deliberate choice to not only shut off the TV, radio or other outside noise, but to shut out the chaos swirling in our hearts and minds. Although listening seems like a passive activity, it is actually one that requires effort, attention and a conscious choice to listen, whether talking with a person, or with God.

My twelve year old son Michael exhibited these listening skills at church in the story I shared in today's P31 devotion, and then he moved towards God. His small act of obedience to hearing God's voice in His spirit reminded me of the importance of keeping faith simple, like a child - even when it comes to listening.

Michael felt bad about something he had done, he felt God nudging his heart to seek forgiveness, and He moved to the One who could offer not only that, but also help for the future.

His prayer was probably simple, sounding something like this, "Here I am Lord. At the altar. I'm sorry for what I did. Please forgive me. And help me with this issue. Amen." Simple, yet sufficient. Brief, yet based on solid belief. Plain, yet powerful.

He believed that he heard God speak through His Word. He believed that God held the power to settle his heart. And he felt a desire to seek after God - even if it meant standing up in front of an entire congregation and getting on his knees.

Listening.      Believing.      Moving.      Seeking.

Four incredible lessons we can learn about listening with the faith of a child.

Imagine the life changing lessons we can learn if we listen to God consistently, habitually, and silently. How might our lives be different if we allowed His Words to override our own, even when we feel like doing all the talking? How would our faith increase if we obeyed His nudges, even if it simply meant moving towards Him for forgiveness, love, mercy and help?

Have you been trying to hear God's voice as you pray about a situation in your life?  If He seems silent, have you considered that maybe He is speaking, but there is too much "noise" in your life or in your heart? If so, consider setting aside some time today to spend true silent time with God, and focus your ears to be in tune to His voice alone.

John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (NLT)

Luke 11:28   Jesus replied, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word 

                                                     of God and put it into practice.” (NLT)

When Mom Gets Weary

My devotion running over at Proverbs 31 today is called Getting Through Another One Of Those Days. 

Unfortunately, it seems I have been having a lot of "those days" recently, because living in a house filled with two teenage daughters and a pre-teen son means there is never a dull moment around here! In fact some times I find myself praying for dull moments, because I have had more opportunities to preach, teach, feel discouraged, tolerate teenage hormonal drama, and dole out punishments than seems fair for one mom. The happy days certainly outweigh the trying days, but nonetheless, those trying days can still be exhausting.

So when another one of "those days" hits, I can often find myself fighting off a severe case of maternal weariness, and maybe you can relate.

I used to think that sleepless nights with infants, daycare issues and nursing sick kids for months was the epitome of exhaustion.... but now I understand that the weight of emotional exhaustion far exceeds even the worst case of physical exhaustion. Being a parent can be down right tiring, and no matter how we treasure our little bundles of joy, we can still experience those days when we are ready to throw in the towel, or at least succumb to temporary defeat.

Whether we are struggling with toddler tantrums and diaper changes, or teenage social plans, peer pressures and busy schedules, being a mom can zap our energy physically and emotionally.

I have to be honest, there have been "those days", when I felt like just saying "yes' to every request that rolled off the lips of my children, merely because it would make life simpler.  If there were less "no's" and more "yes's", then everybody would be happy with mom all the time, and oh what a wonderful world it would be.... right?

Even though the thought of a magical paradise - where all off spring were perpetually happy and thought mom was the greatest thing since sliced bread - seems tempting at first, that is the worst place we could find ourselves in - and more importantly, our children would suffer in the long run.

When God made mothers, He had a plan. A plan to use moms to raise up every generation to love and honor their Creator. And I'm convinced that motherhood is the hardest job in the universe.

God did not just give mothers some little people who needed to be cared for, He gave them a job. A job that is in essence, a divine calling.  A calling to be the guardian of not only our children's lives, but also their hearts. A calling to raise them with values, character, integrity and boundaries, even when doing so makes us tired in more ways than one.

A calling to not only be a mother, but to be a Godly parent to the best of our ability.

Nobody will argue, that parenting can be tough, and it takes a tough heart to keep giving it your all, when your all is just about spent. It takes a lot of commitment to keep loving our children through those hard days, especially when they are not being lovable, and we are not feeling loved in return.

Yet taking a back seat in our children's lives in order to try to maintain peace and harmony in our households, is not at all what God has called us to do. His Word instructs us to seek His face and His strength, when we are feeling discouraged and weak.

We can never be perfect parents, but we can trust in the One who is. As long as we are giving it our best, and devoting our energies, or even our lack of energies, to raising healthy, happy kids in a way that would be pleasing to God, I believe with all my heart that God will one day honor that devotion and commitment.

SPECIAL FREEBIE!
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As mentioned in today's Proverbs 31 devotion, I am offering you the opportunity to listen to my one-hour interview with Tara McClanahan from MommyMissions.com, on the subject of Godly parenting.  If you are interested in tuning in or downloading the audio file, please click on the link below which will redirect you to the Mommy Missions website, where you can access your free download: 
EMBRACING THE CHALLENGE OF CHRISTIAN PARENTING

If you would like to download the listening guide for this online session, it is also available on the site, and includes some practical tips for Godly parenting and links to additional posts to encourage you in your quest to be a Godly parent,
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So do you struggle with the challenge of Christian parenting? What helps you get through another one of "those days"? Share your insight with about how you persevere in your parenting challenges so that all of us moms can be encouraged! I would also be honored to pray for you in you are having "one of those days".

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Easter Makes Our "What if's" Nothing But History

As soon as I answered the phone, I heard the panic in her voice.

My daughter, who was in the 7th grade at the time, had received permission from her teacher to call and ask if she had possibly left her brand new IPOD Touch in the car that morning. Although I knew I hadn't noticed it, I checked the car thoroughly, yet it was nowhere to be seen.  Her worst fears became a reality - the IPOD was missing.

I immediately went to the school and met with the principal to file a report about the missing IPOD, where I learned that there had been a rash of thefts since school resumed after Christmas break.  When Kaitlyn came into the office, I could see the sadness in her eyes, hear the loss in her voice, and sense the overwhelming regret pouring out of her little heart.

As she scooted into the chair beside me, trying to hold back the wails of sobs that wanted to burst out of her, I knew she was beating herself up inside. Even though an IPOD is just a material thing, it had been a special Christmas gift she had anxiously waited for. She had been so excited to receive it, but now, it was history.

Immediately upon leaving the Principal's office, the tears she had been holding back could no longer be restrained, and she expressed through her sobs how desperately she wished she could go back in time that morning. What if  she would have just left it at home or in the car.  If only she hadn't left her purse at her desk when the class went to the library for a brief time. How she wished she had held onto it safely and been more responsible.

Her mind was flooded with "what if's", "if only's", and "I wish's".....but nothing would change the outcome. The IPOD was gone forever.

I have been in her shoes before, but over more serious issues than an IPOD. I spent years living with a desperate longing to go back in time and do some things differently. To be given a second chance to make good decisions and better choices.  I remember the weight of trying to juggle all the "what if's", "if only's", and "I wish's" of my life, all the while, beating myself up inside.

But all that came to a close when God got hold of my heart, and helped me embrace His promises of unconditional forgiveness and love. When I asked God to make me whole, and allowed His compassionate love to become a reality in my life, I realized that just like the IPOD, my past was history - but in my case, it was a good thing to lose.

After concluding my meeting with the school principal that day, I bent down to hug Kaitlyn and send her back to class. As she turned to walk away, with a tear stained face, slumped shoulders which carried the weight of regret and sorrow, I remember feeling a sudden surge of maternal emotion overcome me.

I found myself wanting to sprint down the hall like a mom on a mission, scoop her up into my arms, and whisk her home where we could snuggle up in a blanket, drink hot chocolate, and  watch silly cartoons. I felt such an overwhelming compassion building up inside of me that I thought I might explode. I wanted to make it all better, and take away her hurt. I wanted to fix the problem, but I couldn't.
 
When I consider God's compassion for us, His children, I can only imagine that it exceeds anything we can fathom as an earthly parent. When He sees that we are hurting, or struggling with our own set of  "what if's", "if onlys", and "I wish's", He wants to make it all better, but unlike us, He has the sovereign power to do so. He can make it all better, and He will, if we acknowledge that Easter is celebrating the gift of His life to save ours, and open the door for Him to enter into our heart.
 
Psalm 78:38-39 says "Yet He was compassionate; He atoned for their guilt and did not destroy them. He often turned His anger aside and did not unleash all His wrath."  (ESV)  
 
I could have been mad at Kaitlyn for not listening to my instruction about leaving her IPOD at home, but my love and compassion for her took precedence over anger or judgement. In the same way, as this verse describes, God's compassion outweighs His judgement, when we repent and turn from our sin.

This weekend, on Easter Sunday, we will come face to face with the depth of His compassion, as we celebrate the resurrection of His Son. There is no need for us to beat ourselves up for past mistakes, or waste time fretting over "what if's",  because Christ already took the beating for us.

He was a Man on a mission, with overwhelming compassion and willing to do whatever it took to scoop us up into His arms and atone for our mistakes, making them nothing more than forgotten history.

Happy Easter Friends!!

The Most Special Thing

It started out as a simple assignment, but turned into a life lesson.

Three years ago when my son Michael was nine years old, he showed me a picture he had drawn in Sunday School. I gazed at his artwork and told him how wonderful it was, even though I was secretly  unsure what he was trying to portray. Considering the fact that the drawing had immersed out of a little boy's mind, I just assumed it was an ordinary picture of a villain who had been slain, and a person with fire around them because they were too close to the sun. 

But when I asked him to tell me about it, my heart swelled with joy. (see his picture below)

Michael began to explain that his Sunday School teacher had asked them to draw a picture of something special that God had done for them. After he explained his picture, it made perfect sense.

You see, the person laying horizontally at the bottom of the page (with x's on their eyes and their tongue sticking out because he said that is how everyone looks on cartoons whey they die) was a person who had died. The figure floating in the air represented that person's soul, who had turned into an angel. The angel was happily rising into heaven, because Jesus had died on the cross for his sins so that he could have eternal life.

I sat there stunned at his simple explanation of the death and resurrection of our Savior, and his understanding that Christ had died for our sins. Needless to say I gave him a big mamma bear hug with tears in my eyes until he began to squirm his way out of my arms.

I began to think about what I would have drawn if I had been given the same assignment by my Sunday School teacher. I can only imagine that  I would have probably tried to make it all complicated -  like we adults often tend to do. 

I probably would have pondered all kinds of " special things", such as my health, house, husband, children, family, financial security, car, food, job, and any other blessings I felt God had bestowed upon me. Then after compiling my list, I might have weighed the importance of each in an attempt to figure out which blessing was most special, and then map out how I could portray that special gift in an artistic way.

But in the mind of a child, the most special thing quickly came to mind in a simple format:  Jesus died. And rose again. So we could live.

Salvation. Resurrection. Eternal life. All because of love. Simple as that.

In Mark 10:15, Jesus tells His disciples "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."  

God longs for us to embrace the faith of a child, even when we are grown because a child does not need to research the Internet, read books, weigh all the facts, consider scientific theories, and compare various religions - to believe in the One true Savior. A child has not been influenced by the world's opinions, or poisoned with prejudice or judgement. A child is teachable. A child is humble. A child is trusting. A child thrives on being loved, and is always willing to give love to others, unconditionally. A child is thankful. And a child keeps things simple, including faith.

How easily we tend to forget that out of all the great things Jesus has done for us - His death on the cross is the most special thing of all, and even the greatest earthly blessings pale in comparison to the gift of life itself.

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Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? Do you believe that He died for your sins, because of His unconditional love for you, and that in Him your eternal life is secure? If you are unsure, or you want to learn more about getting to know your heavenly Father, click here: Do You Know Jesus?

Love The Ones You're With

Recently my daughter was searching for something n our attic, and came across a VHS video labeled "My First Year", which was a recording of the entire first year of her life.

My three children and I all stopped what we were doing, and for the next hour, laid on the bed watching this video, laughing until we cried.

It was a typical first-time-mom video. You know - the kind where the baby is videoed for ten solid minutes, while she was just laying there - doing absolutely nothing except looking adorable. Then we watched the baby coo. Then we watched the baby turn her head. Then we watched the baby as she lay helpless in her swaying baby swing with a wide eyed look of "what's happening to me?!" Then we watched the baby cry... and so on.

Every "first" was recorded, from baths, to swimming pools, to Easter outfits, to birthday parties. Every minute of her little life was too precious to miss, and definitely video worthy.

It brought back so many sweet memories of the beginning of my little family, and all the ways God has blessed us and transformed our hearts since that time.

But amid the laughter, my heart was also touched with bittersweet memories. Memories which had been misplaced somewhere in the recesses of my mind as the years had passed.

My eyes burned with tears as I saw my paternal grandmother celebrating Morgan's first Christmas, smiling as she watched her play on the little baby bed of which she had knitted little blankets and pillows for. The sound of her voice was such a sweet memory, like music to my ears. She had died of cancer when Morgan was only eighteen months old.

I watched my maternal grandparents hold my daughter, and ooh and awe over her, as I stood proudly in the background - with large bangs and bright blue eye shadow. But today, they are both walking with Jesus as well.

I watched as my husband's Grandfather, and his precious full-of-life Aunt, laughed and talked with the family over a Christmas holiday, both of whom passed away way too early due to unusual tragedies.

I watched my sweet sister, beautiful, healthy and vivacious - years before she was diagnosed with the debilitating disease of Multiple Sclerosis.

As I watched scenes from my past play out on the screen, I was reminded of people who were once in our lives, but are now no longer a part. I saw how some people once were, but how their lives have drastically changed. 

Yet at that time, the thought of change occurring.... was not even a thought. We took the present, and the people in it, for granted, simply because we were just living our ordinary lives. Taking for granted that those people would always be around, and that life would go on as 'normal'.

Although many of the memories were fun to revisit, and it was hilarious getting a glimpse of the strange choices of hairstyles and clothes that we all had back then, it also was a reminder of how quickly life changes, and how short and priceless it truly is.

When all those experiences were recorded eighteen years ago, things were so different. People were so... there. Lives were so in tact. But life would soon change, we just had no idea what those changes would be.

As I watched the video, my heart flooded with sweet and painful memories, I felt a compelling desire to treasure the people in my life, and not take them for granted, as I so often do. I certainly do not mean to take them for granted, but when doing normal life, we just don't expect the present to change.

 I also felt a sense of urgency to call and tell all my loved ones that I loved them, just because. To forgive someone who I had been holding a grudge against. To overlook the little idiosyncrasies of other people instead of letting them get on my nerves. To have patience and adoration for the important people in my life, and not be passive in my relationships.

To love the ones in my life with my whole heart, while I still have them to hold.

Every minute of our lives is not video worthy, but every moment with the people we love is a priceless gift. Dare we take those moments for granted for one more day?

Is there someone who needs to feel your love today? Is there someone who you need to tell them you love them... just because?

There is no better time like the present.

When Transformation Becomes Beautiful

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

This is a popular verse, usually referenced with respect to steering away from sinful thoughts and behaviors, and to be in the world, but not of the world. But as I was considering this verse recently, I saw a new twist about being transformed and my curiosity was peaked.

The word "transformation" comes from the Greek word μεταμόρφωσις, which means, metamorphosis.  In my opinion, the term metamorphosis more clearly describes what God means when he tells us to be transformed through His power. You see, when something experiences metamorphosis, it completely changes, on the inside and the outside. Once something has morphed from its old state, into its new state, that change is obvious to everyone.

An example of a true metamorphosis would be an insect that completely changes its biological structure. For instance, what starts out as a tiny larvae, turns into a worm, then builds a cocoon, and emerges as a butterfly. The insect completely changed from one state to another, from the inside out.

That is what Romans 12:2 is encouraging us to do in Christ - to allow Him to change us completely.  Not partially. Not just the areas that we dont mind changing. Not just the things that we wanted to change. But completely. So that He can create His masterpiece in us, even when we cannot see what He is building, just as I talked about in today's Proverbs 31 Devotion.

A 19th century German philosopher named Friedrich Nietzsche was best known for his statement "God is dead". The death of God movement in the sixties is sometimes technically referred to as "theothanatology" and promotes the belief that humans are no longer able to believe in any supernatural order since they themselves no longer recognize it - which basically means, that since there was no evidence that peoples lives and hearts were changing as a result of their belief in God, then He must certainly be dead.

Obviously to me, and anyone else who claims Jesus as the only Savior of the world, this is an extremely blasphemous, offensive statement, and a grossly false assumption, because we know and believe that the Holy Trinity is alive and well.

However, did Nietzsche have a point with his underlying comment that if you cant see real life change in people who claim to believe in God, then God must not really be present in their lives? I think he did.

You see, when we accept Jesus as our Savior, and commit to living a life that brings glory to Him, we are called to a radical transformation - not just one that we claim, but one that people can see happening in us.

This act of transformation begins with God rebuilding our heart from lost to saved, our mind from sinful to righteous, and then our life from mundane to purposeful.

When we truly undergo a radical transformation of the heart, mind and soul, our outward behaviors and actions will become a new creation, obvious to all who see us. So if we say we are in Christ, but there is no metamorphosis occurring in our life, are we really transformed?

People are usually not impressed by looking at an ugly gray cocoon, but are always impressed by the beauty and splendor of a butterfly when it emerges from that cocoon. Of course our goal for transformation through Christ is not to impress anyone, but our goal should be for others to see the beautiful transformation that has happened within us.

When people see physical evidence of what an invisible God is building in our lives, only then will they be interested in discovering Christ for themselves.

Even though we have no idea what He may be building, we can always have faith that it will be a masterpiece, just as we told in Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. "

When God builds something beautiful, people notice.

How might God be transforming you, or building you, into something new?