“Mama, I NEED the glue stick,” my daughter hollered from the kitchen table.
“Mommm…she took my sticker. I wanted the big heart,” whined Big Brother.
I remember standing at the sink, looking out on a yard that needed cutting and toys scattered in the driveway. Hands in hot suds, I sighed and wished away the irritation. Couldn’t the little people in the other room just get along? Did they have to argue about everything? This was supposed to be a fun Valentine’s Day craft.
We are GOING to feel the LOVE.
Like it or not.
I hurried to finish the task before Big Brother decided to give someone a hair cut with the sissors.
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Theologically profound moments happen in the check out line at Walmart.
Yes, Walmart with my loud, handsy children who won’t.stop.asking.for.candy. Walmart when I want to meltdown just as much, if not more than they do. Or maybe it’s not Walmart. I’m a stay at mom with three kids six and under. My opportunities for sanctification come fast and furious.
Philippians 4:4 is a gentle reminder of what our hearts should look like, and why.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
We who claim to be Christ-followers we represent the gospel – of law AND grace – in every mundane moment.
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God sings over us? Have you ever thought about that possibility? Even the robotic and socially awkward Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory” admits to needing the comfort of a song in times of stress or illness. He often asks his friends to sing the song from his childhood…
Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur.
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty,
purr purr purr.
As silly as that little song is, it was easier to believe than the whispered song that I heard during a desperate time of struggle in my life. I am not musical, so I cannot translate the tune that accompanied this song, but it is in my head and heart forever.
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Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God,
proclaiming our allegiance to his name.
Hebrews 13:15
Friends, I’m tired. I say that literally as I care for this newborn babe. And I must confess, I had forgotten how hard simple life tasks are when sleep eludes you.
Even hallelujahs.
David made sure he praised God intentionally at least seven times a day (Psalm 119:164). A part of me wonders if this is like the seventy times seven example in the Bible and really means: David praised all day long. Every day. No matter what.
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There you are in the quiet of the morning, ready to meet the Lord for strength for the day. Your Bible is open and perhaps you’ve already studied, read or done a devotional.
It’s a little bit like an appetizer to a good meal. But, if all this is appetizer for the quiet time meal, what’s the main course? Prayer.
But what about those times when your prayer conversation falls short? What when words fail to come? What when the heart sighs, and the voice is too weary to articulate even the one word prayer , “Help.”
Have you ever just sat in His presence and felt that you had nothing to say or pray?
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As a Highly Sensitive Person and an introvert, I relish the sanctuary of my home. This physical refuge allows me the time and space needed to recharge and keep from becoming overwhelmed.
But because we’re also meant to live in fellowship with one another (Hebrews 10:24-25), I also seek the safety of some close relationships from my spouse and kids to a few friends. Those relationships provide a protection for my spirit as we live life together, struggling to victory this side of Heaven.
As much as I trust these places and people of sanctuary and refuge in my life, Psalm 62:8 tells me God is my sanctuary.
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There are days I feel sad and unmotivated. Maybe you can relate?
Life, and what’s going on, will contribute to my mood. But, my mood is just that—the way I feel today. And today won’t last forever.
The thing about moods is, they change…and often.
While one day I might feel like singing the blues, the next day I may be humming a different tune.**
So, today, I’m sharing what gets me through the I-feel-sad-and-don’t-want-to-do-anything-days.
1) Remember that this feeling is temporary.**
So many factors contribute to how we feel on any given day…hormones, the weather, how we slept the night before, lack of exercise, illness, and more.
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My favorite story to read my daughter is called You Are My I Love You. It’s lovely, and if you’ve never read it, please do.
Towards the end of the book, the mother tells her child,
“You are my new lines, I am your favorite story.”
The first time I read those words aloud, big fat tears were leaking onto the pages and my daughter was mildly alarmed at my sudden show of emotion.
It’s January now, a new year. And we write down all the things we want to do differently, and all the ways we want to be different.
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