Came upon an article linked to Joshua Harris Blog today that so encouraged my heart. Though my little son is not here yet and I have not experienced what some of my dear friends have as they are raising their little ones... but I have had many sleepless nights from my pregnancy... leg aches after a long day of work, nausea and heartburn, getting up to pee on the hour, migraines, and now my baby waking me up several times a night from his activity :) I am still working full time, with long hours, and hard shifts... and carrying a child around (in my tummy) for 12 hours. Trying to keep up with laundry, making dinner and lunches, cleaning our house, staying in touch with friends, trying to stay as active in church as we can, etc. I definitely do not have the luxery of a day with NOTHING to do... I remember those wonderful days in college where a friend and I would just spend the day doing NOTHING... laying around, talking, spending long extended time with the Lord... yeah, its not like that at all anymore. Sometimes I think that God must think I am slipping farther from where I used to be. But this article reminded me that NOTHING I COULD DO WOULD MAKE HIM LOVE ME ANYMORE THAN HE ALREADY DOES. 5 minutes or 5 hours... I am His Beloved and He is mine!
BIBLE READING FOR BUSY MOMS
How does a mom of young children — say, three still in diapers — find any time for Bible intake? “Do What You Can” is the answer Don Whitney gives in Simplify Your Spiritual Life: Spiritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed (pp. 157-158). In thisshort/excellent chapter, Whitney describes one woman’s example and advice:
She was converted in her late teens. Discipled well from the start, Jean thrived on a spiritual diet strong on disciplines like the reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, service, evangelism, worship, silence and solitude, journal-keeping, and Scripture memory. She felt herself making spiritual progress almost daily. All this continued after she married her equally-dedicated husband, Roger.
Then she had three children in diapers. Caring for their most basic needs eliminated almost every moment of the time she used to devote to caring for her soul. Her longings for the things of God reached as high as ever, but her time and energy had new and severe limits.
On at least three occasions I’ve eavesdropped as Jean addressed young moms in similar situations. In effect she’s told them, “At this time in your life, you can’t do what you’re used to doing. You don’t have time for all your heart desires to experience in your spiritual life. Nevertheless, do what you can do, even though it’s precious little. Just don’t deceive yourself by thinking that you can put off a devotional life until you have more time. Because when the years roll around and you finally do have more time, your spiritual habits will be so ingrained that you won’t give more attention to your devotional life at all.”
Then I heard Jean tell her own story. She would keep Bibles open in several rooms–in the kitchen, nursery, bathroom–and look at them when she could. While warming a bottle or changing a diaper, she’d glance over and perhaps read only one verse. But this discipline helped her keep the Word in her heart and the presence of God in her awareness. And as the children’s needs grew less demanding, her disciplines were already in place to receive any additional time she could give them. Even though Jean felt almost spiritually dormant during those years in comparison to her early growth as a Christian, she kept alive the spiritual disciplines through which her soul would blossom in years to come.
Like Jean with three in diapers, you may be in a situation that curtails many of your spiritual activities. You may be looking at many months or even years of such limitations. Do what you can. God does not love us more when we do more, nor less when we do less. He accepts us, not because of what we do for Him, but because of what He’s done for us in Christ.
The Bible says, “He made us accepted in the Beloved [that is, Jesus]” (Ephesians 1:6). And nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). Love God, and within the limitations He has sovereignly placed in your life at this time, do what you can.
"THE OLD HAS GONE, THE NEW HAS COME. WHAT YOU COMPLETE IS COMPLETELY DONE. WE'RE HEIRS WITH CHRIST; THE VICTORY WON! WHAT YOU COMPLETE IS COMPLETELY DONE!" (sovereign grace music...sons and daughters cd)
Here are some pics from some of my dear friends in Staunton... now amazing parents! What an encouragement to hear their hearts for the Lord, their spouses, and their children. such transparency and love...
Adelaide Fitzgerald
Brian and his boy!
Audri... she has the funniest expressions!!Adelaide and Aunt Ash... she is so loving! Anything you ask her, she says, "Yes!"
The dad were so cute!I am so proud of my dear friends Brian and Derek!the kidsKaelyn Alese
Derek and Kaelyn... Kaelyn has her new hat on from Aunt Ash :)
And the newest addition... Ezekial at 4 weeks old! He liked hanging out with Barrett!
Notice how I have no pictures of the adorable moms... :) they were busy feeding,correcting, making dinner (hotdogs and mac and cheese) and trying to catch up with me! They were truly an inspiration to me! I hope that Ray and I can be half the parents that they are! God's amazing grace and strength was evident in their lives!
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