My Children, They Were Yours First, Lord.

One of the most difficult things for a parent or mom, like myself, is to let go of their children (and grandchildren) no matter their age. I don’t know about the Max Lucado book, but the quote speaks volumes to me today. I pray and say they are Yours Lord, then at times, POOF! I need to be reminded again to SURRENDER them to Him. I need to fully TRUST the Lord Jesus for my kids. They were His to begin with. Jesus WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM NO MATTER WHAT! They are still His children!

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Will they get hurt? Yes! And sometimes I won’t be able to fix their hurts. Skinned knees, elbows, broken bones or deep gashes needing casts or stitches are easy and a no brainer. Life’s choices and situations….. You know I’m a mom who would like to fix and help my kids no matter what. Also at times when they don’t want it OR when I shouldn’t “lend a helping hand.” It is a very hard thing to do. It is hard making decisions and protecting our children. I am so glad I have a wonderful husband and daddy who has been there to help in more ways than I can not count and there are not enough thank you’s to say and express to/for him helping raise our three kids.

When they are young we want to put a bubble around them so NOTHING touches them. Sad to say, try with all you might, it is not going to happen. We might achieve a lot in doing this, but life and THINGS happen. Something always will. I have said time and time again, “as long as I have control over them, I will do my best to do what ever it takes to control their atmosphere.” Commendable I would say. But I was wrong in so many areas of that statement. So many. Yes I am to protect and help my children to the best of my God-given abilities. There are a “few” years I may sem like god to them. I teach them right from wrong. I teach them to be polite. I teach them manors. I teach them how to address people, “yes and no sir/mam.” I teach them to be honest and respectful of others and themselves. I teach them about Jesus and read His Word to them daily. I teach them to pray and pray with them daily…and when hurts and ouies happens. I teach them to go to church and how to sit still when the time comes. I teach them to be on time. I teach them to keep their word. I teach them the things of the Lord the best I can and reaffirm they belong to Jesus and they can call on Him no matter what, He is always there with them and for them. The list goes on and on in hopes I have raised and nurtured them the way the Lord desired. He only knows how many times I cried out for help and guidance, to know what to do, and I am grateful He heard me and I didn’t need to keep track of my pleading with Him for help. Did I do everything right…OH MY, I failed and floundered many times. By the grace of God we have survived thus far and have been truly blessed by life’s ups and downs, so a few things must have been don right. Thank You Jesus for all you have done and allowed in my families lives.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

You would think I would have learned to let go by now. I have two married sons, one is 33 and the other 31. I have a 3-1/2 year old grandson, by my youngest son and my daughter in law. I am also blessed with a daughter who is, almost 17. How time flies. I still get things turned around. It is not my job to KEEP them. I can still help lead them, if they ask or God instructs me to do so. Usually it’s right to intervene when I’m asked by them. But, well, I do flub up sometimes…ok, maybe a lot. Lord here I come again, take these whom you have so blessed and enriched my life, You be their guide and be their hedge and bubble (IF and When they need these), Lord, they are Yours. You can lead them and nurture them far better than I am able. They are the greatest giftYou have blessedme with….But they are still Yours and always will be.

I look back to when they were little I tried to shelter them, help them, educate them, equip them, protect them and lead them to You. My ways were not always the best. Hinds sight is 20/20. Out of my stubbornness to do things for them and raise my children “my way”, You still were able to get in there and redirect me and my thoughts. I thank You and praise You, Jesus, without Your intervention….well I don’t want to go there. Like I said, did I make mistakes, oh my YES, tons of them. Are my kids always doing what I’d like them to? NO! BUT GOD has shown Himself to be true, just, right and gracious to me and to my children all the time. Have I been hurt as a parent? OH YES! I have felt as if I’ve had my heart wrenched from chest, BUT GOD has always meet me. He has always been there to pick up me up and the shattered pieces. At times I thought they’d never be put back, but many things have been restored better than before. That IS God. I’m still waiting for some things, that job is His. My job is to pray and trust Him. NO, I not burrying my head in the sand, if I do, God still has eyes to see. He knows how to get my attention and He can get the attention of my children.

Deut 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Yes, we protect our children, but be careful you are not pushing the hand of God from your children’s lives OR from yours. I have learned the hard way, in my protection or helping my kids kept them from learning and taking things from the  Lord and it most definitely hindered my acceptance of Gods hand in my life as well. I believe if I as parent won’t allow God to touch my childrens heart and life at a young age, it will be more difficult to experience it as they get older. I always think of Samuel, when I think of letting go of my children. Hannah let go of her son long before he was born. Samuel always belonged to the Lord and Hannah NEVER lost sight of that fact. After the age of 3-5 years, Hannah returned to Jeruselm and left Samuel with Eli. Oh my! and she knew where she was leaving him. BUT TRUST WAS IN GOD. (1 Samuel ch. 1-2) I’m sure she had hard, trying moments, she was a mom for heaven’s sake. Although commentaries vary on the weaning age of Samuel…for us it is usually 18 months to two years our babies are weaned, she still trustd the Lord for her son. I don’t believe I have ever had that kind of trust…I definitely want to know Jesus in this kind of trust. As old as my kids are, I desire that kind of trust in The Lord more than ever.

Lord Jesus no matter how old my children are continue to teach me to surrender first myself to you and secondly my children to You.

God bless you all.

 

A great testimony…

A friend sent this to me video below to me. I’m encouraged and blessed by it. I trust it will bless you just as it did me.

We need to share Jesus, our Savior with one another, ones that do not know Him…also to encourage and exhort fellow Christians. His coming is sooner each day of our lives. How will we live it?

Many may say President Reagan had his faults, made bad decisions and mistakes. You are entitled to your opinions. I would not want to dare have taken his place; nor that of any other president I have known to serve in my past 51 years of life. But if WE, each one of us, could be as bold as to stand up and share Jesus with just a few people, in like-mannner as President Reagan did. I wonder how different our part of the world might be.

If I were to talk to just a few people a week about Jesus; and each born again Christian do the same, oh how God’s word would be spread and imagine the lives that possibly could be changed.

Yes this seems to be some what of a fantasy, but could you imagine if we were just so bold.

I want to share a story with you; this is a true story and one very dear to my heart.

My Grandpa was 81 years old when he accepted Jesus as Savior. (Like I have told you in past posts, I did not grow up in a Christian home.) I was about 26 when I got a phone call from him telling about his experience. I was saved at the age of 14, about 12 had lapsed here. I had shared a few things, bits and pieces about Jesus with my Granddad.

One day there was a Baptist Preacher in town at the time who went door to door sharing Jesus with anyone that would let him. (I didn’t know this man.)Granddad wanted me to meet him, but by the time I came for a visit he had moved to a new church out-of-town; I felt bad, I never got to meet him. I do look forward to one day meeting him in heaven and telling him “Thank you, for being so bold as to ask my Granddad the question you did so boldly.”

This man knocks on the door and as soon as Granddad answered it he said, “Did you know if you were the only man on earth Jesus would have died for you, just you? Jesus loves you. Do you know him as your Savior?” Granddad replied, “No.” The preacher said, “Well do you want to know Jesus as your Savior?” Granddad told him that he had heard and known about Jesus all hs life. The preacher said, “Hearing and knowing about Jesus is not what will get you to heaven. You need to KNOW Him as your personal Savior. Can I pay with you?” Granddad said, “Yes,” and invited him in. They talked a few more minutes to explain what it meant to KNOW Jesus as Savior, what He did for us, for Granddad…and the sinners prayer. They prayed together and Granddad at age 81 asked Jesus into his heart and life.

Shortly after that Granddad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, he was not able to live alone any long. He pasted away at age 83 (1989).

I had prayed for him and other members of my family for those past years to accept Jesus as Savior. (I continue to pray for other members of my family.) He answered that prayer for me in a wonderful and amazing way about Granddad. What a blessing it was for me to get a phone call from him and hear him share his life changing experience with me. Our relationship was never the same. I say that because Granddad and I were always close, but from that day on, it was different. We have Jesus to talk about, and not just old memories, family and the weather. I am grateful for all those things we did have to share, but to have Jesus as a common denominator added to our lives, it was wonderful.

We loved our sunsets togethr.

I thank this Baptist Preacher for being led by and sensitive to the Holy Spirit as he talked with my Granddad. I especially thank the Lord Jesus, our Savior as He had prepared Granddad’s heart to receive what this man and the Lord had to say to him.

Let us be ever so bold as such a one.

My prayer is the Lord would teach me, show me and lead me in His ways to be bold to share Jesus with ones I come into contact. Let me not miss any opportunity You, oh Lord, might be leading me into. Let me not shy away from any unpleasantries I might feel or think. A person’s life may depend on what You are wanting to do. Help me Jesus to be the neighbor as You portray so well as the ‘Good Samaritan’ in Luke 10:25-37.

(As you read this part of Scripture please pay special attention to verses 33-36. Only Jesus can pour oil (type of Holy Spirit) and the wine (represented as the life blood Jesus gave and shed freely for all man-kind) into us. Jesus is the only One that truly can have compassion and mercy for us. Jesus is the only One that can do for us what this “Samaritan” did for this traveling man. I trust one day I can share this part of scripture with you soon. It has blessed me to see it in a new light.) OKAY this was a bit of my subject…anyway… 🙂

Lord teach me to be bold, gentle, and merciful to whom ever you put in my path each day. I love you Jesus.

Lord bless you all and trust to visit with you again soon. 🙂

A Happy Mother’s Day To All

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL THAT RAISE A CHILD(REN).
I want to tell all you mom’s (and others) Happy Mother’s Day…to the dad’s that raise their children; grandparent and aunts and uncles; foster parents and so on..I’m sure I left someone out, I am sorry, you are included here. 🙂

I am glad there is a day to recognize moms…this might be the only day that many moms get the recognition they so de…serve. It is tough being a mom. Many work outside the home. Many are single moms. Some moms are fortunate enough, if they choose to be a stay at home mom. Being a mom is a big order, but God created us women to be just that, a mom and to be the best mom we can be by His grace, as we hope and trust in Him. BUT…mom could not do her job without many other people. Husbands and daddy’s you just didn’t play the role of helping get this child here, but without you, mom can not do her job without your love, help and support. Grandmas, grandpa’s, aunts, uncles, other family and friends…each mom can not do what they do without your prayers and support…however that might be. It is said, in an African proverb, “It takes a village (community) to raise a child,” how true that is. It takes much to bring up a child. (Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.) Moms can only bring up a child with love, prayers and support from the others and by leaning and learning the direction of the Lord for them personally and for their children.

Deuteronomy 6:4-25 tell us how to raise our children, first and formost is to teach them in the Lord and His Word. But it is not just for moms in the raising of them….It speaks to all Israel in this passage, so it took the nation to raise their children. If God saw it as good and right for all Israel to be involved in the family life, how much more do you think we need it now. NO we don’t go around telling moms (parents) what to do and how to raise their children. We first share Jesus…talk about Him and His word, teach the children the ways of the Lord and pray for one anther. So, again, here is to all that raises a child, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.

Lord bless you and have a very blessed and wonderful Mother’s Day.