You know why two year olds are great? Because they're trying to connect all the dots, and in their discovery of how the world works, they teach you things. We'll call my firstborn "big sister" because she has a little brother and because I'd rather not give her an online footprint outside of her control. (She can define herself online later.) Big sister knows that we pray before meals and at bedtime. When I was growing up I only remember praying before dinner, when we were all sitting down and eating together. Going to a Christian college, I was surrounded by people bowing their heads before breakfast, lunch and dinner. I realized this pk was not as spiritual as once believed. I learned a lot during college; one of the biggest lessons was my need for time with the Lord talking and listening in prayer.
So, big sister asks to pray sometimes ("pray mommy" said with urgency and her hand held out to hold) and it's usually when I've forgotten at a meal or at naptime. Since of course, it shouldn't just be limited to when you're going to bed at night. Silly me. I need to remember that I don't know it all and that there is a lot to learn from the people around me, including my children. Her prayers are also beautiful because primarily they're a time of thanksgiving to God and she is thankful for so many things. It warms my heart every time she says mommy, daddy and baby brother. She likes to list every family member and friend she has recently seen, talked to, or heard us talking of. She also likes to list everything in her current line of vision, like the truck, spoon, cheese, owl picture (that's Grandpa's house), etc. You know what's beautiful about that? She keeps her eyes open when she talks to God because she regards him as someone who is present. Well, that's what I like to think. It's hard to know how much her little two year old head can understand about God. It's probably pretty comparable in God's eyes to how we see him, because we can never fully grasp his fullness. I pray that I will make more time for God and not forget to pause more often and thank him for what he has given me. And, I pray that while two year olds like to drag out bedtime, I won't get impatient and try to rush the prayer part.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
A new beginning
This is it, now starts downtown living. Day one, moving in and getting the kids settled. There were a lot of things going on that day and I don't know that I was overwhelmed as much as I was just plain tired at the end of the day. I know I was looking for the presence of God and wanting his direction in this whole process. Day 2, God speaks clearly through Proverbs 2 in some specifically applicable ways to our new neighborhood.
Proverbs 2 New International Version (NIV)
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
2 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a]
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a]
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
Perfect. We need wisdom. I am so thankful for a God that has an answer to all things and who knows just what I am thinking. I didn't know that this downtown living would mean having prostitutes on the corner across from our house. My heart wants to sigh and I realize my limitations. I hope that God will give us wisdom in how to love those around us in tangible and intangible ways. And oh may we use this opportunity to teach our children about God's grace and how he sees us as beautiful and perfect in his sight.
To be continued...
Footnotes:
- Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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