Dependence

A glimpse at our day…

* one child refuses to do school work
* one child screams when his work feels too hard
* one child wants constant affirmation and attention every breath he/she takes
* one adult sighs loudly and wants to scream at the top of his/her lungs
* one child dumps a bucket of muddy water and worms on another child's head during PE
* one child helps another take a bath and get cleaned up
* one child has a tantrum and throws things when I ask him/her to put on a jacket
* two children play tennis happily in the back yard
* one child works on a history project
* one child sings loudly to sweet music
* two children sweep the floor together
* one child sticks their tongue out at mom and screams
* one child builds with legos
* one child reads a story to mom
* one adult calls repeatedly to make sure the Christmas errands he is on are completed correctly

One mom is encouraged today. Or at least at this moment. ;) This is a gift. Other days I'm tempted to despair. God has gifted me today with these words that encourage my heart.

" Come to [Jesus] with your gaping emptiness and know that in [Jesus] you are complete….
Therefore, rejoice on those days when you drag yourself out of bed, feeling sluggish and inadequate. Tell yourself that this is the perfect day to depend on [Jesus] in childlike trust. If you persevere in this dependence as you go through the day, you will discover at bedtime that Joy and Peace have become your companions." Sarah Young

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our heart to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:1-9

This is what I hear God speaking to me from those verses.
* My ministry right now is to my family; to my husband and all four of my children. God desires for me to love them and serve them in humility. To teach them His ways. To model His love. To model repentance when I sin and mess up… and boy do I do that a lot. This is the ministry He has called me to and He will give me the strength to "not lose heart."

* This is my most important job right now. It happens to include adoption, but that doesn't make me any more important then anyone else who is fulfilling the ministry that God has called them to. I CANNOT do this in my own strength and ability. It is IMPOSSIBLE. I need to rely on HIM minute by minute, breath by breath. There cannot be a false sense of competency. I do not preach how great I am, but I preach that Jesus is GREAT and He is at work in me.

* God is molding me and will take my cracked and broken pot and shine out His light. I am NOT great. HE is great in me.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." Psalm 150:6