(With recent little glimpses and updates at the end)
I’ll be honest… having a
blog can be intimidating. I will work on
a post, hit “publish,” and then immediately re-read that post once again…
almost second-guessing putting myself out there or putting the Lord and what He
has taught me out there. Out in the
fuzzy, strangely intimate yet simultaneously impersonal land of cyber space.
Additionally and more
importantly, writing for a blog can be faith-diminishing. Now let me be clear:
most of the time as I stated from the outset, writing is both therapeutic for
me and it also challenges, affirms, stretches, and strengthens my faith. Writing and sharing the Lord’s lessons with
you ground me, reminding me of what is true.
Yet as I have discussed
this faith-diminishing aspect with fellow bloggers, I have found I am not alone
in this dynamic. We have recognized it
can be easy to seek faith and lessons for the sake of the blog and timely
communication, rather than seeking faith and God’s teachings because our hearts
desire to love Him more deeply. I can
sacrifice longing to know more of God to the drive of having something
applicable, poignant, or pithy share.
It MUST be about Him. His presence must overshadow us. How do we do this?
You have read before about
our appreciation for Bill Johnson and his ministry. (Quick side note: for those
of you on the go or for you full-time moms out there who do not have time to
sit down for your quiet time, let alone pull out a journal and pen, I highly
recommend searching for one of your favorite preachers on YouTube and listening
to a 10 minute clip. This has encouraged
me since our move and has been easy to do while I get out breakfast for the
boys, feed them, wipe their faces, clean their trays…you get the point!)
Anyway, I have noticed
that in many of Bill Johnson’s sermons he stresses the importance of going to
the “secret place.” The place where we
cry out to the Lord, commune with Him, seek Him, and wait for Him with ears
ready to listen. The Lord reminded me of
this last night, when I felt so depleted from the week and like I didn’t have
anything else to give. He reminded me to
go and seek Him in the secret place. This
is such a struggle for me! To simply go and spend time with the Lord
rather than succumbing to the tyranny of the urgent all around me. I know you can relate with your massive to-do
list, work deadlines, or children pulling that aforementioned journal and pen
out of your hands and throwing them on the floor!
But we will find Him in
the secret place…even if it has been days, weeks, months, years. We will come away emboldened. Bill Johnson reminds us that our ability to
take faith risks out in our spheres of influence only stems from our focused
time with God…still, quiet, perhaps even heart-wrenching, soul-moaning time
with Him.
Bill Johnson states, “Faith
doesn’t come out of determination; it comes out of surrender.”
“I waited
patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the
mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He
put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his
trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for
us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be
too many to declare.”
-Psalm 40
I’m signing off now (after
I add some pictures at the end)… hitting publish… and then I’ll most likely be
re-reading what I just launched into your inbox. ;) And
then after re-reading this, I hope to snap out of it, get over myself, and get busy seeking Him
in the secret place! What a gift that
the Lord forgives our pride and lifts us up out of our insecurity! Thank you for partnering with us.
Recent Little Glimpses/Prayer and Praise Reports:
John continues to make great progress with Pinkie during his horseback riding sessions. We are also grateful for his new, godly doctor here. I think the combination of Pinkie, this wonderful doctor's various treatment modalities (he really treats the whole person: mind, body, and spirit), and the stimulation from playing with his new friends in Atlanta has really aided in John's development.
Also, for the first time in his entire life, John is consistently bearing some weight on his legs when we hold him under his arms. We have seen glimpses of this in the past, but over the last week it happens every day when we give him the chance! Praise God!! I just know my boy will walk! We will keep believing even in the face of doubt. Thank you for continuing to pray for God's healing touch in John's life.
Speaking of John's friends, we went to the cutest 3rd birthday party last week. It had a puppy theme and each child was able to pick out a puppy from the basket (I love the "Puppies for Sale" sign the birthday boy's older brother made):
 |
| I held up two different puppies for John, and he picked "Brutus" by reaching out for him. It made my heart melt that John was able to pick his own puppy using his hands. The other boys were so sweet to read to John, which is still one of his favorite activities. Daniel is in the background running to the next thing he has spied! |
 |
| Daniel enjoyed becoming a puppy with these cute puppy-dog ears the sweet and creative mother made. |
I love that there are things in life that just make us smile...that when we see them, we can't contain it no matter how hard our day or week has been.
Lastly, we'd love your prayers for wisdom for us as we attempt to submit our time to God and tune into how He wants us to spend it... in regards to our children, therapies, relationships, etc. Even as a I type this, I am reminded that as we seek first His Kingdom, everything else will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33).
No comments:
Post a Comment