Because Every Moment is an Opportunity

Mar 21, 2011 | The Good Word, The Parenthood

Isaiah 40:11 says “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.”

The Lord has been gentle with me these days, where I only find brief moments to meet with Him — the long drinks of daily morning study are a bit hindered by present circumstances, and tiredness keeps me from seeking Him long in the evenings.

But I have made a fresh discovery. It is as Jesus said: “Lo, I am with you always.”

And in these moments, as I try to remember if I’ve rinsed the shampoo from my hair or as I grab a pinch of salt to stir into a banana bread loaf-to-be, I find Him and thank Him, mentioning in the moment something great or small I want to bring to His throne. Surrendering future plans. Thanking Him for present joys. Even letting go of things past that have long needed letting go of.

Even with just a moment.

I watch a newborn tummy rise and fall, one breath after another, and I pause standing over the tiny sleeper to thank the Creator of the Universe who is enabling each one of those breaths to be. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord.

Perhaps you find yourself in a season of hurry. Perhaps your heart or your circumstances are a hindrance to long walks or long talks, deep reading or quiet prayers.

Know that each moment is an opportunity.

Though I cannot stand long at the vat of grace just now, still it seems that with these short draughts of thankfulness, my cup overflows.

xCC

Too Tired for Travelling Tuesday OR Strength in Grace

Mar 15, 2011 | The Good Word, The Parenthood

This morning I woke up (for the third time) around 7:15 am, pretty tired after also being up around 2:30 and around 5:30. Dear sweet little brother is doing well, but his timetable is a bit out of sorts, you see.

I cradled our precious bundle in my arms, my eyes still sleepy and closing on their own, and lifted my head to the Lord to say:

Lord, give me strength for today.

Now here’s the backstory to what a prayer like that means from a girl like me.

If I ask the Lord for strength first thing in the morning, I am asking for the supernatural ability to be a mover and shaker when I don’t feel like it. I’m asking for the strength to be a perfect Mom to the Bear and to Little Brother. I don’t want to step out of bounds or say anything I shouldn’t. I want to be a perfectly supportive wife and continually warm and welcoming to our darling house guest/helper. I want to tackle at least two loads of laundry — including stain treatments that have been awaiting my attention — fix a decent lunch and a delectable dinner, and do it all with a smile on my face. And heck, if I get a chance to bake something tasty, you know that’s on my list, too. {And all of these things must be interspersed in between nursing and help-the-baby-nap sessions, usually every couple hours.}

I was happy to be beginning the morning with prayer, even when I felt so tired. And as I settled in for a moment for Little Brother to enjoy his breakfast, I grabbed the One-Minute Devotional book Morning by Morning by Charles Spurgeon, which was sitting on my bedside table.

These words met me on the page:

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. {2 Timothy 2:1}

I’m asking for strength, and I’m being told to find it in grace.

The Lord met me with these words to say that I am better off finding strength in His grace than asking for strength so that I can use it as my own, to try to be perfect. In His grace, it is okay that I’m tired. I have a newborn, after all. And it’s okay if I’m moving slowly and can’t accomplish everything on my list today. Grace is telling me it’s okay that I’m not perfect. Jesus is the only perfect one, and as Spurgeon explained it, like a reservoir emptying into pipes, His grace is ever-ready to pardon, to cleanse, to preserve, to strengthen, to enlighten, to bring life, or to restore. I imagine I might find an impartation of wisdom in His grace, to clarify what should be on my list today.

“Grace is always available from Him, freely and without price.”

So instead of seeking the strength to make a good performance today, I’m finding the strength that His grace affords me — a human being before a human doing — to rest in His goodness, without anxiousness or a furrowed brow of fret.

Jesus says:

Don’t worry — Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In Him we live and move and have our being.

I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing.

If I stick close to the Source, I find it again and again: it is Amazing Grace.

So, I’m a little too tired to put together a Travelling Tuesday for you today. But I’m confident that there’s grace for that. You are welcome to travel to Se7en {the life and times of a homeschooling Mom of 7 +1} where I’ve been featured on Se7en’s Missionary Focus. {What an amazing woman, behind that blog!! So inspiring.} I’ll be around, of course, but I’ll be resting in His grace.

xCC