Tales of a Thankful Mom

          I am so blessed to be a part of a community of encouragers. I had a stressful evening Sunday night. I remembered that one of my friends had been in a similar situation to the one that was causing me to worry. I called that friend Monday morning. Not only did my friend and her husband offer words of encouragement, but they also reminded me that another dear friend had dealt with a similar issue. I called this friend and she encouraged me and prayed with me. I am so thankful that God gave us a community of people to walk with through life. I would not be who I am today or where I am today without my tribe. Who can you encourage today? 

          I desire wholeness in my life. At times, life feels so broken. I feel so broken. I wish I could wave a magic wand and restore all the broken things making them beautiful. I need to remember that I am not the Potter. I do not see the full picture, nor do I know the Master Plan. In fact, I know that there are things that had they been restored they way I wished they would have still been functionally broken. These things would have been made to look prettier, but the things still would have been irreparably in pieces. I need true wholeness from God not a bad aid fix. I want to close with these words from a song by Natalie Grant. “Help me want the Healer More than the healing Help me want the Savior More than the saving Help me want the Giver More than the giving Oh, help me want You, Jesus More than anything”

          I was telling friends the other day that a couple of years ago I read a quote that said, “Love doesn’t mind being interrupted.” I asked my pastor once, “If I pray asking for patience, does that mean I am asking for trials?” His response was that life tends to give us plenty of opportunities to practice patience. I do want to be a more patient Mom. I know I am setting an example for my three children, and I don’t want to ask something of them that I am not practicing myself. So, when I feel like  I’m about to blow my top, I need to take a deep  breath, throw up a flare prayer and remember that a gentle response is the best response. Does anyone else have any advice on developing patience? 

         I had a comforting conversation with a friend today. A very comforting sentence is, “Did that happen to you too?” It is encouraging to be understood. I was reminded of the importance of empathy. Especially empathy for those who live with me. Why does it seem harder to put myself “in my children’s shoes” as the expression goes? If I am honest, it is because I get stuck in my own perspective and I am not thinking about life from their perspective. I want to live intentionally by being a more understanding parent, daughter, and friend. Who can you show comfort to today?

          I often try to find peace in the wrong places. Peace is found in the person of Jesus. I know this, but when I am scared or anxious, I forget this truth. I want to fix it, or I want to distract myself so I don’t deal with the emotions I am feeling. It doesn’t work anyway my emotions end up coming out in random ways. It is better when I remember to take my hurts to the prince of Peace. Confessing my hurts to Jesus, and trusting him to bind up broken places is what I need. May I remember to run to Him when I long for peace.

 “Not that I speak from [any personal] need, for I have learned to be content [and self-sufficient through Christ, satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or uneasy] regardless of my circumstances. I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need. I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpose—I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency; I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses me with inner strength and confident peace.]” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:11-13‬ ‭AMP‬‬           It is mind boggling to realize that many Biblical scholars believe Paul wrote the words from prison. I wrote about living out what I learned yesterday, and the Apostle Paul was living out what

 🎶You give me everything I need 🎶   I thought of this song by Lauren Diagle. This is a truth I should preach to myself daily. I read a book yesterday, that encouraged me to approach my children with this question when they are struggling. “What do they need?@ Sometimes, we just need to be reminded that we are loved and that someone is willing to sit with us in the middle of confusing emotions. I am so thankful that God is Immanuel, God with us. He came to earth to make a way to bring us home to Him for eternity. Tell Him your needs today. He cares more than we can comprehend.