Tales of a Thankful Mom

          I hate disappointing people. Whether it be disappointing God, my kids, my parents, other family members or friends, it grieves me to hear disappointment in their voice or to see an expression of disappointment on their face. It is hard for me to pray if I know I disappointed God. If my Dad told me that he was disappointed in me as a kid, it would cause me to want to fix the situation and make it right. I have learned that being humble and saying I'm sorry is important first step when I have disappointed someone. Also making an effort to make the situation better is vital in relieving the sting of disappointment. When it is a situation that I cannot fix offering grace and love and just being present with the disappointed person is a way to comfort others on a disappointing day. How do you deal with life's disappointments? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

     One truth that I remind myself of often is that I don't need to try to hold everything together, God does. God holds everything together, and He loves each of us more than we can imagine. My daughter was talking to me this morning about how love connects her to family members that live on the other side of the country. I am glad that she can rely on these connections. I am glad that my daughter knows that she has many family members that love her. May these relationships continue to be a place of love and support as she grows older.

         I was given a beautiful gift recently from Hope Ahead Ministries these two beautiful necklaces pictured below. The necklaces are a visual reminder that true freedom comes from Jesus. These necklaces remind me of something that one of my friends who is pastor said. He describes our spiritual growth as a caterpillar that has changed into a butterfly. One would never describe calls a butterfly as a caterpillar that was changed by metamorphosis. A butterfly is simply a butterfly. A butterfly is free to fly. Because of Jesus, I am made new. I am free. May I remember to live and walk in freedom daily. Remembering this freedom is part of living a life of shalom which is my #Oneword for this year.  I want to embrace my freedom in Christ and find healing and wholeness, shalom in him.

       “Mom, I need help!” I probably hear one of my children call out these words to me at least once a day. Sometimes, the request will be followed by the words, “Never mind” as the child has figured out the solution to his or her problem. I am thankful that my kids know that they can come to me for help. Sometimes quite frequently my eldest daughter will ask me for help and then change her mind and decide to solve her problem on her. “I got it. It can do it myself.” I am reminded that I act a lot like my children at times. I think I need to handle problems myself. I need to remember to rely on God, and not just my own understanding. My own understanding can sometimes lead me astray. I also want to remember that God placed me in a family and a community for a reason. I am so thankful for the love and kindness of family and friends. We are better together.

          Today, as I was thinking of the word breathe I thought of the line from Matt Redman’s song, “Your Grace Finds Me.” Matt sings, “I am breathing in Your grace. I’m breathing out Your praise.” I need to immerse myself  in the grace of God to have an attitude of praise. I too often lose sight of God’s grace and then I wonder why I feel so tired, cranky, and defeated. I need to remember whose I am. I need to spend quiet time with God abiding with Him drinking in His Truth. This is the air I breathe.  

           The word Yours was my #OneWord365 for 2017. I needed this word during that season of my life, as it was my last full year living in an abusive situation. Reminding myself that I and my children belonged to God gave me the courage to leave my toxic marriage and make a fresh start and a cross country move to be close to family in my home state. The truth that I belong to God, that my children and extended family belong to God has comforted me a great deal the past three years. I am so thankful that I can rest in the assurance that I am God's child.

           One of the unexpected blessings of this season is that I have been able to watch church services from the churches that I used to attend when I lived in New Mexico. Thanks to technology and a welcoming pastor friend, I am now in a zoom community group that is an outreach of one of these churches. We are meeting online right now, but I and others who live in other states will be able to continue meeting with our group even when the group begins in person meetings. I am so thankful for the community that I have found in the body of Christ even in the midst of social distancing. I am thankful for the tools zoom, YouTube, and the Internet that help connect brothers and sisters in Christ. even when we live many miles away from each other.