What's The Hold Up?

I tell people who don't have children that motherhood is not for the faint at heart. As our kids get older they move further and further away from our protection. Don't get me wrong this is a good thing. I want Sienna to be fearless, to stand on her own and be self assured. She will only gain these attributes through experience. However, some experiences I feel she can do without.

The other day I let Sienna go to the store with a family friend and some other members of our family. At first when Sienna asked me to go I almost said no because I have a tendency to be over protective. It's not like she was going with strangers. Besides she really needs to learn to go places without me. We do almost everything together. Though I am thankful for our bond I want to be sure she maintains a healthy attachment to me and the separation anxiety that she is prone to feel is kept to a minimum. So I checked with her dad to make sure it was fine with him. He gave the green light and we sent her on her way. Just as they were heading to the car a sense of fear and anxiety came over me. I wanted to run outside and stop them but what reason would I have given? Instead I told them to be safe and prayed. I didn't know what I was feeling in my spirit but it wasn't right and asked that God protect them.

Some time had passed. I just knew they should have been back. They were only going to the corner store. I wasn't worried per se just concerned. I had honestly put my anxiety in God's hands and left it there just as Philippians 4:6 encourages us to do. However, I still wondered what was taking so long.

Just as I finished my thought Sienna comes running through the door. "Guess what happened Mom!" She proceeded to tell me while they were there one of the customers pulled a gun on the clerk over five lousy bucks. I couldn't believe what I was hearing but then again I could. The Holy Spirit let me know that something was amiss before they left. I immediately started praising God once again for His divine protection over them all. The beautiful part is not only did He protect them physically but  emotionally as well.

 It's been a week since the incident. Sienna sleeps just fine, her appetite is unchanged, and she doesn't even talk about it nor is it eating her up inside. It's a distant memory. My child is resilient like her parents and I am grateful for that. You see she understands the power of God in her life. Sienna professes regularly that she has an angel that's with her all the time. She even tells me that I have one too. A few days before the incident in the store I told her I would be too scared to go parasailing. Her response with great conviction was, "Not me because with God on my side I know I will come back alive." Touché.

It's natural to want to protect your kids. Some of us want to put them in a jar labeled "look but do not touch" as if they are rare butterflies. This my friends is an unhealthy approach. My parents did it this way and it didn't stop a thing. If anything it only prolonged the inevitable and I learned many of life's lessons way late. I don't fault my folks. They did their best. Truthfully, we have to trust God with our children. He knows the number of their days anyway. It's a unpleasant thought but it is a reality that we should stay aware of.

Sinking In Sin?

Out of all the exams one can take I can't stand multiple choice tests. When I am not sure of myself the various choices can be overwhelming. My first thought is to go with my gut but then I change my mind and talk myself out it. This has really caused me to look at life's situations and see where I am ignoring my gut. It's wonderful how God will always guide you. All you have to do is ask.

Every day we have so many choices we can make. You know that little thing called free will. Every second of every day  there are other forces at work...other voices that can speak into our lives. We have to be careful as to which one we give ear to. If you are allowing something to draw you away from God you can turn it around. It's never too late. Some things are easier said than done though and sound better in theory. I get it. Trust me. I wouldn't doubt if everybody at some point in their lives has had this battle. It's not a fun one either. But you are not alone.

During times like this I can relate to Paul in Romans 7:15-26 when he was discussing how he felt about the sin in his life. When I read the passage I can feel the angst leaping off the page. However, in the last verse he thanks God for Jesus Christ who is powerful to save us all (Romans 7:25). This should serve as reminder of  hope, salvation, and redemption.

Are You Lost

I was thinking about a bumper sticker that I saw once. It read, " If you are following me you are lost too." It made thought about the way we should live our lives as Christians. It is so easy to go through the day not giving thought to the fact that we are representatives of Jesus. We have to make a conscious effort on the daily to tune our minds to that idea. Just as we put on our name tags or ID badges for our jobs, when we get baptized into the family of Christ that is our new identity. It tells the world who we are and who we belong to. I feel we immediately become leaders as we follow Jesus. And we are to be winners of souls (Proverbs 11:30).

I have been a morning person all of my life. No matter how late I get to bed I usually can get right up on time without an alarm clock. As of late that hasn’t been the case. In the morning I hit the snooze for 45 minutes and as I lay there I tell God, “The only way I can get out of this bed is if you get me out and I mean it. I need you!” I get moving with the morning routine. By the time I get Sienna to school I am tired again and could really go back to bed but that is not an option. I must forge ahead. As I drive to my destination I meditate asking God to not only give me the energy to get through the day but the ability to do it with good cheer. I have to ask for the good cheer part because I can be a beast when I am tired. Now that I know myself, I can reign myself in before it becomes a problem. This took time to learn. If I was tired and grouchy I did not care who felt the wrath. It was all about me, and I was this way not too long ago as a newly baptized Christian.

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says to the church “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Wherever we go we are being watched or listened to. Some are watching because they truly look up to us and some are watching in hopes we stumble so they can have something to talk about. Either way we should conduct ourselves the way Paul has urged us. I want others to see God in me as I exercise patience and self control on the mornings I am most fatigued. I don’t want the lost to follow my foolish actions and end up further off course than they already are.

Here are a few sayings my grandmother used to say to us grandchildren when we got into trouble. I think they would make good bumper stickers: You are the blind leading the blind. If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything. What does the bumper sticker of your life say about you?