It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, won't you be mine? Oh won't you be mine? Sorry, I couldn't help it. It really is a gorgeous day today after the rain and the wind of the last two days. Irene limped into the area, huffed and puffed and slid on out leaving limbs down and flowers bedraggled by a bit of a beating. I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed it. There are few things I like better than a rainy Saturday. Things are getting back to normal now that the storm has passed. J is working in the yard, getting all the debris cleaned up and the kids have all gone their separate ways to worship band practice or marching band practice, or video games or homework (hey! a mom can dream!) or whatever else they do while hiding in the rooms acting like teenagers.
I've tried to drag them out and make them spend time together as a family, but it's like pulling teeth. I know they are at that age when they are establishing their own identity, forging their own way, pulling away from mom to form their own life, blah, blah, blah! Where did my little boys all go??! I remember the days when all I had to do was suggest they come sit on my lap, or give me a hug. There was ever a time when I could simply suggest they clean their rooms and, sometimes, they actually did it. Now they have turned into these big smelly creatures with a mind of their own. They don't mind the mess, the clutter, the funky smell. I can "suggest" till I'm blue in the face, but that room won't be cleaned without, usually, a computer ban threat. I think my suggester must be broken.
Lately, I have found my suggestions falling on deaf ears in other areas of my life as well. It seems the answer to some of my prayers has been no or not yet, despite the fact I strongly suggested otherwise. I heard someone say once that they had asked God for something and it hadn't happened and, to them, this indicated He just didn't answer prayer. I tried to be very loving when I informed them, maybe the answer was "no". They looked at me as if I had lost my ever lovin mind. Sometimes we forget "no" is an answer. When we ask things of God, when we share our hearts with Him, He listens. He cares. He feels our pain. The word tells us He even saves every tear we've ever cried. He is, however, also an all knowing God as well as an all loving God and occasionally what we think is best for our life, he knows is not. We can share our hearts with him, thereby deepening our relationship, but He is not a vending machine where you put in the right amount of money/prayer and out pops your desire. The Holy Spirit does not have a suggestion box. To live a truly fulfilled life is to trust that he has the right answers at the right time.
This concept is such a freeing one. No longer do I feel the need to take a list to the Lord of all the things I want/need in my life. I can relax and just enjoy spending time with Him. Sure, I still tell Him what I would like to happen, but I try to remember the answer may still be "no". I remember the word tells us to seek Him first and He will add all the other stuff to us. I find as I spend more time with him that He fills my heart with the desires He wants me to have. When you pray something the Lord wants to do anyway, you can rest assured of that positive outcome.
My goal this week is to relax in my heavenly father knowing he wants only good things for my life and I won't always know what those things are. I hope to begin to respond in a way that pleases him when the answer is "no". I will keep reminding myself that he doesn't need my suggestions on how the world should be run. He's pretty much got a good handle on things.
My teenagers are a different story. I'm thinking of finding a way to move those suggestions into the physical realm, like maybe with a bull whip. I bet that would get their attention! Indiana Jones ain't got nothing on me!
Till next time I'll be
Soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor
No comments:
Post a Comment