I am currently at my in-laws house for a week to celebrate the holidays. It is such a well needed nice break from the monotany of life! My mother-in-law is really good at keeping up to date on scrapbooking...her albums are always current! It is fun for me to look back through the last 10 years of pictures, and see and remember my life, where we have been, and what God has brought us through.
Just this morning my mother-in-law and I were reminiscing about how God has provided in the past. It is so important to remember those times, because there will undoubtably be many more uncertain times in the future. Those landmarks of faith, and of God's provision are the strength that carry you through the storms ahead. As we enter this coming new year, I know that it is one of uncertainty for me, and I must admit that I am somewhat fearful of what it holds. How will I manage being a homeschooling mother of four children, while having a auto-immune disease that is triggered by stress and exhaustion? How is the current economic situation that our country is in going to effect me and those I love? Will it get worse, and how much worse? What is our country in for with Obama being our new president? What kind of decisions is he going to make, and how will it effect my children and their future? I could probably "what if" all day long if I let myself! What good would it do though?
One of the stories that we were reminiscing about this morning took place shortly after we moved out to Seattle in 2003. All that we could afford to rent was a moldy basement apartment that was 750 square feet. With two little kids, ages 3 years and 10 months old, it was a challenge for me! All of those rainy days in that dark apartment got mundane and down right hard to get through! To keep my three year old occupied, we would fill up the bathtub with water, and she would put her bathing suit on and pretend that she was going swimming at the beach. One such day, she was going potty before getting into the tub, and was holding her bathing suit in her little hand. As she stood up, and went to flush the toilet, she accidently dropped her bathing suit into the toilet, and down it went into the city sewer. Oh my! You can't even imagine the tears and wailing that occured! After calming her down, I talked with her about how Jesus cares, and we can pray and talk to Him about our sadness. With the faith of a child she prayed, and asked Jesus to "send" her a new bathing suit. We had no money at all, and I knew that God would have to provide.
Several hours later, after the kids were already in bed, my husband came home from a late meeting. He came in the apartment carrying 3 big garbage bags full of size 3T and 4T girls clothes that some annonomous person had left in his office for him to bring home to Molly. I had tears running down my face as I looked through all of those beautiful, like new clothes. As I sorted through them, I found not one, not two, but three adorable bathing suits that were exactly Molly's size! I was so excited to show Molly the next day. I was excited for her to see that God DOES care about her individually, and He DOES answer prayer! I laid the suits out in her room, and the next morning she woke up and came running into our room clutching for dear life, those bathing suits in her chubby little hands. She jumped in bed with us and said, "Mommy, Daddy, Jesus came down the chimney last night and brought me some new bathing suits!" ( Okay, I think she was a little confused at how God works!) Then she stuck the suits under my nose and said, "Smell them! They smell just like Heaven!"
God provided for us that day, and that was just something minor...a bathing suit! That was only the beginning of incredible things that God was going to do in our family in the coming years. To this day, Molly talks about that incident, and I think that it was really the beginning of her knowing without a doubt that God is real and He loves her.
A couple of years ago, I did a Beth Moore study called "Believing God." What an awesome reminder it was to me that God is who He says He is, and God can do what He says He can do! He is ALL powerful, ALL knowing, and everywhere present. That is such a comfort to me! You would think that with the ways He has shown Himself faithful in my life, I would never worry or fear, but alas, I am apparently not a quick learner!
So, as we head into this next year, trust that the God of this universe is in control. He loves YOU, He cares deeply about YOUR concerns, and He will be faithful!
"Cast all of your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
___________________________________________________________________
How about you? How has God provided for you? What fears and worries do you need to give Him today?
Just this morning my mother-in-law and I were reminiscing about how God has provided in the past. It is so important to remember those times, because there will undoubtably be many more uncertain times in the future. Those landmarks of faith, and of God's provision are the strength that carry you through the storms ahead. As we enter this coming new year, I know that it is one of uncertainty for me, and I must admit that I am somewhat fearful of what it holds. How will I manage being a homeschooling mother of four children, while having a auto-immune disease that is triggered by stress and exhaustion? How is the current economic situation that our country is in going to effect me and those I love? Will it get worse, and how much worse? What is our country in for with Obama being our new president? What kind of decisions is he going to make, and how will it effect my children and their future? I could probably "what if" all day long if I let myself! What good would it do though?
One of the stories that we were reminiscing about this morning took place shortly after we moved out to Seattle in 2003. All that we could afford to rent was a moldy basement apartment that was 750 square feet. With two little kids, ages 3 years and 10 months old, it was a challenge for me! All of those rainy days in that dark apartment got mundane and down right hard to get through! To keep my three year old occupied, we would fill up the bathtub with water, and she would put her bathing suit on and pretend that she was going swimming at the beach. One such day, she was going potty before getting into the tub, and was holding her bathing suit in her little hand. As she stood up, and went to flush the toilet, she accidently dropped her bathing suit into the toilet, and down it went into the city sewer. Oh my! You can't even imagine the tears and wailing that occured! After calming her down, I talked with her about how Jesus cares, and we can pray and talk to Him about our sadness. With the faith of a child she prayed, and asked Jesus to "send" her a new bathing suit. We had no money at all, and I knew that God would have to provide.
Several hours later, after the kids were already in bed, my husband came home from a late meeting. He came in the apartment carrying 3 big garbage bags full of size 3T and 4T girls clothes that some annonomous person had left in his office for him to bring home to Molly. I had tears running down my face as I looked through all of those beautiful, like new clothes. As I sorted through them, I found not one, not two, but three adorable bathing suits that were exactly Molly's size! I was so excited to show Molly the next day. I was excited for her to see that God DOES care about her individually, and He DOES answer prayer! I laid the suits out in her room, and the next morning she woke up and came running into our room clutching for dear life, those bathing suits in her chubby little hands. She jumped in bed with us and said, "Mommy, Daddy, Jesus came down the chimney last night and brought me some new bathing suits!" ( Okay, I think she was a little confused at how God works!) Then she stuck the suits under my nose and said, "Smell them! They smell just like Heaven!"
God provided for us that day, and that was just something minor...a bathing suit! That was only the beginning of incredible things that God was going to do in our family in the coming years. To this day, Molly talks about that incident, and I think that it was really the beginning of her knowing without a doubt that God is real and He loves her.
A couple of years ago, I did a Beth Moore study called "Believing God." What an awesome reminder it was to me that God is who He says He is, and God can do what He says He can do! He is ALL powerful, ALL knowing, and everywhere present. That is such a comfort to me! You would think that with the ways He has shown Himself faithful in my life, I would never worry or fear, but alas, I am apparently not a quick learner!
So, as we head into this next year, trust that the God of this universe is in control. He loves YOU, He cares deeply about YOUR concerns, and He will be faithful!
"Cast all of your cares upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
___________________________________________________________________
How about you? How has God provided for you? What fears and worries do you need to give Him today?
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