While my children usually enjoy performing on stage, in person, their feelings are never hidden. Their body language alone communicates their emotions.
Frustrated
Tickled
She's jealous that he caught a fish before she did and watches to make sure he doesn't do it again.
This flirtatious expression means "I love you".
Her serious look
Happy pride over losing a tooth
Our daughter likes to express herself through writing. Last spring, she would set up a blanket in our backyard and write about what she observed. She insisted that writing about God's creation required that she be outside where she could experience the sun, breeze, grass, trees, etc.
Writing poetry in April 2010
Here is as sample of her "poetry" from April 2010.
WORLD
The sun is shining, The breeze is blowing, The grass is growing, The flowers are blooming, And that is the way it is.
Today while she was supposed to be doing her spelling assignment and cleaning her room, she wrote a poetic letter for her brother instead. If she had implemented the grammar rules I have been teaching her this past year, I may have let her letter count as a school assignment, but alas, her spelling assignment is still incomplete.
Our 6 year old expresses her feelings toward her brother in a poetic letter
Translation:
THE LOVING BOY
Oh! The loving boy,
The loving boy
How sweet is he
From opening doors,
Ladies first,
To his feel so good hugs.
He may be messy.
He may be rude.
But never mind,
He is as sweet as can be.
Loving boy, loving boy,
Did I ever tell you?
You are a teddy bear!
So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so hugable!
Loving boy, loving boy,
That is all I have to say.
Now I have to go, so Bye Bye!
The End
My daughter's voluntary free expression through writing has inspired me, though. I began blogging many years ago as a way to keep distant family and friends updated on our family. Now, however, my blog has become a wonderful form of therapy for me. Putting my thoughts into written words has helped untangle my mind and bring peace to my spirit. I'm so thankful for my 6 year old's example.
Our children have also taught me a more appropriate way to greet guests who come to our home. When they know someone is coming, they will begin looking out the front windows with their noses pressed against the glass in anxious anticipation long before the guests' expected arrival time. When guests arrive, they run to the door and out to greet them with wild yelps and lots of hugs and kisses. Sometimes even strangers or servicemen receive this type of greeting. From the moment guests arrive to the moment they leave, our kids are usually lavishing them with love and affection and possibly talking the guests' poor ears off. No matter what type of meal I prepare or how diligently I clean the house before our company arrives, I suppose that the only thing our guests will notice and remember is the way our kids welcomed them.
Greet one another with a holy kiss. (2 Corinthians 13:12)
It seems silly to consider adults greeting each other the way our children welcome guests. However, I can't help but wonder how different the world would be if we regularly communicated our love to others through our body language, spoken words, and perhaps through writing poetic letters as my daughter does so regularly. I tend to think the world would be a better place.
Lesson #2: Forgive Quickly
Our children are best friends, yet they sometimes argue as one might expect from a pair of siblings, especially now that the younger one is old enough to begin refusing his sister's orders. When they do argue, however, they never remain angry at each other for very long. In fact, the worst punishment they can receive, in their minds, is to be separated. Forgiveness is offered quickly, often even before penitence leads the offender to sincere repentance. They would rather forgive one another so they can resume playing together again than harbor any bitterness. They are still quite young, but I do hope and pray the spirit of forgiveness will remain steadfast.
Good friends readily forgive
The person I have the hardest time forgiving is myself. When I have wronged my children or misjudged a situation, they have always accepted my repentance quite easily. Their forgiveness feels like a shower of healing balm poured out over my soul. I am so thankful for their readiness to forgive.
My shower of forgiveness
Forgiveness can sometimes become harder as we experience the same hurts over and over again. When a friend I trusted handed me a check in exchange for my car, I never doubted that her check was good. It wasn't until I had deposited the check and had relocated to another part of the country that I learned that the check had bounced. After some time in prayer and realizing that I would not be receiving a good check or an apology, I was reminded that everything we think we possess really belongs to the Lord. That car was God's, not mine. It did not take me long to forgive, and I became wiser regarding which form of payment I would accept in future business transactions.
Further financial losses came through broken contracts. I was hurt by how freely people seemed to take advantage of me financially. During that time, two sets of friends in different parts of the country were each facing heart wrenching tragedies as victims of drunk driving accidents. Even in their great loss, they offered Christlike forgiveness to those at fault, so who was I to grow bitter over silly monetary squabbles? Sadly, it took a little longer to regain proper perspective with each successive financial infraction, but forgiveness and the resulting freedom that forgiveness brings did eventually come. These minor money issues paled in comparison to future unjust financial losses which were over 12 times higher than the value of that first car. As the theme continued and the stakes increased, forgiving became more difficult. I tried to forgive again and again, but when I would see my offender, all I could see was the monetary obligation.
The hurt I felt with each of those early financial injustices was like a tiny splinter in my heart. When I tried to pick it out with tweezers (human means), I only pushed it in deeper, but when I looked up to Heaven and resumed my work, the activity of being about my Father's business caused the splinter to work its way out, freeing me from the pain and irritation.
With each fiscal offense, the stakes increased, and the splinters grew larger. The last one was so annoying that I just couldn't make myself leave the splinter alone. It nagged me constantly, and the more I tried to pull it out, the more irritation and swelling I experienced. I kept asking, "Why do people think that because I have something they don't have that they are entitled to take it from me?" Giving to those in need is great joy, but having things taken from me feels terrible. I cried out to God asking, "How many more times will I need to forgive someone for stealing from me?" Then the Lord reminded me of Matthew 19:21-22:
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
When the Lord allows a series of hurts into our lives, they often carry a common theme, and He uses these hurts to train us unto righteousness. For me, the theme was money. Was I holding on to money too tightly? God was preparing me for the day when I would give up a prosperous career to stay home with our children. Now I can say that I am thankful for those hurts which God has been using to teach me to let go of earthly things. Money can't buy the freedom, joy, and inner stability that come through walking by faith.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6: 19-20)
Another area in which I have experienced repeated offense is in regard to my reputation. Why do some people feel compelled to speak evil against others? While slander is repeatedly condemned throughout scripture, I am sure there have been many times when my actions or attitudes have merited negative commentary. At other times, the hurtful words have been due to misunderstandings. On occasion, the slander was possibly aimed at me simply because of my decision to follow Christ.
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. (2 Timothy 3:12)
I know that whatever someone says about me will inevitably influence the way those who hear the gossip perceive me and could easily distort how my words and actions are interpreted. So, when evil is spoken against me, my instinct is to retreat. However, God commands us to forgive. He also teaches in His word that we can always overcome falsehood with His truth. We must always hold on to the truth of who we are in Christ. As a believer, I am a child of God, and nothing anyone can say about me will change my identity in Him. Their words may alter others' perceptions of me for a time, but my identity never changes, and the truth will eventually come to light.
29"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. (John 10:29)
We have been sealed by His Spirit guaranteeing our identity and inheritance.
21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1: 21-22)
While others may attack my reputation, no person or thing can change who I am in Christ. I wrote in more detail about my journey to self identity in this post. Therefore, we should easily forgive those who speak evil against us as Christ has so mercifully forgiven us.
1 Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. (Psalm 32: 1-2)
I am so thankful for the way my children daily remind me to quickly forgive others and myself.
My mind has been whirring all weekend with thoughts for various blog posts, but when I opened my laptop to begin writing these thoughts down, my mind began processing something totally different. While there are many life lessons and eternal truths that I want to press onto the hearts and minds of our children, for now, I can't help but reflect on some of the life lessons our kids have been teaching me instead.
Lesson #1: Pursue Your Dreams
When our daughter gets an idea in her mind, she executes it. She doesn't stop and ponder all the reasons why her idea may not be feasible or obtainable. She's an optimist, so she initially assumes that whatever she wants to accomplish is achievable.
Our Dreamer
Matthew 17:20
And He said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
I had so many dreams and aspirations as a child. While some of those dreams were selfish, some were God given. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, it becomes clearer which dreams are from the Lord and really worth pursuing.
Perhaps my engineering profession hampered my ability to dream. One of the keys to successful engineering is to perform failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) repeatedly throughout the design, planning, and management phases of product development. All possible causes of failure must be considered and then designed out of the product. Without FMEA, bridges fall, products break, and processes fail. While FMEA is critical in product or process development, it can turn into a crippling fear of failure if we apply it to our hopes and dreams, looking only at failure potential instead of possibilities for fruitfulness. To live life to it's fullest, faith must enter the equation.
Over the years as life has gotten busier and my focus has been turned toward the constant and immediate demands of parenting young children, I haven't found much time for dreaming. Life experiences have made me more pragmatic and cautious. Whenever an aspiration does cross my mind, I often consider every obstacle and my shortcomings instead of looking at promising possibilities.
Our daughter's big idea last week was to begin a "Save the Earth" club. I have no idea what motivated her to start the club except that she briefly mentioned Genesis 1:28-29 which talks about God giving man stewardship responsibility over the earth. Within a day of coming up with this idea, she had developed a club roster, sign-in sheets for meetings, and club rules. She invited a number of friends and neighbors to join the club and left me this note asking me to be the club leader.
She told me the club would begin saving the earth by picking up trash, so I sent her to her room to begin trash pick-up there. Yesterday, I cut back my liriopes, so I suggested that as the founder of the Save the Earth club, she should help me pick up the leaves and clippings from our yard. She's a hard worker whenand only when the motivation is her own creative idea.
Recently, her creative aspirations have inspired her to establish a Girls' club, begin writing a "book" (entitled The Fox Girl) which she plans to publish (hum...we'll see about that one), learn to score points on a 9' basketball goal (I wrote about that here), develop all sorts of recipes, and begin learning to play several instruments. Her latest dreams are to become an animal rescuer and to live on a horse farm. While she cannot convince her parents to relocate to a horse farm, she did at least inspire us to go over budget on her birthday party so she could invite 19 of her closest friends to a horse farm for pony rides. She sees possibilities, not obstacles. No one can rise to low expectations, and she rises best when the expectations are her own.
As a result of observing my daughter, I have begun dreaming again. At first, I listed in my mind all the reasons why I could never pursue such crazy dreams, but the Lord, in His mercy, has sent me an army of encouragers who will not let me totally dismiss these outlandish aspirations. The Lord has even begun to open a few doors. My perspective is beginning to resemble childlike faith again. Now, it seems to me that the only obstacle that matters is the will of God. If my aspirations are from Him and for His glory, anything is possible. I cannot fully express how much joy has flooded my heart since I have allowed myself to dream again.
Remembering my own childhood dream of owning a horse
Since the title of this blog is "Abounding in Grace", I thought I would use the letters in "Abounding Grace" as an acronym to summarize some of our family's highlights in February 2011.
A = AWANA Theme Nights
Our kids love AWANA, and they especially like theme nights.
I got to help serve on Crazy Hair Night (February 9). Photo credit goes to our daughter's club leader.
B = Best Friends
Our son has enjoyed spending more time with his best "little lady" friend these past few months. On the day of her birthday party, he got to spend 12 straight hours with her. Last spring, he asked this sweet little girl to marry him, and she accepted his offer this past fall. I know they are only pretending at this age, and even though she is a precious little girl from a family we respect, their little relationship is a heart wrenching reminder that time goes by so fast. Before I know it, he really will be old enough to marry.
Thanks to the birthday girl's family for letting me use their photos in this layout.
O = Orange Feather
Our daughter earned an orange feather in Y Princesses for giving me a night off. She gave me the evening of Valentine's Day off by cooking dinner (my favorite entree too!) and cleaning up the dining room and kitchen after dinner in my place (with help from her dear dad).
Dinner Table
Our 6 year old's recipe
U = UPWARD Basketball
Our daughter really improved her game this month. She got more aggressive and started scoring points. She really had her "game on" today when my parents drove up to watch her play. I have never witnessed such an encouraging team of young girls, and their parents were unbelievably supportive. Despite our daughter's age, height, and basketball experience difference, she became great friends with all the girls on the team. We are so thankful for this church's willingness to share their fine facilities and generous volunteers with the surrounding community.
When she shared her cupcakes with cupcake caps last week, her teammates were amazed!
We enjoyed the UPWARD awards celebration tonight. The church served dinner to over 500 people, presented a slide show of photos from this season's games, and handed out awards. Then a talented illusionist wowed the kids with his tricks which he used as visual aids in a Gospel presentation.
N = Nostalgia
The year we first met
I have been overcome with nostalgia this month as I chronicled my love story with my husband in a 10 part series (Part 1 starts here). I also relived lots of childhood memories as I put together a scrapbook for my mother's 70th birthday that included 70 fond memories I have with her. That book led to a 5 part blog series on lessons my mom has taught me over the years (Part 1 starts here).
Mom, me, and my "little me"
D = Deer
The deer continued to eat what shards of leaves and grass we have left in our yard.
I = Indoor Swimming
One of our daughter's friends decided to have a pool party for her birthday this month. Swimming isn't exactly the first party theme that comes to mind when I think of a February birthday, but it was the best party theme all winter. Splashing around in a heated indoor pool provided a wonderful break to the winter doldrums.
N = Negligible Snowfall
My husband's family (and the majority of American residents) received all time record snow this month. His family's region's snowfall surpassed previous records by almost a foot! Unlike the rest of the country, we only received a dusting of snow this month. Our biggest snow was not even enough to interrupt the golfers who were playing around our neighborhood.
Our biggest snowfall in February 2011
G = Green Smoothies
Green smoothies became my new favorite health food this month. With 33 grams of protein, 2 servings of dairy, 1 serving of vegetables, 5 days worth of Vitamin K, a rich chocolate covered strawberry flavor, and a smooth texture, what's not to like? Well, I suppose the color is a bit of a turn-off unless you are between the ages of 4-6. Our kids thought the color was very cool indeed.
G = Granite Counter Tops
After 2 years of nudging from our realtor, we finally replaced our Corian counter tops in our kitchen and 1/2 bath with granite.
R = Rivalry
When it comes to college or professional sports, sibling rivalry takes on new meaning at our house. Our daughter pulls for my college alma mater while our son pulls for my dad's favorite team. Each sibling pulled for opposing teams during the Super Bowl this year as well. Our son prefers to be the contrarian in our family.
They made signs supporting their favorite opposing teams.
A =Adorable Act
The kids put on quite a show at my mother's surprise birthday party. They were so cute in their 50s era costumes that I hope no one minded too much when they forgot their lines/choreography and when they missed pitch during the performance!
C = Circus
We enjoyed a fun family night at the "Greatest Show on Earth".
E = Eternal Life
On February 16, our son accepted Christ as Lord and Savior!
I have been an avid runner for over 20 years, but the past 5 years of running have been a struggle due to multiple injuries. I feel as if I have injured every part of my body at least 3 times during these past 5 years. As a result, I have spent a ridiculous amount of time and money on orthopedic doctors, chiropractors, physical therapy, and rehabilitation equipment.
My first 15 years of running competitively, even at marathon distances, were virtually pain free. Why do I feel like I have fallen apart over the past 5 years? Why does the patellar tracking disorder (aka “runner’s knee”) that prevented me from running a race this past October continue to torment me after 4 months of limited to no running?
As I have been evaluating my condition and working through a wide assortment of rehabilitation treatments, I keep comparing myself to a car. Cars come in all shapes, sizes, and performance levels. I drive a Honda CR-V.
This vehicle is ideal for practical minded, busy families with small children. The oil only needs to be changed every 10,000 miles, so a tire rotation and oil change can be done during the same service appointment. It takes regular unleaded gasoline and only needs limited maintenance. It gets decent gas mileage and has plenty of cargo capacity which growing families desperately need. It’s a safe, reliable, economical car. It’s built for the long haul, but it cannot go very fast (top speed is rated at only 88mph), and it takes a full 9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph.
2009 Bugatti Veyron (photo from Edmunds.com)
My husband likes fast cars. The Bugatti Veyron is the fastest car on earth. It’s top speed is 253 mph, and it can go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. It’s a beautiful car that sits very low to the ground. It seats 2 people and only has 3.5 cu. ft. of cargo space. Unlike the CR-V, this car is extremely high maintenance. It needs new Michelin Pilot Sport tires ($10,000) every 2,500 miles and new wheels ($60,000) every 3 tire changes. Estimated total yearly maintenance costs for this vehicle exceed $300,000. The list price for this vehicle is a whopping $1,705,769! This car only gets 8 mpg around the city and 14 mpg on the highway. It’s fast but very expensive!
Mustang GT
A middle of the road car to consider is the Mustang GT. The 2007 model’s MSRP was $25,695. It can reach speeds up to 149 mph. It gets about 17 miles per gallon around town and 25 mpg on the highway. It has average cargo space and requires average maintenance. This vehicle's peak horsepower is 300hp at 5700 rpm, and it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.
The following table compares these 3 cars:
When I was young and single, I was in a Mustang GT phase of life. With a good job and no kids to support, I could afford a fun car with average gas mileage. I had time for the average maintenance required. I didn't need a lot of cargo space, but traveled enough to need more luggage space than the Bugatti Veyron offered. I usually had friends in the car with me so I needed seating for more than 2. During that phase of life, I enjoyed running races at a fast pace with good acceleration. I usually ran without any injury and recovered within a day of running a full marathon. I was a strong, fast, solid Mustang GT convertible (or at least I would like to think I was).
Now that I stay home to educate my young children, I need a practical SUV. I don't have the resources, time, or patience for high maintenance vehicles. I don't care if my car is fast. I just want it to get me where I'm going and have enough room for my kids, their car seats, and all their stuff. I don't have time to shop for a new car anytime soon, so I hope this Honda will last me for many more years and for at least 200,000 miles.
I think the problem I'm having with my running right now is that I'm trying to be a Bugatti Veyron during a Honda CR-V season of life. My short stature certainly has me running low to the ground like a sports car. When I did some 1/2 marathon training last fall, my training runs were faster than I had ever run before. I'm no spring chicken anymore. Some days I feel like a 1970 Ford Pinto trying to keep up with a Bugatti Veyron, but I'm afraid to slow down lest someone rear-end me causing my fuel tank to explode (1970 Ford Case Papers here). Thankfully, when I was rear-ended this past December, I was in my reliable Honda CR-V!
I have probably run over 20,000 miles in my lifetime. I desperately need new tires as anyone who has suffered plantar fasciitis has surely proclaimed. My knees need new lubrication, so an oil change is in order. My lungs could probably use a new air filter, too. Childbirth and scoliosis have put my pelvis and spinal frame out of alignment which is causing uneven wear on my tires and my joints. Getting an alignment done on a high performance car is no easy task! I'm learning to stretch a lot, and I try to warm up my engine before I start running at full throttle. I'm paying the high maintenance bills of a Bugatti, but I need to build my body for the long haul like a Honda CR-V. Why, then, do I feel such a need..."the need for speed"?
It's fun to run fast and to aim for first place in a race. The personal challenge is gratifying. However, I must not lose focus on God's purpose for my life. I have to take care of the body He has given me so that I can fulfill the calling He has placed on my life. If I want to continue running at 1001 hp at 6000 rpm (Bugatti specs), then I have to commit to the enormous cost of maintaining that level of performance. The Bugatti requires premium fuel, so I need to make sure that everything I put into my body is clean and nourishing (big oops!). Muscle cars get low gas mileage. Similarly, a human body with a large ratio of muscle mass will have a higher metabolism and burn fuel more quickly. High performance cars have larger gas tanks than fuel efficient cars. High levels of physical fitness necessitate consuming a lot of calories each day (no problem!). High performance cars require the most expensive tires, oils, engines, and parts. High performance athletes must wear the best footwear and orthopedic equipment money can buy. High performance cars need continuous maintenance. Athletes who have been training rigorously for many years must remain under the watchful care of skilled doctors and physical therapists (these last 2 are becoming more of a problem as they drain my time and wallet). Stretching and preventative maintenance are critical to injury prevention.
This car analogy applies to spiritual performance as well. To live the Christian life at peak performance, we must continuously abide with our Designer, Creator, Sustainer, and Supreme Mechanic (John 15:4). We must regularly feast at the banquet table of God's Word. We cannot neglect daily preventative maintenance through quiet times of seeking the Lord in prayer.
To reach top speeds, the Bugatti Veyron must be lightweight. It does not allow its driver to carry much baggage with only 3.5 cubic feet of cargo space compared to the 35.7 cu. ft. found in a Honda CR-V. If we are going to run to win, we must throw off every weight that slows us down and every sin that hinders our Christian walk.
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
I know I that I cannot push my body full throttle like a race car all the time and remain physically healthy, nor do I want to speed through life without taking time to savor these precious moments that I cannot get back. However, when it comes to living the Christian life, I want to train for peak performance and run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
... and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” (Psalm 62:12)
I have seen Galatians 6:7-8 evidenced in my mother's life. Indeed, we reap what we sow. She has sown kindness, faithfulness, friendship, and generosity. Now she is reaping the fruit from those friendships she has forged. Her birthday party was a splendid celebration because so many people love her and wanted to celebrate with her (Romans 12:15).
Before the party (bottom left), Mom had no clue what was about to take place.
Some people got a little misty eyed when she first walked into the party room. (oops!)
Mom almost always has a favorite color scheme or favorite set of collectibles. Her tendency to have favorites has made gift buying easier. It also prompts others to think of her when they see items for her collections while out shopping. Since she has always liked the color blue and decorates with blue and yellow, we naturally chose those colors for her party.
There is a funny story behind that flower arrangement. Mom and her sister are experts at repurposing.
In addition to having favorite colors and collectibles, Mom also had a favorite song while dating Dad. So, our kids dressed up in 50s era clothing (the poodle skirt was made by the kids' paternal grandmother) and performed that 1955 number one hit single as a dedication to my parents who will celebrate 50 years of marriage next year. Having and expressing "favorites" sure is helpful to others who want to give back to you!
To conclude this series, I want to say thanks, Mom, for all the lessons you have taught me over the years and for modeling a life well lived.
Deuteronomy 4:40
Keep his decrees and commands, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land the LORD your God gives you for all time.
Another quality about my mother that I hope to emulate in my life is her ability to cultivate genuine and abiding friendships. I remember Mom maintaining extremely close friendships with my dad, her parents, her siblings, her children, neighbors, co-workers, church family, etc. She has always been my closest friend whom I call when I have good or bad news to share or when I need someone to lean upon. She's the one I shared my hopes, dreams, and concerns with first before I married my husband, and she still continues to be a bosom buddy to me.
Two of my favorite little friends
I know it was a huge inconvenience on my parents when I had to move back home for a few months before my wedding. Yet, I cherish that time and all the long talks we had about life as we planned the wedding together. My heart's desire is to have that type of relationship with my own children.
Mom showed me that close friendships require a huge and steady investment of time and energy. Mom worked a full time job while raising 2 children and serving her family and community, yet I always knew she had time for me. I assume that all her friends know they can trust her and depend upon her 100%. I pray the Lord will enable me to be that type of friend to others.
Jesus has called us friends. Do my relationships with others reflect the friendship we have with Christ through His work on the cross?
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (2 Peter 1:5-7, NIV)
One of the memories that my brother mentioned at Mom's birthday party and that I had also included in her book of 70 memories was the way we admired her devotion to my grandfather after my grandmother passed away unexpectedly. My grandmother was a remarkable woman, incredibly beautiful both inside and outside, and she took such awesome care of my grandfather.
My grandmother
My grandfather and me
When she left this earth, my mom and her siblings really stepped up to help him. Having them there to support him and fill in some of the gaps left by my grandmother surely made the grieving process easier for him. When my grandfather fought the illness that eventually took his life, my mother faithfully stood by his bedside offering him the care he needed. Thankfully, her brother and sister also rallied around him during that difficult time.
My husband and I are currently watching his mother care for her mom with that same spirit of perseverance and grace. She is writing about her experiences on her humorous blog (click here). I have heard people say that there is no way that their children would ever devote themselves so sacrificially to caring for them when they become elderly. The tenacity required to patiently care for a loved one who has limited mobility and suffers from dementia is a quality that must be developed over years of growing in Christlikeness. Mom's faithfulness to my grandfather has inspired me to let God use the challenges and hardships in my life to develop perseverance and devotion into my character.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4, NIV)
The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) is given to us at the moment of salvation, but we must daily submit to Christ's lordship over our lives before we can see the fruit manifest in such a way as my mother and my husband's mother have demonstrated.
I am a wife, mom, fitness junkie, and most importantly, a follower of Christ. This blog is a place for me to journal about some of my favorite passions in life: Faith, Family, Freedom, and Fitness.
My goals for this blog are to: 1) Remember God's great works 2) Grow in love, knowledge, and insight 3) Encourage others 4) Glorify the Lord!
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