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Daily Dose of Encouragement

Take Time to Remember: “You are His.”

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I co-parent teenagers. The daily dilemmas, disputes and doldrums can leave any parent feeling pretty defeated by day’s end. If I don’t carve out time to remember who He is and who I am in the midst of my week, the frequent storms will wear me down.

Together, let’s take time this week to recount a few basic yet extraordinary truths to help us stay emotionally and spiritually afloat as we cling to Him in the midst of the mundane and marvelous tasks of the day before us.

 

“You are His.”

You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. 

I Corinthians 6:19b-20

You_are_not_your_ownSwaddled in a blanket with a striped cap on her head, my newborn was gently placed beside me in bed that evening. I stared at her for hours, repeatedly telling her that I loved her and that she was mine.

Over the next 19 years, two more children came into our lives along with various trials and tribulations. Each of these helped me to learn that what I had whispered to my first baby was only partly true. Yes, I loved her. But, she was not really mine. God had lovingly bestowed her and our other two children to us for a season. Through the years this truth has offered me great comfort, knowing that His love and affection for them would ultimately shield them from harm. At times, it also frustrated me, however, when He would allow something to happen that I didn’t foresee or desire. In those moments I would find myself wrestling once again with this overwhelming and powerful truth.

Even though relinquishing control has been a difficult journey, sometimes it’s even harder to let go of the grip I have on my own life. I can easily forget that I belong to Him as well. In a world where the idea of submission and surrender are often negatively correlated with imprisonment or oppression, we can be seduced into taking control of every aspect of our lives. Everywhere we go, the message “I belong to me” is imparted. Quite honestly, even many children’s TV shows instill this belief.

I am not my own and you are not your own because we have been bought with a price. (I Corinthians 6:19-20) He has full ownership of all of our gifts, talents, body and possessions. It’s all His because we are His. While the world may mock a mom who surrenders all that she has to a God she cannot see, remember that membership has its privileges. I am reminded of a portion of the poem by Patrick of Ireland:

Christ be with me, Christ within me,  

Christ behind me, Christ before me, 

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me

Be renewed and refreshed this day, knowing that because you are His, you have been given unmerited blessing, freedom and peace.

Jackie

Take Time to Remember: “God is enough.”

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I co-parent teenagers. The daily dilemmas, disputes and doldrums can leave any parent feeling pretty defeated by day’s end. If I don’t carve out time to remember who He is and who I am in the midst of my week, the frequent storms will wear me down.

Together, let’s take time this week to recount a few basic yet extraordinary truths to help us stay emotionally and spiritually afloat as we cling to Him in the midst of the mundane and marvelous tasks of the day before us.

 

“God is enough.”

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.

Psalm 23:1

God_is_enoughRecently, I met with a good friend at a favorite coffee shop. I love meeting with her because of the respite and renewal it always offers me. Once we arrived we found the perfect spot in a quiet corner. Within minutes of talking to my friend, an aroma filled the place. My grumbling tummy kept trying to convince me that I needed to go check out what was cooking behind the counter. Alas, overcome by desire and curiosity, I finally excused myself.  When I got to the counter, freshly baked pumpkin muffins with cream cheese icing sat on a platter. These were my favorite treat—surely, a sign that I needed to buy one. I bought one for the two of us and returned to our spot.

Minutes later a group of women laughing and chattering nearby pulled my attention away again. Even though I loved being with my friend I found myself wanting to know what they were talking about as well. How awful! Several times my dear friend graciously reeled me back in. Yet, every time we got going, something else seemed to vie for my attention- a cellphone, other conversations, or even the cars buzzing by. Here I was finally sitting with the friend I had longed to see all week, yet everything around me battled for my attention.

Sadly, the struggle I had with my friend often mirrors my time with the Lord. I crave intimacy and insight from Him, but too often I allow mental and physical distractions to take precedence over our time together. To combat this tendency I have started to repeatedly remind myself of one simple truth when something begins to lure me away from Him. I whisper or mentally repeat the words, “God, you are enough.” I find myself saying this over and over again to help me fix my eyes solely on the only One who can really hear, understand, lead me, and empower me while He lavishes His unfailing love upon me.

The Enemy of our hearts wants us to forget this so that we are drawn into the frivolity that surrounds us. Commit today to mentally or even audibly reminding yourself that God is enough. He is all you really need. Nothing else compares.

“The greatest lesson a soul has to learn is that God and God alone is enough for all its needs.” Hannah Whitall Smith

Jackie

Take Time to Remember: “You are deeply loved.”

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I co-parent teenagers. The daily dilemmas, disputes and doldrums can leave any parent feeling pretty defeated by day’s end. If I don’t carve out time to remember who He is and who I am in the midst of my week, the frequent storms will wear me down.

Together, let’s take time this week to recount a few basic yet extraordinary truths to help us stay emotionally and spiritually afloat as we cling to Him in the midst of the mundane and marvelous tasks of the day before us.

 

“You are deeply loved.”

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

You_are_His_belovedI love my kids and know they love me in return. But, teenagers don’t always share their love out loud. Gone are the days when “mommy’s home” are words gleefully sung as I walk in the door. Rarely do I receive homemade cards with adorable drawings and sweet sentiments all over them. And, bed times. Well, I can’t remember if my teenagers ever begged me to stay in their room to tell me one more time that they love me to the moon and back.

I do appreciate how my teenagers can beautifully express themselves with great affection or gratitude at just the right time. But, I know that their increased freedom and focus on other things can make the frequency and intensity of their loving gestures appropriately decrease over time. While this is completely normal, sometimes a mom sure can miss being loved on by little kids. Before you know it, you can easily find yourself wallowing in the memories of yesteryear and truly wondering if anyone loves you.

For this reason, it is so important for us to take time to immerse ourselves in God’s love by reading passages that remind us of His affection toward us. While it may sound silly and even indulgent, we can only love because He first loved us (I Jn. 4:19). We must take time to experience His quieting love. He loves you more than any person on earth. He actually calls you His beloved. This word means dearly loved, adored, cherished, favorite, darling, and treasured. Nothing on earth compares to being called beloved by the Creator of the universe, the one that knows every single thing about you. We can do nothing to earn or deserve this designation. Christ did it all. And, since He is God’s Beloved, when we were placed in Christ, we became His beloved as well.

Despite the whisperings of the enemy or the doubts and dread that arise on difficult days with our families, remember today that you are deeply loved by the God who created you. Though he may be quiet in His love, His affection for His beloved far surpasses the distance to the moon and back.

Tuesday: “God is enough.”

Jackie