The Mom of Difficult Choices

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  Proverbs 3:5-6 

Good morning, dear friends!

Photo: tpsdave pixabay public domain

I don't know about you, but I must make a zillion choices as a mom everyday.

Many of them are insignifcant, if that is possible, prompted by the zillion and one questions that I field throughout the day (double that right now, because it's vacation time.)  Bread or cereal?  Bath or shower? Video games or outside?  Snack or no snack?  Cookies or apples?  Regular bedtime or "just five more minutes"?

Some of the decisions are more urgent and weighty in my mind. Play date with a difficult friend?  Pants or skirt?  Play before work?  Responsability or just "letting them be kids"?  There are so many decisions that are compounded by peer pressure, attitudes, and the fact that I am just plain tired...of making decisions.  Do I really want to battle this...again?  Do I really want to stand up for this issue?  Am I making too big a deal over...whatever the latest crisis is?

How much as I mom I need God's wisdom today.

As many decisions as I make during a day, most of them are not the weightier kind, and in the grand scheme of life, probably will not kill my children if I make the "wrong one." I am blessed with a wise husband as well, to whom I can count on many times to see the "bigger picture," and help me out.

As I read about some of the Bible moms this week in preparing for this blog, I realize again how very blessed I am.  These mothers had some of the toughest decisions of all to make for their children.

I must confess to being very awed by Jochebed, the mother of Moses.  If ever there was a mom that had difficult decisions to make, it was she. And the choices she would make, though she may not have realized it at the time, impacted so many more people than she could have EVER imagined.

Here are just a few of the crucial decisions that she was faced with as a mom in a difficult place:

Trust or doubt?  If ever there was a time when moms were faced with difficulties in trusting God, it was the beginning of the book of Exodus!  A strange land, a wicked ruler, hard work with no benefits, unjust laws...sounds almost like where I am living today!  Of course, there is one major difference:  serving God here in France will not result in death (even though there are many countries in the world where this is true). Jochebed was facing all of these problems in her life, and I am sure there were times when she must have wondered where God was in all of this.  It would have been so easy to doubt God's promises!  In spite of the harsh conditions of life and the unfairness of it all, Jochebed trusted in God.  In Hebrews 11:23, I read: "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw that he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment."  Wickedness has always been prevalent on earth, but Jochebed and her husband were looking to an authority higher than the king:  God.  In Acts 5:29, the apostles were faced with similar choices:  obeying the man-made laws or the higher law of God:  "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."

Life or death?  Jochebed did as much for his son as was humanly possible during this difficult time.  What a mom!  Her love for her son was so evident, as it should be normal for every mom!  How could she let him go?  How could she risk him being caught or killed?  And yet, how could she keep him?  It was an impossible situation, humanly speaking.  Jochebed was faced with the time that every mom one day must face:  letting her child go.  Her decision was forced on her while Moses was still a baby, and could have cost him his very life.   Yet, had she raised Moses to adulthood, she would have had to let him go at some point.  There were no guarantees for his safety when she placed him in that basket in the river, just as there are no guarantees for our adult children when they leave home.  The very best that I as a mom can do is to leave my children, whether they are young or old, always in the Lord's hands.  I must pray for my children's lives, knowing that one day they will be gone on their own, that God will guide them through their journeys until the moment they close their eyes in death.  I must pray the prayer of Hannah:  "For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord." (I Samuel 1:28)

Now or later?  When faced with a "difficult decision" in my child's life, it is so much easier to do the expedient thing, instead of taking time to think through the consequences of my decision.  To be honest, if I had been in Jochebed's place, I don't know what decision I would have made, but I am awed by Jochebed's courage, and the wisdom of her decision.  She found a way to obey the law, and obey her God!  And I am sure that she did not realize how important this decision would be one day for her people, and the world.  Jochebed obeyed God, and because of her obedience, an entire nation was saved!  When it comes to my children, I must be ready to make tough decisions now, for the good of my children's present, and future, lives. Who knows?  The Lord has wonderful plans for my children that I have no way of knowing about right now!  May the Lord help me to seek His face for wisdom in raising my children, so that I will make the best decisions possible to help them be the adults that God wants them to be.

How loving and compassionate God was to Jochebed!  She obeyed and trusted Him, and God in return returned her son to her home!  I can only imagine the relief, the joy, the celebration that Moses's return to the house must have caused!  There was also a glimpse into her son's future that she could never have dreamed:  her son, the child of a slave, was to be raised as the king's own son!  More importantly, little did she know that God was going to use her son to be the deliverer of her own people from this king.

One thing is sure:  in the short few years that Jochebed had Moses in her house, she poured herself into raising him.  Moses's depth of character was revealed when he himself was called to make difficult decisions, and chose to trust God in his turn:

"By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treacures in Egypt..." (Hebrews 11:24-26)

When I am faced with decisions in raising my children today, as I know I will be, what kind of choices will I make?  Will I be willing to pray over them, or just get through them?  Will I be willing to stand for Christ and what I know to be right, or will I allow my emotions and my fatigue or impatience to get the best of me?  Will I look to my children's future, or will I content myself to nearsightedness as a mom?

May God help me today to seek His face, for my own good, as well as for the good of my children...

Up tomorrow:  Mother-in-Love

The Mother of a Nation

"Through faith also Sara..."  Hebrews 11:11

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo: cherylholt pixabay public domain

When I think about moms in the Bible, as I am taking the time to do this week, they all seem so important and larger than life.  My mom-ness seems to pale in comparison to theirs.  Many times I have to remind myself that these amazing women in the Bible were just women like me.

And, as I often do, these women did not always think about the "big picture" when they were making their decisions.

Sarah's story has always fascinated me.  Many times when I think about her, I think about her like I do with Eve:  my attention is drawn mostly toward the bad decisions she made in her life.  (I hope that people do not only remember me for my bad decisions!) I cannot ignore them, they are there: when she did not believe in the promises of God, giving Hagar to Abraham as a second wife and then later exiling her to apease her jealousy.

There is so much more to her story than these acts, if I will just look.

Here are some thoughts that the Lord showed me while looking into her mom-life this morning:

In spite of the circumstances and influences of her past, Sarah chose to follow God.  Oftentimes, I have heard the excuses for not being a great mom, as in: "I didn't have a good example growing up" or "My mom didn't take time with me, so it's okay if I..." Not having a godly Christian mom as an example is not an excuse for not being a good mom.  Sarah grew up surrounded by pagans, and her entire family was involved in the idol worship of her area.  Her background may have influenced some of the decisions that she made as a mom, but it did not excuse them.  She still had the responsability for her own choices about living for God or not.  The Bible mentions in Genesis 12:5 that Sarah left everything to follow her husband, and follow God.
She made the right choices, in spite of her family background.

Every decision, whether a major or minor decision in my eyes, should always be a matter of prayer.  How many decisions do I make in one day?  Too many to count.  How many decisions do I take to the Lord in prayer?  Probably not as many as I should.  When it comes to my family and the future of my children, there should not be any decisions, major or minor as they may seem, that I do not take to the Lord.  How much sadness and heartache Sarah could have avoided in her own life (and for those of us living now) if, during the crucial decision of giving Hagar to Abraham, she had chosen to ask God's opinion.  She knew God's promise to make a great nation of their descendants, and maybe she thought that she was "helping God." (I know how well that works!) Philippians 4:6 reminds me, "Be careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."

God sees the final picture of my life here on earth.  Many times I condemn Sarah for her lack of faith toward God when He announced the promise of Isaac, but God declares her to be a woman of faith.  In Hebrews 11, I read that because of her faith in God and His promise, she received Isaac from the Lord: "Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised." (Hebrews 11:11)  Her faith in God made all the difference in her life.  She did not let "old age" be her excuse for not believing in the promise of God.  When I think about Isaac and his faithfulness to God, I see also Sarah's faith in raising her son to serve the Lord.  Sarah was a woman of faith, who in spite of some bad choices in her life, became the mother of the nation that would give birth to mankind's Redeemer.

What an encouragement to me this morning to rejoice in Sarah's faithfulness!  Even now, she is part of the "great crowd of witnesses" in heaven, encouraging me to remain faithful, as a wife, and as a mom.  May I be encouraged from her life to come before God with my decisions, small and great, and to place my trust in Him to lead me through this life.

May one day God say also of me, that I was faithful to the one "who had promised..."

Up tomorrow:  The Mom of Difficult Choices

Everyone's Mom

"So God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them..."Genesis 1:27-28a

Good morning, dear friends!

Photo: cpinob pixabay public domain

Usually, when I read a book or watch a movie, I start at the beginning.  This week, since I am thinking about different moms in the Bible, I could not start anywhere else than at the very first mom and mother of us all:  Eve.

I know, I know, usually when I think about Eve, all that usually comes to mind are the bad choices and bad decisions that she made.  After all, Eve was the one who brought about the fall of mankind, and all the sin, sadness and pain that destroys our current lives are the results of her bad choices.  Obviously, if all I do is think about this aspect of Eve's life, I will always look at her negatively.  However, Eve lived a very long life on earth, and her life was like mine:  full of heartaches and joys, blessings and burdens.

So, instead of just focusing on her sin--and I am certainly not minimizing it, because all sin is horrible--I want to think instead of Eve as a mother, in fact, THE mother, the mom of everyone who lives or has ever lived on earth.  What a heavy responsability, and yet what a joy and privilege as well!

 I guess it's safe to say that there has never been another mom like Eve.  She was literally one of a kind!  Eve, along with Adam her husband, had the responsibility from God to populate the entire earth: "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth..." (Genesis 1:28) She did not have the luxury that you and I have about choosing our family size: Eve and her children had to fill the entire earth!

Just a side note:  She did her part of the job without the slightest help from another woman, because there weren't any others!  She could not attend a Lamaze class, or talk to other women about their deliveries, wonder about natural vs. medically assisted, hospital or home birth, doulah or midwife/doctor.  She had never even witnessed another human being born! Her only helps at this time were God, and her husband!

Giving birth is never easy, but imagine giving birth without having any idea what to expect!  Of course, she had seen animals being born, but never a human!  Added to her pains I think must have also been the knowledge that all the sufferings that she was experiencing were the direct results of her own sin and disobedience (Genesis 3:16).

After her child was there, Eve must have had so many questions!  She did not have other mothers with experience to ask for help.  She could not observe other mothers interact with their children.  She couldn't even relate her child's experiences with her own growing up years, because she had never been a little girl!  Everything she did was a new experience--she was charting the course for all the other moms who followed!

And what followed was difficult.  No mom on earth would hope to see the problems that Eve faced in the lives of her children.  No mother wants to witness her child's death (Abel) during her lifetime, but especially at the hands of her own son, Cain.  Her burden must have been greater, knowing that it was her own disobedience that had brought all of this trouble to her own family!  Even Seth's birth afterward would not have taken this sting away:  after all, one child cannot replace another.

Even though there is so much more to say about Eve and her descendants, here are some lessons that God has shown me through this remarkable woman and mom:

There is no such thing as perfect parents on the earth.  God is the perfect Creator, who is sinless and made everything perfect, yet even His own children disobeyed and rebelled against Him.  Adam and Eve and their descendants chose separation from God because of their sinfulness, and their children after them, all the way to us today, have made that same choice.  Instead of looking to be a perfect mom, I should be concentrated on staying as far away from sin as possible in my life.

There have always been rebellious children.  Of course parents have the responsibilty to raise their children "in the nuture and admonition of the Lord,"  (Ephesians 6:4), but after that, the children must also continue and follow in this instruction.  After all, Cain was Eve's firstborn, and I am sure that she spent a lot of time with him.  Cain chose his path: disobedience, jealousy and murder.  Abel, who was also raised by Adam and Eve, chose to worship God and serve Him with his offerings.  These boys had the same parents, but chose very different paths for their lives.  Instead of criticizing moms when their children make bad decisions, I should be praying and encouraging these same moms.

God is never far away from us moms.  Every mom can bring her burdens to the Lord.  God never abandoned Eve after her rebellion in the garden.  Eve continued to recognize the hand of the Lord in her life and in the life of her children (Genesis 4:1 and Genesis 4:25).  The Bible promesses that God always hears my prayers and listens when I call for Him, as I am reminded by Paul in Acts 17:27: "...That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of them."

May I be encouraged today in Eve the mom, to look to God for guidance and help to be the best mom possible.  Eve certainly knew heartaches and joys in her mom-heart, just as I do today.

Perhaps, we're not that different after all, she and I....


Coming tomorrow:  The Mother of a Nation

Moms' Week

"Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice." Proverbs 23:25

Photo: vaniareposa pixabay public domain

Good morning, dear friends!

For all you gents that might be reading this blog this week, consider this your one week warning!

Mother's Day is next Sunday, May 10th.

I'm sure the greeting card companies have made it very obvious.

So, in the spirit of Mother's Day coming up next week, I would like to share some thoughts that the Lord has been putting on my heart about the mothers in the Bible.

The moms of the Bible have a lot in common with us.  We lived in a different environment, with different customs and different tasks, but these differences are minor when compared to our roles as moms.

Here are some truths that God showed me this morning, that in spite of our differences, those who are called to be moms have similar roles and similar desires throughout the world, and throughout the ages.

All moms receive their mandate as Mom from God's hand.  Whether or not women want to recognize it, God alone allows women the possibility to have children.  The Bible tells us that from the very first pregnancy, God's hand worked in Eve's life:  "I have gotten a man from the Lord." (Genesis 4:1)  In many cases in the Bible God reminds me that He is the one who allows women to have children.  For example, in the case of Rachel and Leah, the Bible relates:  "And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren." (Genesis 29:31)

All moms have the same desire:  to see their children succeed and prosper in their lives.  The definition of success varies from woman to woman, but every mom has the desire to see their children become successful, mature adults.  NO mom wants to be the mom of a thief, a murderer, or someone who is not trustworthy.  Each mom knows in her heart that the efforts that she makes (or does not make) for her children will have an effect on her child's future life.  3 John 4 is a constant reminder for me:  the success of my children will be the greatest joy to my mom-heart: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

All moms want to be proud of their children! Proverbs 29:15 reminds me that my responsability towards my children is for his or her own good, and for my own as well: "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." If I want to see good things grow in my child's heart, they will not grow all by themselves.  It is my responsability is to ensure that my children follow the correct path, God's path, from their youth.

It doesn't matter how many children one has, or the number of years that we are moms, these truths do not change.  During this week, may God help me to look into the lives of the moms in the Bible with a fresh gaze, to understand the lessons in their lives, learn from their mistakes, so that I may be the best mom possible.

Tomorrow:  The Mom of Us All

Footsteps

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way, Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." Psalm 37:23

Good morning, dear friends!

Photo:  staffordgreen0 pixabay public domain

For the first time in nearly two weeks, I walked a little bit here at the house without my knee brace!  How weak my legs have gotten!  I never thought that I would be tired after just walking such a little bit. I'm not completely over my knee problems (I probably have at least another week with the brace) but it's definitely going in the right direction.

How wonderful it was to take a few steps today!

I have been thinking a lot in recent days about my steps, and about walking.  So many passages in God’s Word compare our lives with a journey, a walk measured by individual steps in my life.  If God describes my life as a journey made of individual steps, then each step that I take must be important to Him and to others around me.

Here are some very simple thoughts about footprints today that the Lord showed me, of  how my walk with the Lord influences others around me.

Everyone makes footprints.  Popular culture today uses the image of footprints to talk about the impact our choices have on others. A “digital footprint” is determined by the amount of time a person spends online and the sites a person visits.  Companies use this information to prepare advertisements geared toward a person’s internet consumption. A “carbon footprint” talks about the impact my life choices have on the environment.  If I were to listen to environmentalists, my goal in life should be to have “zero footprint”, or a negative footprint, meaning that I am doing no harm to the environment by my lifestyle.

Many people have adopted this attitude to their personal lives as well: “I’m going to live my life as I please.  I’m not hurting anyone else.  I do as I please, others do as they please, and everyone is happy.”  While this might seem great to those who want to “live and let live,” in reality these words are lies. No one person here on earth can live completely for himself or herself: our decisions affect ourselves and those around us.  The Bible is clear that there are two different types of steps that everyone makes.   There are the wicked man’s steps:  "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:12  There are also the righteous man’s steps:  "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way." (Psalms 37:23)

My footprints are unique.  Crime scene investigators use footprints as well as fingerprints for determining viable suspects and eliminating others.  Shoe size, shoe wear, distinctive markings or movement patterns are all identifying markers.  There are even databases with footprints, which are apparently as distinctive as fingerprints.

My footsteps reveal much about my life:  the things I value, the relationships I maintain, my habits and priorities.  Is it any wonder that God cares so much about the individual steps that I leave?  Romans 6:4 reminds me that my walk is distinctive:  I have been called to walk "in newness of life." Am I walking as the world, or as a child of God?

My footsteps lead somewhere.  As a child, I loved following animal footprints in the dirt where we lived.  Following footprints in the snow is fun.  I remember when my children were little out in the snow, trying to walk in their Daddy's tracks, so much wider than their own strides.  In this same way I am reminded that I need to walk so that my footsteps lead my children and those around me to Jesus. I Peter 2:21-25 is a beautiful passage talking about Christ's walk here on earth.  As I read these words, I cannot help but wonder:  Are my steps leading people toward God, or away from Him?

As my legs grow stronger and I hope to return to making steps this week, may the Lord guide my feet and help me to have purpose to my steps.  May they always lead back to Him and His unfailing love.

Where will you be walking to today?

Looks can be deceiving...

"And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?" Genesis 3:13

Good morning, dear friends!

Photo: geralt pixabay public domain

It is one of the most disappointing "tricks" of spring, in my eyes.

I looked out the window yesterday at the gorgeous sunshine, its long rays inviting and beckoning me to come and sit (because that's pretty much all I could do today) outside with a good book and watch my kids play in the yard, and bask in its warmth, as I watch God's creation come back to life after winter's grip.

There's just one problem:  There's a beautiful sun shining outside, not a cloud in sight, but it is FREEZING!

How can it look so nice, and yet be such a disappointment at the same time?

Looks can definitely be deceiving.

I was preparing a blog for Mother's Day for the French site that I help sponsor here in France, and the mother I was writing about this morning was Eve.  If ever there was something is life that looked better than it was, it was in Eve's decision to eat that fruit!  I never really liked being too hard on Eve, though, because in her place unfortunately I probably would have made the same decision.

Here are some random thoughts about Eve and that first really bad deception on earth.

There was nothing wrong with the fruit!  I know this is probably a ridiculous statement to make, but the fruit was not some kind of Snow White poisoned apple!  Everything that God made and placed in the garden was good! "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31) Eve saw it to be desirable, not just because of its knowledge of good and evil, but because it was an appealing (no pun intended) fruit:  "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and to be desired to make one wise..." (Genesis 3:6) Everything that God made was rightly made!

There was nothing wrong with the rule!  Many times I have heard people tell me how "unfair" God is:  "How can a loving God send someone to hell?" or "Why doesn't God just do away with all evil, hardship, difficulties, etc." The moment that I as a created being decide to lecture an infinite, all-knowing, all-powerful God is the day that I need my head examined.  God is the one who created everything and everyone, and He can make the rules!  And His rule was not unreasonable, but a test to see if Adam and Eve would love Him enough to trust Him and obey Him. I John 5:3 reminds me: "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous." For those who truly love God, His commandments are not a long list of rules to obey, but opportunities to put my love for Him in action: if I love, then I will obey.

There was nothing wrong with Eve, or with Adam!  Again, everything or everyone that God created was perfect, and they lacked for nothing.  God had already supplied all their needs abundantly and richly.  There was nothing more that they could desire.  How many times have my desires for more, and my dissatisfaction with my present circumstances, gotten me into serious trouble!  I Timothy 6:8 is a good reminder to me:  "And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." How much more peaceful and satisfying my life would be if I would simply rest in God and His provision, instead of always wanting more!

Instead of trusting God, Eve believed the lie of Satan:...

...that God was withholding blessing from her.

...that her life would be better if she ignored God and His ways.

...that she would be happier doing what she wanted to do.

How many times have I allowed myself to be deceived in just the same ways?

May God help me to remember that His desires, His ways, His thoughts, and His commands, are the only path to true happiness and blessing in my life.  May I not be deceived into thinking that just because something seems right in my own eyes, that it is the right thing to do. May I take my decisions, big or small, to Him in prayer and wait patiently for His answers.

Looks can be and often are deceiving, but that does not mean that I have to be deceived.  I always have a choice...

Boastings

"...But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord." Jeremiah 9:24

Photo: pixabay publicdomain

Good morning, dear friends!

I consider myself a pretty easy-going person.  I am not the type of person to get angry easily, or allow myself to hold on to grudges or hurts for a long time.  It takes a lot to make me really angry, or to ruffle my feathers the wrong way.

There is one thing that drives me crazy, that gets my carnal nature up to the surface faster than anything else:

Boasting.

I suppose we have all met someone with an "I" problem.  Maybe sometimes I have, to my shame, been a person with an "I" problem:  "I did...this great thing." or "I think...and my opinion is really important because..." or "Look at me, these are MY accomplishments..."

"I" problems, left unchecked, can be serious conditions indeed.

During my reading in Jeremiah this morning, my attention was caught by these few verses in Jeremiah 9:23-24.

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."

The people of Israel had been very arrogant in their outlook on life, in three areas that are very tempting for many people:  their intelligence, their power, and their wealth.  Who gave them these things for which they were boasting?

God.

If they were able to think or reason, doesn't that ability come from God?  True wisdom is a gift available to any who will ask: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5)

Didn't their power come from the only One who is all-powerful?  "For with God, nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37)

And their wealth?  Does not God own everything? Isn't he the author of every good gift given to man? "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights..." (James 1:17).

When Daniel was called before King Nebuchadnezzar to explain the king's dream, Daniel reminded the king where all of wisdom, power, and true riches came from:

"Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding..." (Daniel 2:20-21)

Daniel made his boasting of the Lord, and so should I.

May the Lord help me today to give Him all the credit for every blessing that I enjoy today.

My "I" problem is easily correctible, if I get my eyes off myself, and give credit to God to whom all praise is due.