Iron Sharpens Iron

I have often in my journey said I didn't know how people "do life" without the Lord. Throughout my life, my marriage, my parenting, the Lord had brought people into my life that helped me and walked with me through my journey. Recently I have been working through the Bible Study Believing God by Beth Moore and she has taken us through an exercise where you look back at the amazing hand of God throughout our lifetime...even the times you didn't really know Him. It has been amazing, humbling, staggering, and breath taking to see that hand of God through people in my life.

In the past several years I have been blessed with a dear friend who shares many of the same passions that I do. She has such a beautiful, tender spirit that is so transparent. It has touched my life in so many ways.

Often one of the ways the Lord uses her to guide me is the way she shares her present experiences. I will frequently read (we text alot) of her struggles and see how I am walking a similar bumpy road. For me it has been easier to clearly see God's perspective of my struggles as I hear of hers. (Does that make any sense?)

Today, once again, I was harsh, unkind and angry with the boys because they just never seem to get out of bed when I need them to move. I'm often impatient in the morning and am working to change that in myself.

One of the emotions I default to is "If they loved me, they would obey me!". Although the Lord showed me long ago it really is not about ME at all...I often lose my self control as I lose control over them (especially in the morning). Today as I consoled my friend as she struggled with similar issues the Lord so clearly impressed on my heart how often I don't do what I need to do, what I know I should do, or what the Lord has called me to do. And I could hear Him asking me, "When you don't move when I ask you, does that mean you don't love Me?" Oh how I broke at the thought.

My children are a work in progress just as I am! As the Lord calls me to wake up and get moving in whatever situation He leads me into, I'm so thankful He doesn't give up on me, realizing I still love Him.

I love you Lord! Help me look at the children with the same eyes You look at me with. Help me to let you work in their hearts...as I let you work in mine!

Welcome to my Blog

Its a cold day here in Edmonton. Here I sit in my tearoom feeling someone foolish. I have been planning on meeting with a friend for several weeks now and something ALWAYS seems to come up that we just haven't been able to get together. Today I was particularly eager to meet with her as my kit for Heritage Makers and I wanted to share it with her.

So, why am I not there? After all the planning and arranging, healing of sick children and getting a new van, why am I not enjoying a latte with my friend? I don't have her address. We have been communicating through Facebook and she did at one point share her address with me, but I can't find the address or her phone number. (sigh) So I've sent her several messages on Facebook today but I believe in the past couple of days she has been MIA because her iphone and laptop were baptized.

So here I sit, feeling very helpless. I don't like this feeling. I am a nurse. I enjoy doing things for people which help bring resolve to pain and illness. There is no pill I can take to make this better. There is no therapy to get me out of this spot. So here I sit, "In the Garden"...praying my friend does not feel like I am avoiding her and dropping her.

This week, while things are freezing up here "In the Garden", the Master Gardener has been teaching me how to be in His Will. I am preparing my heart and character to bring home my baby from school in the Fall. After 3 years of fighting with him, I realized that it was me who needed a character readjustment.

Recently I was drawn to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus". Anna Duggar, of 19 Kids and Counting, while sharing at a prison about her recent miscarriage said to the women to give thanks in the good times and the hard times and that will prevent seeds of bitterness from taking root in our hearts. As I continued to read the scripture surrounding the verse I realized there was more than giving thanks in everything that we are commanded to do. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT) says, "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's Will for you who belong to Christ Jesus". The Master Gardener so desperately wants to bless me and you. His desire for us is joy, prayerfulness, and thanksgiving. Sounds so easy...

As the ground freezes around those seeds in my heart, I will learn how to grow flowers with the sweet aroma of joy, prayerfulness and thanksgiving.

As for my sweet friend...I am going to pray she understands and (sigh) we'll try again for next week.