From the time my older daughter was old enough to sit and listen to a story, I have read her Bible stories. Then, of course, the younger daughter participated when she was awake! When we moved to our own place, the Lord impressed upon me to start teaching them scripture. At 3 years old, Carlisle could recite 15 verses. Amazing! If we are not careful, we will underestimate our children. At such an early age, they are sponges. We must be careful what we are exposing them to whether we believe they are old enough to remember or not.
As you know by now, my husband, their father, and I have been separated for well over 2 years now. With the new year, the decision to divorce has become final. A chance for us both to start fresh and begin again, free. So, the rigmarole of that process has also begun. The part I dreaded most happened this weekend. Visitation. He lives in Atlanta which is 3 1/2 hours from where we live. Ugh is an understatement.
On the way, and of course the days leading up to the drop-off time, I prayed. And prayed and prayed. The Lord allowed everything to fall into place so I knew that they would be okay. For I know, He loves my children even more than I am humanly capable of loving them. Luke 8:16 tells us, "But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." He sure loves children! :) So, the trip up was peaceful other than the dilemma of who gets to hold the Fairy Barbie and who has to settle for the lesser Snow White doll.
When we pulled in at the local Burger King at the half-way point, Reesey looked at her older sister and said: "Carlisle, I'm scared. Hold my hand." Carlisle responded with, "I'll hold your hand. God does not give me fear." (2 Timothy 1:7) I had to fight back the tears...God let me see that He is inside and He will be with them even if they are 3 1/2 hours away from me. Can't He take even better care of them than I can? I'm mere mortal, but He IS the God of the Universe. He IS Jehovah! He IS!
As I pondered the exchange between my sweet angels, my mind went back to a time when I was in complete hell and disarray. My husband and I were heavy drinkers, alcoholics is the more appropriate term. One night, I was lying on the floor annihilated. The night had gotten out of control ending with a fight that became physical. My husband called my mother because he didn't know what to do with me at this point. The demons in me could not be quieted. This often happened when I crossed a certain line. There was so much rage inside.
Anyway, he put the phone to my ear and she began to pray. I remember she began quoting scripture. The awesome part is that I, in oblivion, an unconscious state almost, began to quote the scripture with her. My flesh was completely out, but my spirit man cried out because the Word was in there. Deep down under all the garbage, all the things I was taught growing up came forth when I was unable to call it forth myself.
It is oh so important to teach our kids the ways of the Lord. This is the only gift we can give them that is everlasting. We do not know what's ahead for out children so it is imperative, it is our responsibility as parents, to give them the tools they need to survive this life on earth. They must know God or they will not be able to withstand the wiles of the enemy. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us to "stay alert and pay attention. There's an enemy out there." I do not want my children to become his prey. I will not stand by and let them be swept away. They must be rooted and grounded in Him or they will have no chance in this wicked, wicked world. It is never too early to start...
Psalm 8:2 "Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Get Outside
Every year, the daycare my children attend closes the week after Christmas. This year, I started a new job which allowed me to take this week as vacation. As you can imagine, the time off has been....well, it hasn't been time off. However, I do fully intend to do it again next year.
Truthfully, I am tired. The kids rarely ever sleep a full night. I could count on one hand the nights both kids have slept the entire night. A good night for us is waking only 2-3 times. We will not even discuss the difficult nights. (Well, not in this post, anyway.) As you are probably aware, kids have an internal clock that is precise and predictable. My older daughter wakes and is ready for the day everyday by 7:00 a.m.--no later than 7:15 a.m. No, never, not ever.. Yes, that includes Saturdays. Yes, still 7:00 a.m. whether or not she goes to bed by 8:00 p.m., whether or not she naps during the day, whether or not Mommy slept 3 hours or 6 hours. She has been this way since birth. My younger daughter, however, is more like Mommy. She would sleep later in the morning if her older sibling didn't feel the whole house should wake when she wakes.
The holidays came and went quickly. Carlisle was, as you know from earlier posts, born on Christmas Day. So, you can guess just how busy Christmas Day is around here. We wake up for the customary opening of gifts Christmas morning. We have lunch with my family and do the exchanging of gifts with them. Then, Christmas is cleared away and it is birthday party time. More food, more gifts. Finally, it is birthday/Christmas with Daddy and the paternal grandmother. Still more food, still more gifts.
Because Christmas fell on Saturday this year, all the hoopla was over when the full week of no school began. The first couple of days were just too cold to do anything. On Wednesday, Chick-fil-A dessert and a Walmart trip with my sister was a nice break, but by Thursday, we had to get outside. Fortunately, the weather was an unusual high 60's kind of day. Armed with a McDonald's Caramel Moca and two chocolate milks, I took the kids up to our local "square" and let them run under the strung Christmas lights and play in Santa's sleigh. Both girls "performed" on the stage in the empty amphitheater. It was so refreshing to hear them laugh and watch them run full speed without a care in the world. They sang and danced and laughed and tumbled. I sat back, watched, and as you might guess, took pictures. It was truly a good afternoon.
So, why am I telling you all of this? Our approach to the unusual, the out-of-routine things that come our way, can be the difference in a stir-crazy, walls closing in on you kind of day or a run with total abandonment, dance with all of your might kind of day. When we begin to feel trapped by our circumstances, we must step "outside" of ourselves. Otherwise, our frustration grows and more times than not that frustration is thrown onto the little darlings who stand closest to us. Of course, their reaction is insecurity and it is manifested in any number of ways like tantrums, weepiness, clinging, etc.
When we can take a mental break, clear our heads and get refocused, answers start to come. A still, small voice can only be heard if the spirit is quiet. Many times I have been in the middle of chaos, but I could hear the Lord so clearly because my spirit was at rest, at peace. My mind was clear even though my brain was in full gear. Other times, it was His voice that quieted my spirit.
How do you "get outside" of your situation especially if you are in the middle of the supermarket with kids crying and rude checkout personnel? Take two seconds, breathe this prayer:
Truthfully, I am tired. The kids rarely ever sleep a full night. I could count on one hand the nights both kids have slept the entire night. A good night for us is waking only 2-3 times. We will not even discuss the difficult nights. (Well, not in this post, anyway.) As you are probably aware, kids have an internal clock that is precise and predictable. My older daughter wakes and is ready for the day everyday by 7:00 a.m.--no later than 7:15 a.m. No, never, not ever.. Yes, that includes Saturdays. Yes, still 7:00 a.m. whether or not she goes to bed by 8:00 p.m., whether or not she naps during the day, whether or not Mommy slept 3 hours or 6 hours. She has been this way since birth. My younger daughter, however, is more like Mommy. She would sleep later in the morning if her older sibling didn't feel the whole house should wake when she wakes.
The holidays came and went quickly. Carlisle was, as you know from earlier posts, born on Christmas Day. So, you can guess just how busy Christmas Day is around here. We wake up for the customary opening of gifts Christmas morning. We have lunch with my family and do the exchanging of gifts with them. Then, Christmas is cleared away and it is birthday party time. More food, more gifts. Finally, it is birthday/Christmas with Daddy and the paternal grandmother. Still more food, still more gifts.
Because Christmas fell on Saturday this year, all the hoopla was over when the full week of no school began. The first couple of days were just too cold to do anything. On Wednesday, Chick-fil-A dessert and a Walmart trip with my sister was a nice break, but by Thursday, we had to get outside. Fortunately, the weather was an unusual high 60's kind of day. Armed with a McDonald's Caramel Moca and two chocolate milks, I took the kids up to our local "square" and let them run under the strung Christmas lights and play in Santa's sleigh. Both girls "performed" on the stage in the empty amphitheater. It was so refreshing to hear them laugh and watch them run full speed without a care in the world. They sang and danced and laughed and tumbled. I sat back, watched, and as you might guess, took pictures. It was truly a good afternoon.
So, why am I telling you all of this? Our approach to the unusual, the out-of-routine things that come our way, can be the difference in a stir-crazy, walls closing in on you kind of day or a run with total abandonment, dance with all of your might kind of day. When we begin to feel trapped by our circumstances, we must step "outside" of ourselves. Otherwise, our frustration grows and more times than not that frustration is thrown onto the little darlings who stand closest to us. Of course, their reaction is insecurity and it is manifested in any number of ways like tantrums, weepiness, clinging, etc.
When we can take a mental break, clear our heads and get refocused, answers start to come. A still, small voice can only be heard if the spirit is quiet. Many times I have been in the middle of chaos, but I could hear the Lord so clearly because my spirit was at rest, at peace. My mind was clear even though my brain was in full gear. Other times, it was His voice that quieted my spirit.
How do you "get outside" of your situation especially if you are in the middle of the supermarket with kids crying and rude checkout personnel? Take two seconds, breathe this prayer:
"Lord, I trust You."Say it as many times as you need to. You can say it under your breath, you can say it in your mind, or if you choose, shout it from the rooftop! I have found that all three are just as effective. Sometimes, the rooftop shouting will not only quiet your spirit, but you'd be amazed at what it will do for the crying kids and the rude supermarket clerks!
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you."
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