Delighting in the Daily

 The day-to-day of motherhood is so beautifully described in the words below. 

"Love sleeps in my bed. Curiosity eats at my table. Delight runs laps around my back yard. Exhaustion is a faithful friend. But so is grace."

Thanks to my friend who shared it with me, via this link:
http://momastery.com/blog/2013/06/10/for-the-dog-days/

 I am watching my friends move on to be empty nesters.  Exhaustion is a constant companion, but so are the children who's love, curiosity and delight surround me daily.  I rely on God's grace to strengthen me.

TV~
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.  [Luke 18:16]

Every Hour

"I need Thee ev'ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide,
Or life is vain.

"I need Thee ev'ry hour,
Most Holy one;
O make me Thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son."

Chorus:

"I need Thee,
Oh I need Thee,
Ev'ry hour I need Thee!
Oh bless me now my Saviour,
I come to Thee."

Amen - So be it.  

Every Morning

It's the end of a long, tiring, unsettling day.  I give the day to the Lord; I place the unsettling issues on His shoulders and ask for answers and guidance.  Show me what I need to know, Lord.  Show me what I need to do.  I practice thankfulness; there are SO many reasons to be thankful.

And then, I go to bed early because "His mercies are new every morning" and I know that the sooner I go to bed, the sooner I will receive those new mercies.  

TV~
LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.  [Isaiah 33:2]

Peace

From one of my favorite Welsh hymns, notice the capital letters that emphasize the Divine.  Meditating on these words has gotten me through quite a few rough days...

"Grant me the Peace beyond all earthly knowing
The gentle Peace that came thru' Boundless Woe
And from the Cross, on waves adversely beating
Against my soul, may Jesus calm bestow.

O! Grant the Peace whereby I would be willing
On earth to do God's work without dismay
Devoid of fear and confidently dwelling
In God the Father's love
Throughout my day. "

(H. Elfet Lewis 1860-1935,  English Trans. Caleb Rees)

Faith and Honor

Martin Luther once said of his wife, “I would not want to exchange my Katie for France nor for Venice to boot; to begin with (1) because God has given her to me and me to her; (2) because I often find that there are more shortcomings in other women than in my Katie; and although she, of course, has some too, these are nonetheless offset by far greater virtues; (3) because she keeps faith and honor in our marriage relation.”

TV~
Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God... [I Peter 2:17]

Four Fingers Pointing Back

I remember retorting, as a kid, "When you point your finger, you have four fingers pointing back at yourself!!!"   There's a scripture that says the same thing in a much wiser way:  "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (I John 1:8)  Why is it so hard for us to see our own faults??

Marriage is a sanctifying, purifying process.  If we want it to be successful, we have to stop blaming the person whom our index finger is singling out and be willing to look where our other four fingers are pointing. 

TV~
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  [Psalm 51:17]

H.O.P.E.

Here's a daily routine that, over time, will build a marriage.  The 'H' part is different for a husband than for a wife.

H~  For him, this is heart.  Even if you don't have loving feelings for her, show a heart of love by spending quality time with her and listening to her.  Ask her how you can better love her (and don't get angry with her honest answer; just listen).

H~  For her, this is help.  God gave Adam a helper, suitable for him.  Even if you don't feel like helping him, look for ways to be helpful and ask him how you can help him (and don't get defensive with his honest answer; just listen).

O~  Open your Bible every day and read something, even it it's just for five minutes. Psalms is a good place to start.

P~  Pray every day, even if it's just for five minutes.  Tell God your needs and ask Him to give you the strength and desire to help (if you're a wife) and love (if you're a husband) your spouse.

E~  Expect less from yourself and those around you.  If you demand perfection, or very high standards, from yourself and your family, a miserable dynamic of tyranny can ensue.  Not only do the demandees become miserable, but the demander is equally unhappy.  It is a lonely road.

TV~
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. [Ecclesiastes 3:12]