Laced With Grace

The plaintive cry sounded from the third seat of the Suburban, “I want some candy!” We all did our best to just ignore it, but it was repeated with ever increasing volume. “I want some candy – pleeease! Make Laura give me some candy.”

The source of all the commotion was my sweet three year old granddaughter. She is an adorable little munchkin with long brown hair that curls gently on the ends and the cutest smile you ever saw. She is a good natured, obedient, delightful little girl under normal circumstances. However, she is of the decided opinion that there is only one major food group and sugar is its main ingredient. Given the choice it would be popsicles, suckers and ice cream three times a day. She is the youngest of five and feels entitled to whatever everyone else has. Laura had already given her some candy, and she had reached her limit. There was no candy forthcoming

Since I’m Grandma to this incredible bunch of kids, I can sort of sit back and just smile inwardly at such antics (I think that’s one of the great perks of being a grandparent). It gives me great material for devotionals too!

I thought about how much like this precious little girl I am in my approach to prayer. There are times in my life when I desperately want the Lord to do something – and I know exactly what it is I want Him to do. I cry out to Him explaining my situation and how I would like Him to go about handling it for me. When I don’t immediately receive the answer I want, I cry out a little louder and more persistently. If it still doesn’t come, I begin to feel hurt and disappointed. Doesn’t God understand that this is important? Doesn’t He care that I’m hurting?

God, just like Grandma who knows that what that child wants with all her heart is not good for her, knows what is best for me. I may not understand the reasons, but He asks me to trust Him. Perhaps in time I will see clearly why He answered as He did, or I may never know this side of heaven. I can know, however, that He will always, only do that which is best for me. It is at these times that I seem to hear Him ask, “Do you love me enough to trust me?”

The next day I took my little granddaughter shopping with me – and as a special treat bought her a little bag of her favorite candy. She didn’t even have to ask. I just wanted to do something special for her because I love her so very much.

So it is with God. There are times, so many times, that He blesses me in a special way just because He loves me. I don’t even have to ask. He just reaches down and gives me something right from His heart to mine

Yes Lord. I love You enough to trust You.

“I lay my ‘whys?’ before Your cross in worship kneeling,
my mind beyond all hope, my heart beyond all feeling; and worshipping,
realize that I in knowing You, don’t need a ‘why?’”
~ Ruth Bell Graham

How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.
~ Psalm 13 (NIV)

Lately I have been feeling weak:

Weak as a mother to teenagers…

Weak as housewife…

Weak as a friend….

Weak as a woman of God….

But I am reminded God uses weak people.

Baby Moses was raised up to lead a nation…

Sinful Saul because Paul the greatest missionary to live….

Coward Gideon lead 300 men to defeat an army as far as the eye could see….

God gently reminds me that God does not use many of us because we are too strong for Him. God uses broken and weak vessels.

I Corinthians 1: 27-29 (ESV)

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

So maybe there is still hope for me in my weakness. Be encouraged sisters, if you are feeling weak then God can use you.

Heavenly Father, thank you for always being there especially when I feel weak in all my responsibilities. When I do not know the way, you are there; when I am frustrated and feel like I am failing, you are there. Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader. I love you Jesus. Amen.

Are you a Proverbs 31 woman? I am trying to be yet it’s a challenge, every day. I have to ask for God’s help because I just don’t have that innate burning desire. It doesn’t come naturally to me.

I used to scoff at the idea of being a Proverbs woman because it was unattainable in my mind, but then God reminded me of his calling in Proverbs 31. He’s talking to all of us sisters, married and unmarried alike. We are called to care for our homes.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

I used to read verse 27 and feel good because I wasn’t “idle.” I was on the go! Always doing something. Working up at school, having lunch with my friends, making countless craft projects with my son! I did read a lot of books though. Hours and hours spent reading and now that I look back, I really made those things a priority over keeping my home.

Was my home clean? Sure, but it wasn’t managed properly. I didn’t delegate well. I tried to do everything but I was inefficient at best. It was clean on the surface, but I never felt good about people dropping in unannounced. If someone came over I would be embarrassed and would worry. I don’t want to be that way anymore. I want to be at a place where my family is cared for, my home is managed and I can open my doors to anyone, day or night. I want my home to reflect my love of God and for it to be impossible for any visitor to avoid discerning that I am a Proverbs woman, flip flops and all.

I’d like to share a quote by Elizabeth George “Oh, my dear sister and friend, we must pray for our eyes to see the vision God has for our precious home and for our hearts to understand how important what happens in our home is to Him. May our goal be that our houses be made into homes that show forth God’s desires for the beauty and purpose of those structures.”

She gives us three tips to place ourselves before God so He can grow in us hearts that effectively watch over our precious homes:

1. Understand that this role as helper and guard is God’s plan for you (Proverbs 31:27)

2. Begin watching over your home–ask yourself if you are watching or just glancing over your home. I was glancing!

3. Eliminate idleness which involves: procrastination, inadequate personal planning and scheduling, interruptions by people without appointments by way of telephone, failure to delegate, poor use of the telephone (or email!), reading junk mail, lack of concern for time management, and last but certainly not least…unclear priorities.

Proverbs 31:10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

Let us be of noble character and ask God to fill us with a desire to care for our homes!

*NIV