Laced With Grace

God’s blessings sweet visitors and readers. You may still sign up for the ‘She Speaks‘ contest until March 31st. You can enter your name daily by leaving a comment in the daily devotion with the words “Enter Me” after your comment.

Thank you for your visit and your kind comments. ~ The Laced with Grace Team

I looked sharply towards the sound of the snicker I heard with my teacher frown in place, wondering which one of my students dared to laugh when I was dealing with what I considered a very serious matter.

At that moment I had two innocent, angelic faces standing before me, one of them guilty of a serious crime but both of them claiming to be innocent. What’s a teacher to do? Well this teacher had just announced to the class at large, in a not so happy voice, “Well students, I guess I’m going to be Judge Judy today!” As the words rang around the class it was then that I heard the snicker.

Smile… you’re on candid camera. There stood one of my student’s father with a big grin on his face. “Excuse me Judge Ju… I mean Miss Mac I just needed to speak to my son for a minute.”

After the parent left and my face stopped burning I adjoined that court session because my students now had a case of the giggles. Since the solemnity of my courtroom classroom was broken what could I do? I joined in the laughter. One thing I’ve learned in my years of teaching is not to take myself too seriously.

The bible tells us in Proverbs 17:22

A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Even when dealing with serious issues it is necessary, at times, to step back, take a deep breath and if appropriate laugh. Laughter may even give you a different perspective on what seemed like a serious situation.

A perfect ending would be to say that I got a confession from one of the two students, well I didn’t (even after I later gave the I may not have seen but Jesus did speech). What I did get though was a hug from one of my now beaming students with a happy, “Miss you’re a nice teacher.” I don’t know what lesson I taught in that moment but my students were sure impressed, lol.

I pray today that God will give us the gift of laughter that in the moments of our lives when we appear to be less than perfect, like the human beings we are, we will be able to laugh at ourselves and move on.

“Mom!”

I knew I heard my daughter calling me but the lazy dream I was enjoying wasn’t letting me go.

“MOM” I heard her desperate voice this time and sprang straight up in bed. My heart was pounding from 20 cc’s of adrenalin flooding my chest. It was pitch black in my bedroom. The clock radio glared 4:30 a.m.

“What is it?” I whispered frantic, stumbling from bed toward the light switch.

“Mom, there is something in my bedroom.”

Well, this sassy feline pushed her way through two dog doors to get in the laundry room. She then walked pass my old Dalmatian who was asleep in the office. She slipped by my bedroom and my small yippy dog who sleeps on the bed, (of course). Sheesh! So much for guard dogs!

Then this Queen of the Cats sauntered across the entire expanse of our living, dining, and family room down the hall to where my daughter was fast asleep in her pink princess bed. Side note -My daughter would be mortified if she knew I was telling you as a twelve-year-old she still has a princess bed.-

As I ran down the hall with my daughter, looking for the nighttime intruder, I asked my child, “Were you scared when the cat jumped on you?”

She said, “No, not really.”

I was relieved by her answer but didn’t really have time to think about the implication until later. I found myself coaxing the mangy beast from under the bed and tossing her out the front door. My daughter was all grins, tickled by the surprise visitor. I didn’t find the cat antics quite so humorous.

What I did discover from this nocturnal adventure was evidence of my daughters faith. She prays.

A few days following our pre-dawn drama I asked my daughter why she wasn’t afraid of things that go bump in the night. She said to me, “Mom, I pray at night when I’m scared.”

Aaah, Music to a mother’s ears.

I taught my child to pray when she was frightened at night.

As believers we know there is a spiritual world where we face an enemy we cannot see. Learning what to pray when we are frightened is key to overcoming our fears and living triumphant lives. This is what Jesus wants for us. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

When I was a child I wish I had learned how to pray in the still darkness of the night. Today, I know how to pray. I can defeat the enemy. Things that go bump in the night no longer leave me sleepless and worried.

In the wee hours of the morning when fears assault, I lean upon God’s word and His truth. Psalm 91, also know as the 911 prayer, gives me peace. Read it. It is powerful.

I also cling to 1 John 4:4 (King James Version) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Then pray:

Lord God, I approach your throne with Jesus at my side. It is by his blood that I bind the enemy of fear. I ask you Lord to dispatch angels with swords drawn to stand at each doorway in my home. I ask you Lord for a hedge of protection to surround us. Lord, I KNOW greater are You who live in me than he that lives in the world. By the Redeeming blood of Jesus I ask these things, Amen.

Have a blessed and powerful day (and night) in the name of Jesus.