Laced With Grace

Do everything in love.
1 Corinthians 16:14

Parenting is hard. Before I became a mom, I remember seeing other women with their babies, each time a-wishing- and -a- wanting I had one of my very own. My married girlfriends voiced my same desire, “Awwwww, I want a baby!” they chimed in unison. Never once do I recall any of us saying, “Awwwww, I want a teenager!” That should have been my first clue.

Do you have teenagers? If you do, it’s doubly hard. Are you tired? If you’re doing it right you should be. Our son David is fifteen. We have already gone through the teen years with our oldest daughter Meghan -so begins round two.

David’s grades aren’t where they should be, or could be. He would much rather be socializing with friends, than working on his schoolwork. This child who grew up dazzling me with his impish grin and constant comic relief, is trying to win his teachers over with the same performance. Clearly, love makes a difference.

This Christmas his one and only gift request is for an Ipod Touch. He doesn’t have a cellphone and craves the ability to text his friends like everyone else is doing. This type of Ipod would give him that ability he says. And apparently, he is the only teenager in the western hemisphere who doesn’t have one. We have never been parents who have been persuaded with the “Everyone has one.” argument. Though, he has given this line his best shot.

Because I’m a mom, I want to bless my son. I want to give him everything he desires. I want his Christmas morning to be simply magical and his joy to be off the charts. I want to give him and Ipod Touch. But, I just can’t. If my son cannot take the time to study for a geometry test, why would I give him something that will distract him even more?

It reminds me of how the Lord often times says “No.” to me. If I was given everything I desired, what would my life look like? If the Lord granted all of my prayer requests at fifteen, I would be married to Shawn Cassidy, driving a red Pinto, and living in Disneyland.
Because the Lord loves us, there is no request granted or declined that hasn’t first been sifted through His hands of love. Quite often, what we ask for we aren’t ready for. And sometimes, just like our children, there is some work that needs to be done in us before we can handle the very thing we are praying for.

This Christmas, because I love my son, he won’t be getting an Ipod Touch. And, to be completely honest with you, on the morning of December 25th, I think I may be more disappointed than him. Parenting is hard.

Lord, help me to remember that my child’s wants and his needs are two very different things. Please give me the strength to make the tough decisions, the heart to love with each tough decision, and the endurance to do it all over again tomorrow.

In His Grace,

Joanne

I hope your Thanksgiving was a wonderful day full of many blessings. 

Now the wonderful Christmas season is officially here again!  This is a time that should be filled with such joy and excitement for both children and adults.  Did you ever notice how quickly the December calendar fills up?  It’s not even December yet, but I can tell you events that are planned already for my family all through this festive month.  With shopping, baking, decorating, programs, parties, and a host of other activities, time goes quickly and before we know it, it is December 25 again! 

Holiday festivities and traditions are fun; they are something we look forward to at our house all year long.  Today as we are close to the end of November, I encourage you to remember to be conscious of how you schedule activities for December.   I’d like to encourage you to make this December a joyful Christmas celebration.  Plan ahead—you don’t need to say yes to every activity.  Reevaluate how you are spending your time and see what you can change in your schedule to be more productive. Do what you can now before the month even begins to get a plan in place of the definite things you want to do, and then make sure you get those done.  If you have time do the rest.  As you are planning activities for your family, consider this question–When your children are grown, how will they remember you during the holidays?  Will they remember a time of stress and short tempers for everyone because you must fit in “one more thing,” or will they recall memories full of fun activities done together with love for others?  If we aren’t careful, we may let insignificant details overwhelm us, fill up our schedule and leave us frazzled instead of joyful.   Also, remember the verse which says quite simply

“Be joyful always.”  I Thessalonians 5:17 

We should be joyful all the time but especially during this season.  If we are so busy that we lose our focus and lose that joy, then something needs to change. 

If you do find yourself caught in the hustle and bustle, stop and remember the reason for the celebration:  the greatest Gift of all that came in the form of a little Baby in a manger two thousand years ago.

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  Luke 2:11

I pray it is a joyful season for you and you find yourself enjoying it with those you love instead of becoming frazzled.

If we could look in the window of our neighbor, I wonder what kind of table we would see this Thanksgiving Day?

• The widow who just recently lost her soul mate of 49 years, sitting at her table alone, staring at the empty seat across from her.
• The young mother and her two children, join hands and not only pray for their meal but for the safe return of their husband and father from war over at Iraq.
• The elderly man, bows and prays and thanks God for the last piece of bread that he is about to eat.

So many of us will gather around our table this day, joined with our family and friends and enjoy in a feast that seems never ending. While at the same time, people all over will have nothing to eat or have no-one to share their dinner with, much like the examples I gave above. No matter what your table may look like this Thanksgiving day, gratitude is indeed in our attitude.

Paul is a man in the Bible that truly had an attitude of gratitude! While in prison, Paul and Silas were praying and singing and it is during this time that Paul expressed his gratitude in a language. A  language of worship that is. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he encouraged them to share all of their worries and concerns to God. Not only did Paul instruct them to give it all to God but he also implored them to do it with thankfulness.

Paul knew, all too well, that this often-missing ingredient (thankfulness) would change the perspective of so many. Consider how thankfulness lightens your perspective. For Paul, being thankful kept his focus on what was good, true, just, pure and lovely, instead of on the chains of his circumstances. As a result, Paul felt the peace of God.

Maybe you are experiencing some anxiety this Thanksgiving day, Paul is not suggesting that we love the cause of our anxiety, but what he is saying is that we can find God’s peace when we take time to stop and worship Him! Some of the awfulness of this world will not entirely go away, but suddenly it will seem smaller or even more manageable if we seek His peace.

PSALM 95:2 “Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!”

Gratitude is a beautiful way to bring your worries down to size…no matter what your table looks like this day, speak in “gratitude language” to God and give Him Praise!

Have a blessed Thanksgiving Day!

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