Lessons For This Mama

We are in a very unique season in life.  Brian was laid off and now works at home (he has work now, praise God), we have a family business that God is blessing and has the potential to go even further. (that takes vast amounts of my time) We still homeschool, two of our adult children live at home while attending college, and well, life!

I tell you all this to say that the Lord is really stretching our family on many levels.  Selfishness that could remain hidden in the past is now being exposed.  Lack of unity and lack of working as a team and sharing a common goal and purpose just isn’t working any more. 

Don’t get me wrong, there is and always has been some as semblance of the above things, but we are just being stretched and made to grow and choose and live differently.  Not so much for self, but for Christ and what He has for us right now.  Each of us are having to take on new tasks and new responsibilities to make this work.  Oh, and growing and stretching, it hurts, right? LOL

I have been reading a book with my sixteen year old daughter for the summer called, “The Family Daughter” by Sarah L. Bryant.  I’ll hold off a formal review as I can’t seem to get past chapter two without DEEP conviction!

Convictions on so many levels.  I don’t feel condemned or hopeless, but am choosing to recognize that God is showing me these things because He equips me to change and choose differently.  And nothing is ‘lost’ with Him.  I don’t need to look back with deep regret of what ‘could have been’ or ‘should have been’.  I look back and see where we missed it and humble myself before Him trusting Him to bring about the change.  Trusting Him to bring beauty out of ashes.  Trusting that His grace and love covers and redeems and restores.

I will leave you with a small snippet from the book that is convicting ME, even though it is intended for the daughter.  Ugh, I thought this was for her, not me.  Funny, she is light years ahead of me on some of this stuff.

“Our attitude as daughters has a great impact in our home.  If we maintain a cheerful attitude, it will promote a loving and peaceful atmosphere, but if we are discontent and unhappy, it certainly will not be a blessing in our father’s home.  We must strive to consistently radiate the love, peace, and compassion of the Lord Jesus, though circumstances around us change daily.  We, as believers, should trust in the unchanging Rock, and He is our eternal anchor.  (Ps. 61:2)  Because of this refuge, we can maintain serenity and composure through Christ, no matter what vicissitudes may assail us.  This unwavering attitude is a choice we face and a choice we must make. (pg. 39)

I didn’t bother changing the daughter stuff to wife/mama stuff, but you get it, I am sure.  Oh, it goes on and on, trust me.  I am sure this is hitting me right between the eyes as ‘emotions’ have always been a battle for me.  I think even more so with all the hormonal changes going on.  I have found myself giving into my emotions but expect my daughter to some how overcome them.  I have excused them and sometimes just been beaten down by them.  I have had greater victory over the years and even more so in the last couple of years, but I think we are going to another level here, the Lord and I.  How can I teach my daughter to have victory over them if I do not?  How do I teach ‘dying to self’ if I do not?

Trust me when I say this is a small snippet of the goodies I have gotten out of this book.  Victoria and I are enjoying it very much.  Actually, I am reading sections of inspiration to all of the children. 

I will share more conviction in a future post.  This is all I could take .