Day 2
3-6-14
Thursday
Established by God
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
Proverbs 16:9
On Day 2 of my devotional prayer journey, it was a little harder to get out of bed so early. Frankly, I had the option to sleep in, with no appointments and nowhere to go that day.
For those who don't know, having four children with special needs does not make it easy to be a stay-at-home-mom. With five teens, we seem to always be running someone to this doctor or that therapist or this job coach is visiting or that one needs something for school or a club. Maybe it's grocery day or my dad has called or John's mom needs something. Perhaps a friend needs a meal and I promised to cook for them or a child needs to be picked up from art club. Maybe it's grocery day or I simply have errands to run. You get the point. Sleeping in is a rarity and a pleasure I look forward to. So, getting up early, was a sacrifice for me on this day.
As I got up out of bed, I found the house to be eerily quiet this morning. Maybe it was the rain hitting the window. Perhaps it was that my sweet husband was in bed still and it seemed to invitingly warm and cozy. Sometimes the quietness of a house with 7-9 people running around (I also keep my 3 year old nephew and 7 year old niece while my sister, who is a single mom, works) is a sheer treasure and I just wanted to drink it in a little longer.
Then, as I opened my book and my Bible, the vitality of life found me again. As Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, I began reading and found His Word filling me like the never-ending spring of water He promises to be. Filling my cup, so that I may fill others. So that I can have the energy, the fortitude, the love and patience, kindness and understanding to make it through yet another day on this fallen earth.
Day 2 began with Brother Mark Batterson writing about how still you are as you are reading this right now. (Ironic? I don't think so! God-ordained words in perfect timing!) He explains how even though I was sitting still, the planet itself was rotating on its axis at 1,000 miles per hour. The planet Earth is moving around the sun at speeds of 67,000 miles per hour. He closes paragraph one by reminding the reader, the next time we feel as if we've had an unproductive day, we should remind ourselves we've traveled more than 1.5 million miles through space that day!
Amazing God!
As I pondered those things in my heart and marveled at how personal the words seemed to be to me, I continued reading. The author asks how many times we've prayed fervently and in terror because we were worried the earth was going to fly off it's axis? He asks how worried we've been, ever to the point that we'd lose sleep that God would drop the earth and we would go flying off into space? (I embellish his intended meaning). I can honestly say, I've never lost sleep over worrying about these things.
In my book, on this page I had underlined:
* We don't doubt God's ability to keep the planets in orbit, but we have a difficult time believing He can keep our lives in orbit. we already trust God for the big things; now we need to trust Him for the little things, like getting us out of debt (author listed more, I only underlined this one as it pertained to one of my five personal prayers). God is great not just because nothing is too big for Him; God is also great because nothing is too small. Every sacrifice, no matter how insignificant, makes a difference. God rejoices over every baby step. And He can turn those small steps of faith into giant leaps.*
Why is it that when we are hit with a situation, say... a doctor tells you that you may have a brain tumor ... we can hit our knees praying immediately (this happened to me) or we hear of a child that is dire need of a medical transplant and we can immediately ask God for healing YET we are late for work due to circumstances beyond our own control and we don't even think to ask God for smooth traffic and no lights?
How can we pray about brain tumors and neglect to ask God to heal the pain of our monthly menstruation cycles?
How can we ask Him to help us be financially free, yet we don't seek His guidance as we are writing out checks to pay bills?
Yes, it is easy to trust a Big God in Big Things, but not so easy to remember He cares about the Little Things as well.
I thought about this. I think some of us put God on this pedestal, wayyyyy up high in the Heavens. And He is. Don't get me wrong. He is wonderful, marvelous and oh, so worthy to be praised. But He should also walk with us and talk with us. We should have an ease and a friendship with our Abba Father (daddy) that we can feel comfortable and confident in going to Him with the little things in life. The same ease we have with our bestie that calls and we want to give her every detail of our day... but with added reverence and awe, because He is the Master of the Universe, literally!
He cares that you may not have enough money to pay that bill this week. He cares that you are struggling with weight loss and He wants to hear about it. He cares that your back is hurting, because girlfriend, it is making you grumpy! Bring EVERYTHING to Him in prayer and supplication!
"God is great because nothing is too big for Him; God is also great because nothing is too small."
He cares about every single hair on your head to the point where they are numbered. He cares about every single step you take because the Holy Spirit is taking those steps with you. He cares about every pain you have and desires for you to tell Him all about it. He cares because He loves you!
The next thing underlined in my book, was just so precious to me personally.
"Every sacrifice, no matter how insignificant, makes a difference. God rejoices over every baby step. And He can turn those small steps of faith into giant leaps."
I sacrificed to get out of bed early on this morning to spend time with Him. He cares.
I sacrifice to eat salad for lunch while my kids are eating foods I really love and desire to eat. He cares.
I sacrifice my life to be a stay-at-home-mom and a home-educator to children who don't love me back, don't care about education and could care less about bonding. He cares.
I sacrifice my finances to help others when they come to me in need. He cares.
Every. Little. Sacrifice. He cares!
Not only does he care, but He rejoices and will take those small sacrifices and turn them into giant successes. Success in His eyes. The world may not agree.
The world may think it's stupid to get up at 5:00am to study a Bible and spend time in prayer. But God rejoices!
The world may think it's idiotic to quit your job and adopt five kids, four with special needs and home-educate them. But God loves it and blesses it!
The world may say, why eat healthy? We're all gonna die anyways? But the Lord reminds us we will never die because death is defeated in Christ Jesus and because He lives, we live and there is life beyond this world! It's a matter of taking care of the temple in which Christ resides, dying to self daily and caring for the earthly tent He has placed you in. He cares!
Are you still with me, sweet friends? This may be personal to me and no one else may relate to a word I'm saying but I so pray that you are! God loves YOU and cares about every single detail in your life!
The next words underlined in my book are:
* God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time, but it's up to us to see and seize those opportunities that are all around us all the time.*
The author tells a story about why he writes books. He writes to be a blessing to others and prays that each book is a prayer answered...to someone, in some situation.
The story is about a letter he received from a reader of a different book that was touched and moved to act on what he had read. Because of reading the first chapter, a life was saved and possibly two. (Get the book! Go ahead. Stop procrastinating and get the book. You know you wanna find out what the story was...)
I have to say, I felt the exact same way after reading the introduction to this book! I couldn't wait to dive in! Then, after reading Day 1, I was so excited about all the specific prayers answered, I couldn't wait til Day 2!
Precious friends, we gotta be excited about what God is doing! He is so wonderful! He loves us so much! He is so involved with everything in our lives we should be on the edge of our seats, can't wait to see what's gonna happen next!
* God wants us to get where God wants us to go more than we want to get where God wants us to go.*
Do ya understand that? Do ya really get that?
When we correct our children, we don't do it because it's fun. We do it because we know it will make them a better person as an adult (where we want them to go). I tell my teens all the time, I'm not raising children, I'm raising adults.
When we eat healthy, we don't always do it because it's the most flavorful thing at the buffet (although sometimes it truly is!). We do it because we know it is the best choice for fuel for our bodies (where we want to go).
We do these things because we can look down the line and see that these choices now, will help us later (where we want to go). They will make us a better person, a healthier person, a more productive person (where we want to go).
Same with God. He is so excited about where we are going because He sees everything (where He wants us to go). Every little person you smile at, every little birdie you put back in the nest, every time you let someone in the line in traffic instead of boxing them out, every healthy choice you make to keep His temple healthy, every time you bring it to the attention of the cashier that she gave you too much change, everything (where He wants us to go)!
He not only sees where we are going, but He knows what's in the future and how our choices now are preparing us for what's next! He knows how your decision will effect other people's lives and He rejoices when we make good decisions (where He wants us to go)!
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9
*The Hebrew word kun, translated in Proverbs 16:9 as "establishes" can also be translated as "determines," "prepares," "provides," "sets in place," "directs," "firmly decides," "makes secure." It's a meticulous word that involves careful planning right down to the smallest detail.*
I can't tell you enough details to make you understand what my day planner looks like. It's crazy! You just have to see it for yourself to believe it. I have nine people's schedule on this day planner. I have lists in this planner for the day, for the week, what to do on what days.
When I write my to-do lists for the day, I even number them in order so that I never have to back-track and waste time. I put times and side notes so as to attempt to not forget one single thing and I still have days nothing goes right, I accomplish nothing or my plans get derailed.
We can make all the plans we want, but we have got to recognize when God is placing a person in our lives that needs a witness. When God puts a grumpy person in front of us that needs a kind and loving heart to speak to them. When God puts a wayward child in our path that needs guidance and not anger. When God puts a needy friend, sibling or parent in our life that needs you to be the face of Jesus for them that day.
Yes, we can plan our day to a tee (where we want to go), but we must allow the Lord to establish our steps (where He wants us to go).
My prayers for today, as written in my book:
1. My relationship with Christ to grow
2. Health for self and family
3. Children to love us, themselves and I added, each other
4. Jobs for children
5. Financial freedom from debt
I so hope you are still with me, dear brothers and sisters! What a precious journey God is taking me on.
I pray that you are taking time to prepare your heart for the Easter season. If I had the right to give you homework it would be to challenge you to study about Paschal and the Jewish Holy Day of Passover. What it means. How it began. What are they celebrating? What did they eat during this time? How have we Americanized it from celebrating a victory over death to being about a bunny that leaves eggs?
We live in a fallen world, beloved. Won't you be the Light for someone today? Plan your day (where you want to go), but be sure to allow God to establish your steps(where He wants you to go).
