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Soft or Right?

So often that is the choice, to be soft or to be right. I find so many who come to me, come with an indignant sense of being right and not a soft hearted hope for restoration. How is it that when we reach a sense of right we lose our softness towards the one with whom we feel we are right... Or from the one we feel that has wronged us. I believe when we are hurting, needing to confront, the Lord gives us the ability to be both honest and soft. It's the gospel. If love is kind, then it has the ability to be kind all the time....Even in the face of struggle and conflict. And where we fail, there is repentance.

Psalm 40:16,17

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation
say continually, "Great is the LORD!"
As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer,
do not delay, O my God!

May You be glorified in me today. May you be my help and not my own feeble attempts at help or reason. May you be pleased to look at my needy state and fill it with yourself. Great You are!

Fret Not

I am loving Psalm 37. It is rich in wisdom to not fret, to not delight in anger but to trust in the Lord.

"refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land." (v8)

"I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his chidlren become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints." (v25-28)

Great reminders for me today. I tend towards fretting. I'm praying for more belief and trust today.

Lake-ism

Yesterday during the church service Lake turned to me and quickly said, "Mom I really like your blue socks, how high do they go?" And started lifting my skirt really quickly.

"They go up all the way Lake, all the way, you MUST stop." You see, I was wearing tights. Funny kid.

Proverbs 31

Frankly, for a long time I have avoided the woman in Proverbs 31. She seemed like the Jesus of women. A person I could never be. It was an immature and silly point of view I see now. Like Jesus, we all need an example. Certainly, I may never never get anywhere near to living like her, but why not try.

I recently had a friend tell me she was going to read it every morning in her personal worship time. I decided to copy her. I'm rarely original. This morning, I noticed so many things I had not before seen (I know this because I had not highlighted it).

Three things I loved today:

She worked, that is obvious. But I noticed today that she had willing hands. The idea of willing hands seems very closely linked to a heart attitude. (v 13)

The teaching of kindness was on her tongue. Again, not just something she taught Sunday morning, but something she lived and modeled throughout the week. This too must come from a heart attitude that is fixed on the Lord.

She does not eat the bread of idleness. Here I see a decision. A choice not to be lazy, to work with her willing hands, and to not choose slothful living.

I remember once I was repenting to a Bible study my struggle with being lazy. One woman in the group and turned to me and said, "you aren't lazy, you have four kids." I remember thinking, wow, I have them all fooled. It's true four kids does keep a person busy, but laziness and sloth is a heart attitude. I could even be doing my every task and still be lazy. It's the same thing as doing all the right things to appear Christlike, but if my heart if far from the Lord... Well, it's a heart attitude. I desire to live an authentic life before the Lord, not a show for the masses.

So today, Jesus, give me the strength to have willing hand, to have kindness in my speech and teaching, and to forsake idleness. I need your grace to accomplish such a high calling. I know your Holy Spirit will strengthen me. I could never do it in my own strength.

Today

Why is living in the present so difficult. When I look at my son content to dig a hole, my baby content in my lap...hand down my shirt (constantly)... My oldest sitting with my guy and my second arranging her small little toys. Why do I struggle with the present?

My mind struggles to quiet these days of hurt, my heart struggles to understand our present. I'm thankful to the one who holds my future, and I know my worry is futile. Life must be lived today. Enjoyed today, and shared with my special family.