little reminders from busy days

I can't think of a time, truly, when I couldn't, at the very least, say, "yes....but He met me."

God just simply always has, in rough, tough times and in deep, dark seasons. It may have been horrific. But He met me, and man, that has made all the difference.

I love that in these lighter days, that I can always say and see the same, Him meeting me, guiding my line of sight, showing me little things, giving me His still, small voice.  Lord, make my heart soft and my ears keen, always.

As I'm working through a fantastic book called "Sacred Marriage" for my Discipleship in the Home class, God reminds me that it's my job to keep my eyes on Him and who He is, and to allow Him to work in my heart, and in Matt's. It is not my job to work on Matt, nor does that focus bring any joy or freedom to our marriage and lives.

As Matt graciously washed dishes last night, Nikki and her visiting sister Alex helping him, he popped in his headphones, using the opportunity to listen to a sermon.  Here is a ministry opportunity to love on and be a friend to these girls, and he's got headphones in! I thought judgmentally, but my book kept my mouth shut. Lord, work on my heart, I prayed a little grudgingly, and went about bath time.

Not two minutes later I heard him chatting in the kitchen, and this morning he unexpectedly said to me as I was brushing my teeth, "you know, last night I was trying to listen to that sermon, but the Lord reminded me that those girls don't have many influential Christian men in their lives, and I knew I needed to take those headphones out and listen!"

The Lord answered my little prayer and did work on my heart...He's got Matt covered, too.  God can be trusted.

As Lily and Sofie get older, I've been concerned that I'm not doing enough to shepherd their hearts. But He's been leading me to carry on faithfully, and to refuse to worry...they are HIS.  "Wait upon the Lord and be grounded!"

Nora is working hard to kick her strong thumb-sucking habit, and yesterday we started painting her nails with "gucky stuff" to help.  As I read our bedtime story last night, she was inconsolable, exhausted, but unable to fall asleep without her comforting thumb. As she cried and flipped and flopped, Sofie, also exhausted and short on patience, became exasperated.  How can I go to sleep when she won't stop WHINING? She's a CRYBABY she huffed, and started crying herself....and tired mommy was tempted at the UNpeaceful end of the day...what a failure I've been.

As it began to look like no one was going to get any sleep, Sofie totally surprised me by unexpectedly saying, "Nora, do you want me to come sleep with you?"

For the next 10 minutes Sofie told her stories and joked with her (Nora was actually giggling!) and let Nora twirl her hair, and soon Nora was snoring and Sofie grinned at me in the dark.

As she climbed back up to her bed, she whispered, "I remembered you always tell me that when people are extra difficult, they may just need someone to be extra nice!" 

The Lord answered Satan's lie of not enough with carry on faithfully...they are Mine.

As board meetings approach next week, and the millions of hospitality details threaten to panic me, the Lord prompts Pam to share with me how a sleepless, stressful night for her this week was transformed by a cup of tea in His powerful presence, peace of resting in Him.

As finances always taunt me, poking at me to doubt and worry, the Lord prompts Matt to give the local church in our village a huge gift to finish their building. I fight to trust Him, and He quietly gives me a vision of what lifting up our 200 men and women and my children and family with faith would look like. I cling to it.

Yesterday afternoon a friend of a friend of a stranger calls Matt out of the blue to let us know of the stranger's anonymous gift to Emmaus...unexpected, unsolicited, generous provision.

Yesterday. Like, the day...four hours later...that Matt gave the church $2500 dollars because he was sure the Lord was asking him to.

As friends, family, students, staff, brothers, sisters struggle around us, I'm so continually tempted to panic...perhaps THIS time He shall not meet us, and what in the world will we do then?

But daily, He whispers on...meeting me not only in the wow-ways, but in the quiet places of my heart, over even the little things.

Whatever you are tempted to worry over today...Trust on, dear ones, as we wait upon Him. He will meet us!