Saturday, February 4, 2012

Change is Good, Right?


Sometimes I think it would have been better to raise children I don’t like quite so much. With a twenty-two year old son and a seventeen-year-old daughter, I am not unaware that change is on the horizon for this mom.  Our son graduated from Boise State University in December and yesterday was sworn into the U.S. Army as an officer candidate.  He leaves for training in three short weeks. To say that we are proud of him does not come close to describing our feelings.  My feelings go something like this: proud, elated, sad, scared – repeat.  Good thing I’m a woman so I can multi-task.

In the fiction work The Shack by William P. Young (which you either loved or hated), Jesus says:  “I don't want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything.  When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you.  Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life - your family, friends, occupation, thoughts, activities - is connected to me but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being.”

I just love God’s timing! I read this book a couple of years ago and just happened to come across this quote last week. I keep notes from books that I read, because that’s what you do when you love to read but don’t have a great memory!

Also last week I listened to a amazing talk by Beth Moore on anxiety.  I don’t think the timing could have been better for this family! Here are a few things Beth had to say about anxiety.
  • The act of humility is reflected in us in the casting of our cares on God.  When I don't cast my cares on Jesus, even subconsciously, it is an act of pride.  Humility takes an action.  And what this action is in 1 Peter 5 is that we are going to humble ourselves to God BY casting all our cares on him.  The Greek word for "care" in this verse means "anxious care".
  • Anything I will not cast upon the Lord, I am trying to maintain lordship over.  This is not conscious.  Our anxiety proves that we are in a wrestling match with whether or not we believe God can be trusted with it (this is our issue).
  • Anxiety is real.  It's not like we can just say stop it.  What God is saying to do is throw it to Him.  Transfer my anxiety to God.  Give it up to HIM.  With everything in me, cast my anxiety to God.
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:6-8

Last summer I started praying in a new way.  I chose a Bible verse for each of my loved ones and prayed that verse each day for them.  Here is the verse I chose for my son:  "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

I know that I can't handle all that happens in life on my own, but I know God can.


1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the reminders that we need not be anxious and that God should be the center of our mobile!

    ReplyDelete