I heard a preacher say this when he was talking about serving God. “It’s hard but it’s wonderful!” It’s so true and it applies to many things in life.
Having a child with special needs is hard, but it’s also wonderful. Being a Christian is hard, but it is truly wonderful! Living by faith, doing right, sharing the gospel with others, teaching the Bible, reading the Bible, being a parent, being married, and so on is hard but it’s WONDERFUL!
Trials are hard, but what we learn and become through them with Gods grace is wonderful!
There is a similar quote on our school staff room wall. “It’s hard, but it’s worth it!”
If what we are doing is good and right and in Gods will for us, it will be well worth the hardness.
It’s easy to be focused on the hardness. But it’s good to remind ourselves that it is wonderful and worth it! Don’t try to do it in your own strength. Trust God to help you and stay close to Him.
“Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9
In this video I share some thoughts, recipes, tips, and Bible lessons from my week. I also share 3 more playlists that I've made and a Christian Movie that I liked.
Montana Chocolate Chip Biscuits 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup (125g) butter 1/2 cup oil 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
13/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix together the first 6 ingredients. In separate bowl mix next 5 ingredients. Add 2nd mix to 1st mix. Bake on greased or lined trays for approximately 8 mins at 190C.
Chicken Pie
2 cups chicken broth (stock)
2 tblsp flour
2 cups diced cooked potatoes
2 cups diced cooked carrots
2 cups peas
2 tblsp chopped cooked celery
1 small onion, chopped and cooked
2 cups diced cooked chicken
Buttered bread crumbs or pie dough rolled out to fit oblong baking pan.
Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Heat broth. Add 2 tblsp flour to make a thin gravy. Mix with vegetables and chicken. Pour into oblong baking pan and cover with bread crumbs or pie dough. Bake for 1 hour.
(Chewy Oatmeal Cookies, Date Balls, Oaty Pancakes, Potato Fritters and Easy Pizza Dough Recipes below.)
Today I talk about the day of the week I find the hardest, but how I've found ways to make it a favourite day! I also share a frugal living tip, some easy recipes, some thoughts about love, two ways to use up leftovers and a few others things/thoughts. Recipes below.
Chewy Oatmeal Cookies 1 cup butter softened (225g)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
11/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup each raising/chocolate chips
In a large bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips. Drop teaspoons on tray. Cook 9-10 minutes at 180C.
Date Balls
2 cups dates (approx)
11/2 cups coconut
3-4 tblsp cocoa
(optional) nuts or seeds
Cut dates. Process all ingredients until fine. Add some hot water--enough to make the mixture sticky enough to roll. Roll into balls and in coconut. Put in the fridge to become hard.
Pizza Dough
1 sachet dry yeast (active)
1 tsp white sugar
1 cup warm water
21/2 cups flour
2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Add in other ingredients and knead lightly.
Cook 230C for 15-20 minutes
Potato Fritters
Mix equal amounts of mashed potatoes and flour. Add 1tsp baking powder, 1 egg and any extras--chopped bacon/ham, parsley, cheese, chicken stock, paprika, salt and pepper etc.
Roll into balls. Fry on both sides.
Oaty Pancakes
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 large egg
1/2 cup self-raising flour
3 tblsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
25g (2tblsp) butter
Pour the milk over the oats and leave to stand for a few minutes. Add egg and beat with a fork. Sift in flour, sugar and salt (Don't mix). Melt the butter in a non-stick pan in which pancakes will cook later. Add melted butter to bowl and mix everything. (Don't mix too much). Pour some pancake mixture into the hot pan to make a round pancake. When bubbles burst on tops of the pancake, turn it over. Cook second side until the center springs back when lightly pressed. Adjust the heat if necessary, so next pancakes are golden brown.
Some times it's easy to be loving, cheerful, content, happy, thankful, prayerful, confident, patient, kind, hardworking, generous, unselfish, faithful in Bible reading etc. It's easy to be those things when we feel like being them.
But other times it's plain difficult. We feel discontent, lazy, miserable, scared, frustrated, greedy, unkind, grumpy. We don't feel like reading the Bible or praying. What do we do then? I have found that I can't change or choose my feelings. But I can choose my actions. I can choose to act cheerful, to pray, to read the Bible, to trust God, to give, to speak kindly, to do some work etc. And when I do those things, often feeling follows. Not always--sometimes we just have to wait it out, have a rest, get a good nights sleep or deal with whatever is causing those feelings. But often when I choose to be cheerful, I start to feel more happyl. When I choose to be kind, I start to feel more loving. When I choose to pray, I feel like praying more. When I choose to get busy with jobs, I start to feel more motivated. When I choose to count my blessings, I start to feel more thankful.
Yesterday I got a package in the mail. It was Lydia's hearing aids. About ten days ago, they broke and I had to send them away to get fixed. But when I opened up the package, there was way more than I had sent away. I had sent away a little tub with the hearing aids inside. Now I had back three boxes. One box had a new headband that the aids click on to. The other two boxes had the two hearing aids. They were both in a special little case. I thought they were put in the case to keep them safe in the mail. But my husband thinks they are brand new hearing aids. I'm still not sure which, Anyway, there was a pile of boxes on our desk, so I decided to tidy it up and throw away the boxes. But for some reason I looked in the boxes again, under where the hearing aid cases had sat. I was surprised to find a small thin box underneath. I opened it up and it was little kit of extra things for the aid. A packet of batteries, a little tool to lock the aid so the batteries don't fall out, stickers to decorate the aid, and a few other things. There was a kit in both of the hearing aid boxes. I shuddered to think I had nearly thrown it all away! I didn't expect anything extra, so I nearly didn't find it. I didn't see it at first, because I didn't know it was there. In life, we usually find what we're looking for. We can often miss the things we're not looking for. If we look for faults in people, we easily find them. If we look for faults in our husband, we're always going to find them. But there are hidden blessings, we often miss because we're not looking for them. If we make an effort to look for the good, we will find things we missed before. It's like a garden. If you look for the weeds, you'll find them. Weeds keep coming up. But if you're focused on the weeds, you'll never enjoy the beauty of the flowers. Instead we should focus on the flowers and work on the weeds. We need to look a little deeper and ask God to open our eyes for the blessings we're missing. And then focus on the blessings and pray about the problems!
Planting seeds is risky! Not all seeds grow and your money, time and work can be wasted. But how do plants grow without someone taking that risk? What would our world look like if no one planted seeds? Plant seeds are not the only seeds we can sow. We can sow seeds of kindness, love, and friendship. Seeds of the gospel. We plant seeds in our children's lives. Seeds of truth, wisdom, the Bible, and all the different things we can teach them. We plant seeds in our own life by reading and meditating on God's Word etc. Seeds don't sprout up immediately. They take a lot of time, patience and consistent care. I am not a patient person. I like to see results. Immediately!! These verses have been a big help to me, encouraging me to keep going, keep planting and have hope that at least some of the seeds will grow.
He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11:4-6 Keep on planting good seeds and water them faithfully with prayer. It is the only way to reap a harvest.
This week I've been reading through Proverbs and I've been thinking about the verses that use the word 'BETTER.' It's better to have this than that. What is better? Money or Wisdom? What is more valuable? What means more to us? These verses are food for thought. I've found them very challenging. Is this our mindset? Wisdom is better than rubies:... Prov 8:11a Better is little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure and trouble therewith. Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. 15:16-17 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues (income) without right.16:8 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!16:16
Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly (low in status or importance), than to divide the spoil with the proud.16:19 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. 16:32 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness (family love and peace, tranquility and contentment) therewith, than an house full of sacrifices (feastings) with strife. 17:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 19:1 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. 21:9 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. 21:19 For these last two verses the Living Bible uses closer to home words. Crabby, quarrelsome, complaining! One commentary describes the corner of a rooftop as the flat roof of a house that they had in their day. "All winds and storms which a man might meet with there are more endurable than the tempest within . And the wilderness..."without shelter, exposed to storms and beasts of prey, lack of the necessities of life, no society, a solitary place." All these BETTER verses goes against our natural way of thinking. We think so highly of material things--nice houses, clothes, money, jobs, a good income, nice food, looking pretty etc. And yet righteousness, wisdom, understanding, humility, patience, self control, quietness, integrity, fear of the Lord, love and being a thankful, cheerful, loving wife is worth far more!
Last night one of my sisters took our three oldest children to her house to stay for two nights. As much as we love our children and they love us, it was a treat for all of us! A break for us and a special holiday for them. The plan was for my husband to work on his building project and I planned to get lots done at home, while I only had one child to look after. Where should I start? Gardening, lawn mowing, shopping, cleaning, decluttering, baking, making soup or catching up on odd jobs? There are always many things to be done. But this morning my husband changed his mind. He decided to make a holiday of this day and not go and work (He often works on Saturdays). So I also decided to do the essentials and forget about the rest. It was a relaxing day--we went shopping together which we hardly ever do and Johan made a special meal for dinner as he loves to cook. Instead of getting things done, we relaxed and spent the day together. I'm glad of that. It was a day well spent. Sometimes its easy to think that busyness equals productivity. That time well spent equals lots of jobs crossed off my 'to do' list. But that is not always the case. There is a time for everything. A time for work and a time to relax. There are days that we get nothing done. Maybe we have a sick child or we are sick ourselves. Or maybe the jobs we try to do don't go well--like the other day when I mixed up a big batch of bread dough by hand and it turned out so bad I had to throw the whole thing out. A waste of time, energy and ingredients. Some days are filled with frustrations and at the end of the day we have nothing to show for our day. But there are more important things in life than ticking off 'to do' lists. Things like spending time with God and growing in our spiritual life. Things like spending time with our husband and making time to do things together or sit down and talk. Things like taking the time to read to our children, play with them, teach them how to do something or just to enjoy them. Things like enjoying God's creation and the simple pleasures of life. Things like rest and being refreshed. I tend to be like Martha--I value busyness too much. Time with God and cultivating relationships are more important. Jobs--keeping our house clean and getting things done--are important. But we need to remember they are just a means to an end. They are not the purpose of our life!
A few days ago, my four year old by said to me, "Mummy, do you think I love you?" "Yes, I think so." "You are going to find out if I love you!" He replied. Sometime later I found a picture he had made lying by my bed. According to him that meant he loved me. A day or two later, he asked me, "Do you love me?" "Of course I do," I answered. I tell him often. How can he doubt? "Then why haven't you given me a picture?" I had to give him a picture so he didn't start to doubt my love! Since then, my husband and I keep finding pictures and little gifts in our bedroom from our children. In his childish way, he has a point! Love is shown in our actions. It is a Biblical principle. "For God so loved the world that he gave..." John 3:16 "God commendeth (demonstrated, showed) his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 My love language is words of affirmation, so words mean a lot to me. But words without actions are meaningless. So how do we show love? 1. God How do we show love to God? Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Mary showed her love for Jesus by wanting to be with Him, sitting at His feet and listening to His words. She also showed her love by giving Him her expensive perfume. 2. Husband How do we show love to our husband? We can show love by giving him respect, letting him lead, listening to him, cooking for him, spending time with him, honoring his wishes, praying for him, speaking highly of him instead of critically and responding physically to him--to name a few. 3. Children How do we show love to our children? We can show love by spending time with them, praying for them, teaching, training and disciplining them, listening to them, letting them help us, doing fun things with them, protecting them, gifts, hugs and cuddles etc. 4. Others How can we show love to others? By giving practical help or gifts, listening, spending time, praying for them, talking, having them as guests in our home, sending kind messages, being there for them, etc.
This is a post that I have been thinking about for quite a while and couldn't decide whether to go ahead and write it or not! I guess it's because everyone's situation is different and I am only learning myself. I am no pro! But I'm also not how I was five months ago. For the last five months, my husband has been working on an important project that has gobbled up most of his spare time. Before he started it, he was mostly home in time for dinner, nearly always helped in the evenings with putting the children to bed or washing the dishes and didn't often go out. Yes, I know--I have a great husband! So when he started this project, things changed! I found it difficult and sometimes had a pretty rotten attitude. Since many wives have busy husbands, I would like to share a few things that have helped me. 1) Think about women who see even less of their husbands. In those first few months I read two books. The first one was Brother Andrew (a story about a man who smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain). He lived in Holland but traveled often. His wife sometimes didn't see him for weeks at a time. That was simply a cost they had to consider before getting married. Reading that book made me thankful that although my husband is very busy, I see him every day! Another book I read was about the Bunyan family (John Bunyan was in prison for many years for preaching). Reading this book made me thankful that my husband is living with us and not in prison! Whatever our situation is, there are always other women who have it more difficult. It always gives me an attitude adjustment to think or read about them! 2) Be thankful. Count the hours you do have together, not the hours you don't. Count all the things you have to be thankful for and it will help you have a good attitude. 3)Make the most of the time you Do have. If you have a complaining attitude, you probably won't even enjoy the time you do have with your husband. You may not have much time, but you can make it quality time with a bit of effort on your part. When my husband is home late for dinner, I try to stop what I'm doing and sit down with him and spend that time together. 4) Learn to be more independent. My husband doesn't have the time at the moment to do some things he usually does, so I have to try and do them myself. Just because I don't usually do them, doesn't mean I can't! Learn to be more dependent on God. 5)Learn to manage your home better. Over the last 5 months, as I've shared in other posts, I've really worked at decluttering our house. I've also learned different ways of simplifying and made some new habits. I think it is a mixture of these things and maybe a few others that has helped me have a whole lot more time! I simply don't need my husband's help like I did in the beginning. 6) Free your husband up as much as you can. I am already busier having a busy husband, but I have tried to free him up as much as I can. For example, in the beginning he tried to quickly wash the dishes every night before he started working. I told him not to bother or he would be busy every moment of the day! It takes a bit of sacrifice on our part, but helping our husband is an important ministry. 7) Make your home a nice place for him to come home to. This is a difficult one some days. Especially hot exhausting days! And I am not naturally a relaxed person! Sometimes everything turns to custard right before he comes home. But it is my goal to make our home a nice, clean and relaxing place for my husband to come home to. He will want to be home more if home is a pleasant place to be! It is difficult with little children and especially when you are extra busy, but is a good goal to keep in mind. 8)Pray. Pray for your husband and pray for God's help and strength for you. Sometimes having a busy husband forces us to be more dependent on God. Now, that's a good thing! 9) Accept it.
Fighting something just makes it worse. Remember that quote I shared ..."The impatient horse which will not quietly endure his halter only strangles himself in his stalls!" There is a lot of truth in that. Sometimes we can change our situation, but in my case I can't. It's simply something I have to accept. 10) Remember, it's just for a season. In my situation, at least, the busyness of this project will end soon-- to a certain degree. It won't last forever!
Do you ever wonder what a Christlike mum and wife looks like? Have you ever had the thought, 'If Jesus was a mother and wife, what He be like?' I wondering about this the other day, but then I realized that God has showed us in the Bible what a Christlike women should be. I started writing a list and this is what I came up with. I'm sure there are many more, but these are some of the obvious ones. This list is taken from Proverbs 31, the story of Mary and Martha and a few other passages in the NT that talks about women. 1) She puts God first. She makes it a priority to spend time with God and get to know Him. She fears God. He comes first. 2)She loves her husband. She respects him and submits to him. She fills his physical needs and is pure and faithful to him. She does him good--she's a blessing to him. He can trust her. 3)She loves her children. 4)She is hardworking. She is not lazy and idle. She works willingly, plans ahead and is not a gossip. 5)She looks after her home. She takes good care of her house and her household. She builds her home. 6)She cares about those in need. She does what she can to help and is hospitable. 7)She dresses well. She is elegant, but isn't focused on her appearance. She is modest and pure in the way she dresses. Are you a Christlike woman?
I love this priority list from the book 'A Woman After God's Own Heart.' I am a pro at getting them all the wrong way around in my life! Which is why I have put them on my fridge.
Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. Thomas A Kempis It's so easy to get angry and frustrated when our children, husband or anyone else are not what we want them to be. Although we need to do our best to teach our children to act right, we should be patient with them, remembering that we are not all we should be ourselves.
(This is a personal story which I was hesitant to share,
but I’m sharing with the hope it may help you see what’s most important when it
comes to your relationship with your husband, children and whoever else in your
life who doesn’t always fit into your plans.)
After months of spending a lot of time focusing on our
special needs daughter and about to start focusing on potty training our two
year old aswell, I felt like I needed a bit of help catching up with the deep
cleaning. The list was getting long. I thought it all through before mentioning
it to my husband. Instead of asking someone I knew, I wanted to pay a cleaner
to do the work. I had in my mind exactly what I wanted, then I asked my
husband.
He thought about it for a minute and looked at the
calendar. He asked what kind of jobs I wanted done. Then he said, “I have two
days off over New Year. I can do it for you!” I am ashamed to admit my first reaction was annoyance and
frustration. I thought, “You are just as busy as me. I already need your help
with the basics! This is not what I had in mind. This is not what I planned.
Forget that I asked.” But of course I couldn’t tell him that. How could I turn
his offer down? Thankfully as I thought about it some more, the light
came on and in an instance I got a major attitude adjustment. I remembered that acts of service is one of my husband’s
most important love languages. For him to make the offer was showing love. I
realized that he was offering to give up his two days off to do woman’s work—my
work. How kind is that? Suddenly the deep cleaning didn’t matter anymore and I
didn’t care if it ever got done. What mattered was that I had a very caring and
unselfish husband! I then realized that there have been other instances like
this in the past where I have continued being annoyed instead of realizing the
kindness and thought behind the suggestions that didn’t fit in with my plans. I
felt very ashamed but thankful that this time I realized what was truly
important. And guess what? Over New Year he cleaned, organized and
decluttered my pantry from top to bottom as well as other kitchen cupboards and
drawers! So now I have a clean and orderly kitchen and I appreciate my husband
much more! I can be so blinded sometimes by my own selfishness and self-centeredness
to what is really important. What about you?
Give weight to what your husband thinks is important. Make those things a priority that matter most to him. Don't make him ask twice. I have these words up in my kitchen at the moment which I got from a magazine. This is the main marriage advice I remember my Mum telling me. I thought I had this down pat until last night I realized I still have a long way to go. My husband commented on something I was wearing. He didn't like it for modesty reasons. Straight away I argued back as I had the last two times he mentioned it. Then I caught myself. Ouch! Later on I asked my husband if he really didn't like it.(It pays to check as sometimes he is just teasing!:) ). Thismorning I put those clothes, along with some more clothes I knew he didn't like, into my opp shop bag. I have a few less clothes now, but I have joy knowing I have honored his wishes. A happy marriage is far more important than a few clothes. Another thing has been screen time for the children. Many times he has commented on how he doesn't like how much screen time (watching videos) I let them have. Instead of honoring his wishes, for a long time I just made excuses. Ouch again! This week we have gone 4 days so far with no screen time. And again I have joy knowing I am honoring my man!
These are three lessons I am learning that are making me a happier wife!
Focus on the positive. I heard of a man who kept a little book and wrote his wife's faults and failures in it! Isn't that horrible? And yet, as we are naturally so self-focused, it is so easy to focus on the negative rather than on all the positives. It's good to write down or at least think of things that you are thankful for about your husband every day. Make it a habit to notice every positive thing about him and thank God for it. It's amazing what a difference it can make to your attitude! You will probably realize you are married to the best man in the world! :)
Listen to him. Does your husband make comments about what he does or doesn't like? Maybe foods he would like you to buy, or meals he doesn't like, or clothes you or the children wear that he doesn't like. Does he mention things that would like you to do? Listen and pay attention to his wishes. Do your best to please him, instead of making excuses why you shouldn't. Unless, of course, his wishes are clearly wrong. It's not always possible or realistic to do what he wants, but most of the time it is, although it may call for some unselfishness on your part! But you will be happy, knowing that you are honoring the man God gave you.
Learn to appreciate his way of showing love (love language). My husband shows his love in different ways to me. Words of affirmation are very important to me, while they don't mean a whole lot to him. Acts of service and gifts are more important to him. So there are many times I have been offended because of what he has or hasn't said to me, and yet he might have spent the afternoon making me dinner or he brought us some treats on his way home. Its easy to feel unloved when your husband shows love in a different way to you. But it's unnecessary. As I am learning, you can either spend your life wishing he would become more like you, or you can look for and appreciate the ways that he shows love. I read this the other day and it made me stop and think. It was written for men and it was about marriage. She won’t always readily translate the oil change to love, though it means that. Something like an oil change can mean the same as the words "I love you" or a box of chocolate, or a bunch of flowers, or a night out at a restaurant etc!
Whenever I've studied the story of Mary and Martha before, I've usually gotten two lessons out of it. 1)Have your priorities right The eternal is more important than the physical. 2) Don't be so busy serving Jesus that you have no time to spend with Him
But this time I've learned new things about Martha and realized that I can relate to Martha very well! These lessons especially apply in our homes, since our husband and children are the ones who are the closest to us. (But before I begin, Martha wasn't all bad! She loved Jesus. She had faith in Him. She welcomed him into her home--she was very hospitable. I have much to learn from her there.) 3)Martha questioned whether Jesus cared "Dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?" She should have known that He did. I'm sure there are times when I've started to have those doubts. Does God really care? "Casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you."
4) Martha became very stressed unnecessarily Martha didn't need to be that busy. She had too much on her 'to do' list. Sometimes I get very stressed simply because I am trying to do too much or I want things perfect. My priorities aren't quite right. When I start getting super stressed, I need to stop, refocus, simplify and prioritize. I remember one time trying to get to an appointment on time. I was getting very grumpy with my children and just feeling so stressed. Guess what? I was still early and had to sit and wait in the waiting room! All that stress wasn't necessary!
5)When Martha became too busy and bothered, she became cranky. Because Martha became focused on her work instead of the Lord, she became very grumpy. When I get my eyes off God and get overly busy, I begin to snap. 6) Martha blamed Mary for her problems When I get too busy and then cranky, I begin to blame others, usually my husband! But Mary wasn't the problem, Martha herself was the problem!! She was getting worried and flustered unnecessarily. She was too busy. 7) Martha felt sorry for herself That's me too, sometimes! Self-focused and full of self-pity for poor me who is so overworked and uncared for like Martha!
8) Martha was critical and accusing She was critical of Mary, accusing her of not helping and accusing Jesus of not caring about her. When we get too busy, its so easy to be critical and accusing, just like Martha. If not in our words, in our thoughts.
9) Martha put Mary down in order to lift herself up Martha put Mary down in front of Jesus. I may not always go so far as to do it verbally, but in my mind I can put people down and lift myself up. I can compare people to me, as if I am perfect myself!
10) Martha was irreverent to Jesus Martha first of all accused Him of not caring, then commanded Him to rebuke Mary. She forgot who she was (a sinner) and who she was talking to (the Creator of the universe!) When I am feeling like Martha was feeling, my prayers aren't always so reverent either. My prayers can be very selfish.
11) Martha implied that by sitting at Jesus' feet Mary wasn't doing anything. There are always so many things to be done, that sometimes its hard to see the value of a quiet time with God, reading His Word and praying. The physical things can seem much more important.
12) Martha needed the rebuke not Mary She must have expected Jesus to rebuke Mary, but instead He rebuked Martha. She was the one who needed it! I wonder how many times I've complained about someone else, when I was the one who needed changing. I remember one time I was very annoyed because my husband had just rung to say he was coming home late from work. Dinner was on the table and we had visitors staying with us, so I was annoyed that he hadn't told me earlier so I could have just planned dinner later. So feeling like Martha, I called the visitors for dinner. One of them asked me why Johan wasn't home. I explained that he had to work late. His comment was, "Wow, he must be tired." Although he hadn't know what I was thinking, it was a rebuke to me. Here my husband was working long hours and would be very tired when he came home. The last thing he needed was a complaining wife to come home to! I got an attitude adjustment real quick!
13)When Jesus spoke, Martha had to listen Martha was too busy to listen to Jesus, but when He said, Martha, Martha, he got her attention. She had to listen then. And when we get too busy for God, sometimes he has to trip us up somehow to get our attention so that we will listen.
Two weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. We enjoyed a dinner together at a Chinese restaurant, desert at Burger King and a nice walk through a beautiful Domain afterwards. It was a lovely evening but afterwards when I returned to the little hospital room where our baby lay, a horrible feeling of helplessness and depression came over me. Lydia had been in hospital for 2 months since birth and it looked like we would be in hospital with her till she would have heart surgery and recover from that--maybe another 1-2 months. We were separated from our little children and a long way from home. There seemed to be no end in sight--no light at the end of the tunnel. I thought in despair, "I've had all I can handle. Isn't two months long enough to be in hospital?? I just can't do it anymore! I want to go home. I want life to be normal again." Then the verse came to me "He giveth MORE grace." I was reminded that God's grace for me will never run out. There is always MORE no matter how big my trials are or how long they last! God would give me MORE and MORE grace for as long as Lydia had to be in hospital. MORE grace, MORE help, MORE joy, MORE patience and MORE peace. And He did!
Thankfully things changed and we are now home with her until surgery. Although I do not look forward to going back again, I know God will give MORE grace when the time comes. God will give MORE grace to raise the special needs child He has given us. Do you ever feel like you're at the end of your rope? That you've had enough? Maybe a hard marriage, a difficult child, the challenges a new baby brings, financial struggles etc. Or maybe you are worried how you will cope with new challenges in the future. Remember, God gives MORE grace! What a great promise!
Recently I met a mother who has twin
babies. One of her twins is in intensive care but the other one is
fine. Her sick twin nearly died at one stage. She said that someone
told her, “You only have the moment.” That thought helped her.
Thinking about it, it's actually quite
Biblical. We have no guarantee that we have tomorrow, but we do have
this moment.
We may not have our children tomorrow,
we may not have our husband tomorrow, we may not even be alive
tomorrow, but we do have this moment to show love and spend time with
them.
The people we see today, we may never
see again. But we do have this moment to be friendly.
Our friends may be gone tomorrow, but
they are still here today. Be a friend while you have the chance--It
may not be there tomorrow.
It's so easy to put things off or to
waste the precious moments we have. But this moment is the only
guarantee we have.
I was just reading in the newspaper
thismorning of a man who has been told he has 9 months left to live.
He said he wants to spend that time making memories with his family.
Making the most of the moment.
Life can change so quick. Last week my
children were staying with me next to the hospital where our baby
was. At 1:00 in the afternoon I was told our baby needed to be
transported to another hospital first thing the next morning. I had
the afternoon and evening to organize for the children to go back to
my parents place and to get packed up. I was glad I had spent the week that
I did have with them making memories and having special times with
them.
Make the most of this moment. It may be
the last one you have.
James
4:14
Whereas ye know not what shall
be
on the morrow. For what is
your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and
then vanisheth away.
Proverbs
27:1
Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may
bring forth.
