When all you can see is what's not there…
The LORD will perfect that which concerns me: your mercy, O LORD, endures forever: forsake not the works of your own hands. (Ps. 138:8)
The mind-battle-lie I fight daily:
Why are we the only family that struggles with this?
The “this” changes with the weather. “This” can be eating-their-vegetables, picking-up-after-themselves, waiting-for-dinner-without-whining, going-to-Sunday-school-without-a-panic-attack. There’s no end to the variety of shortcomings we face each day and all too often that’s all that I can see.
All I see are all the things that aren’t there. The missing things. Like the lists we shared last week, the things I don’t do. The vacuum of what’s missing is visible.
Kind of like the “S” in Heidi’s words.
You see, my sweet Heidi-girl cannot do an s-blend to save her life. The “s” sound alone is fine, but blended with another consonant and the “s” never fails to fall.
The result is the cutest thing in all the world.
“Mommy, may I please have a ‘nack?” You better believe I’m fixin’ up something good. I love me a good ‘nack.
Then of course as she climbs up on her chair at the table: “Mommy, please ‘coot me in.” I ‘coot her in and nibble a few kisses near the edge of her mouth, inhale her apple-breath and say I’m going to eat her for a ‘nack! She turns hungrily to her bowl of applesauce and asks nicely for a ‘poon. I melt.
My favorite perhaps is reading the book about ‘piders. She thinks ‘piders are a little ‘cary, but still loves to read about them. Almost as much as she loves to count all eleven ‘tars in the ‘ky in her Dora book. Today on our nature walk she asks me to find her a ‘pecial ‘tick. And of course she also asks for help up the ‘tairs and asks to not have a ‘pank when she’s naughty.
Does it bother me one bit that the “s” fails to show? Not a bit. Do I worry and fret about her future, plagued by fear for her SAT scores? Not at all. I think her missing s‘s are adorable, age-appropriate, and endearing.
I’m not bothered at all by what’s not there.
Every illustration breaks down, but don’t you think our Heavenly Father feels the same? Yes, the Patterson children haven’t arrived. And to no one’s surprise the Patterson mother hasn’t either. We’re in progress. Not slacking, not celebrating mediocrity, but still learning our letters. I’m just so stinkin’ blessed by Heidi practicing her words, by Heidi continuing to grow …
By not letting her ‘lipped s’s ‘low her down.
I know when I teach I say things wrong. I write things wrong. I do things wrong. There are more things “undone” every day than done. But I think the missing letters are endearing to our God as long as we don’t let them get us down. You think? Of course it’s always pride that presses us into perfectionism. Humility isn’t surprised by dropped s’s … but also believes that God is great enough that in His timing He’ll perfect that which concerns us (Psalm 138:8).
God will bring back every dropped “s” in our lives. He will never forsake the work of His hands — that’s us. His mercy endures forever.
For all the things we inevitably drop, there’s grace.
{How does this bring rest to your soul today? Thanks, friends, for reading.}
Week's end with thanks
- Your blessed comments and encouragement as the Sacred Mundane adventure begins. Thank you!
- Cord of wood stacked neatly in the carport.
- Crackling, smell of fire, flames dancing, leaning against the warm iron– I love our wood stove!
- Car to drive.
- Beef barley soup.
- Quesadillas. Eating up all the kids left over.
- Reheating coffee on the stove.
- Spice cookies. (Just a few!)
- Family Community Group.
- New Community Group.
- Joy of each group being unique, something of a blessing in itself.
- Getting to know people.
- Guys talking.
- Girls listening. (Too often it’s the other way around)
- Treasure Hunt picnic! SUCH a blast — parts of our lunch hidden around the property. A day to remember to be sure!
- Pierre the dog we’re coming to love.
- Kids smashing ants with cut carrots.
- Dutch snuggled up resting on the couch. Quiet, then: “I’m starting to like this house.”
- Cody here to play.
- Dutch kissing Elle goodbye. Those two, I tell you, in 15 years …
- Nate’s smile.
- Soft, glowing lamplight.
- Kitchen worship.
- Singing with the kids. Heidi, “Sin is broken, you have saved me!”
- Heidi’s confession: “I not a Ch’istian yet.”
- Praying for her day of redemption.
- Trusting Christ.
- Snuggling longer than normal.
- Tired eyes. Napping with Heidi. Because I can.
- Inhaling her apple breath as she sleeps.
- Kissing her cheeks, round and soft like peaches.
- Snuggling up with Dutch.
- Little boy smells.
- Puppy breath — I’ll never quiet thanking God for it.
- Flossing tiny teeth.
- Falling in love with my man.
- Waking to hot coffee.
- Slipping under icy cold sheets at night, waiting waiting waiting for them to warm. Finally warm, pull feet up close, drift to sleep.
- Ann Byle, editor extraordinaire, gift from God.
- The team.
- Trusting with.
- Long talks with my man about the kingdom of God.
- Wanting it to count.
- God being so so so so so faithful as we study His word in Galatians.
- Teaching. How on earth am I so blessed that I get to do this?!! Amazing grace.
- More opportunities to trust.
- Bowing low.
- Standing tall.
- Learning to lose.
- Seeing my precious High School friends at Megan’s engagement party. So thankful for 20+ years of friendship! Amazing.
- My husband who makes me so proud.
- Date night.
- My dad who is my hero, taking care of Oma and both our kids.
- Letting Him worry about our future.
- Knowing He already knows it.
- Mrs. Meyer’s basil scented dish soap. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — products like that make domesticity bliss!
- Trader Joe’s.
- Really, really tired, but happy and seeing God’s faithful hand through a busy season.
- Legos strewn.
- Paint smeared.
- Windows smudged.
- Crumbs dropped.
- Books scattered.
- Dishes stacked.
- To-do lists abandoned.
- All day on the couch reading Treasure Island.
- Doing it again the next day.
- The breath and life, the gift of each day.
- Knowing I’ll do it again. Because I can and this is grace.
F is for the Flesh (how to fight it)
I had a very flesh-provoking week.
As I shared with the dear WCC ladies at Bible Study, last week I had a headache that lasted six days, Heidi (who is completely potty-trained) wet the bed every night last week, we had a very important meeting at our house on Saturday night, during which both kids got diarrhea, then after church on Sunday Dutch admitted that he’d gotten a time-out in Sunday school for sitting on a girl’s face, and the grand finale was Dutch spilling his huge bowl of popcorn all over carpet and as I sighed, “Dutch!” and put my hand down on the counter I flipped my own bowl of popcorn up in the air, popcorn scattering all across the kitchen. At that point we both burst out laughing and I told him, forget it, just eat it off the floor. We did. (And yes, you already read my secret here that I do not keep it spotless.)
But those are just the funny things. Strewn among those were plenty of non-sharable and not-funny flesh-pokes that had me understanding more than ever before that we are in a battle.
It’s no surprise the week turned out like it did, seeing that I was teaching Galatians 5:16-26 (Audio of the message here). The flesh/Spirit battle is alive and well in our lives and quite literally in our bodies.
As long as we have bodies of flesh we’ll have battles with flesh.
What is the flesh? Sarx:
Refers to moral and spiritual weakness and the helplessness of human nature still clinging to redeemed souls. It is the Christian’s propensity to sin, their fallenness that awaits redemption.
Simply put, our flesh fights against the Spirit’s work in our lives, keeping us from living the fruitful life of glorifying God and blessing those around us. What does it look like? Scripture says it’s obvious:
Sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.
While certainly some of these have never presented themselves as a temptation, certainly anger and jealousy and selfish ambition have reared their ugly heads at times, even this past week. Like Paul we cry,
“Who will set me free from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24)
Thankfully, there is another verse. And another force:
“Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v. 25)
Jesus Christ crucified His flesh so we can crucify ours. Galatians goes on to say that
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (5:24)
Positionally, we have already been crucified with Christ. Experientially we continue in His crucifixion by living the crucified life. Blessed theologian John Stott, who’s now with the Lord, says this:
“The first great secret of holiness lies in the degree and the decisiveness of our repentance. If besetting sins persistently plague us, it is either because we have never truly repented, or because, having repented, we have not maintained our repentance. It is as if, having nailed our flesh to the cross, we keep wistfully returning to the scene of its execution. We begin to fondle it, to caress it, to long for its release, even to try to take it down again from the cross. We need to learn to leave it there. When some sinful attitude or thought enters our mind we must kick it out at once. It is fatal to begin to examine it and consider whether we are going to let it live or not. We have declared war on it, we are not going to resume negotiations. We have settled the issue for good; we are not going to re-open it. We have crucified the flesh; we are never going to draw the nails.”
Have we really declared war on our flesh? Do we hate it enough, are we tired enough of its bondage that we’re ready to fight and find freedom. Yes, there will continue to be battles, but we are more than conquerors as we face the fight each day.
{What area of the flesh are you ready to fight? More on this next week, but I pray Stott’s words can encourage you today. Bless your Friday and thanks for reading.}
If you would … pray for this?
I’m probably exposing my amateur status right now, but that’s ok because the truth is:
I’m not a professional anything.
I’m an amateur, a newbie, a beginner blogger-writer-author who bleeds ink and plans posts in my sleep and–it’s no secret–dreams of using writing to display His glory and encourage women to live the Sacred Mundane.
I want women to move beyond a defeated daily escapism-existence and move into a glorious fulfilling sacred mundane that drips with the Spirit and displays the daily glory for everyone to see.
So … yesterday I got the (my) book proposal and sample chapters back from the editor. Next step: The literary agency will seek a publisher.
Might I humbly ask you to join with me and pray?
With all my heart I believe this message comes from the heart of God and is what so many of us need every day. So it would be extravagant grace if you’d join me in asking Him for just the right publisher at just the right time. And that just the right words would find their way to the page. For His glory.
I would also ask that if this site has blessed you in any way that you share it with your friends? I don’t track numbers or run analytics and I’m not here to be homecoming queen, but the facts are that publishers look at an author’s site to see if she’s worth their time.
Would you, dear readers, be on my team? Would you pray that I’m not prideful, that I don’t cower in fear, that I rest in who I am in Christ and trust Him at every turn? (And pray that I don’t crumble in tears every single time a rejection letter comes?)
A thousand thanks. And if you’re pursuing a dream you believe is from the heart of God, would you let me know how I can pray for you? It really is a joy to dream together. {Thank you for praying and for reading.}