Being a mom has rocked my world. It is wonderful, but it is hard and tiring and completely sacrificial. And, let's face it, I want things to be easy, to be well-rested, and to be selfish. I want to be "at my best" every day, which means a host of perfectly aligned scenarios, none of which are present in my current every-day scene. So, living in my flesh means my patience wears thin, my frustration takes over, and my mind is filled with self-pity. It's not pretty, but unfortunately it's been me far more often than I'd like to admit. But, every time, it feels like a brick wall I crashed my head into, and it hurts! The ironic thing is that I gave myself that headache by allowing myself to pick up enormous speed as I approached that wall. Frustration, impatience, self-pity, they're all fuel that sends me racing toward that dead end. But the lure and temptation to do it again just creeps up on me and before I know it, I'm reeling from another crash into those darn bricks!
As much as I would love to avoid that detour from now on, I've fully realized I cannot do it on my own. No matter how hard I try, no matter how many directions I try to take it, I seem to steer myself down that same path...did someone say "Groundhog Day"?? I have realized I have made one critical error. I was steering. "I" was steering.
When Christ left this earth, He gave us the supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit. The uniqueness of the Holy Spirit is that He can work in us! He can be my driver! (Come on, who doesn't want a chauffeur??) Not only does He know exactly where each road leads, He's connected to The One who made ALL the roads!! There is no better navigator. So, rather than spin my wheels, hit the same wall, or waste all my energy trying to do it right, I want to change my focus. I want the Spirit to steer me. I want the Spirit to do a work in me. And I want the results of that work to be evident to all who witness. That means supernatural patience, supernatural love, supernatural sacrifice. That means Spirit filled. It also means purpose. Purpose for that "detour" I had not planned to take today. The purpose may be to bring me to greater understanding of God's character, the purpose may be so that my son might begin to experience the love Christ has for him, or the purpose could be so that I might be an example to those watching of how Christ changes us. No matter what the purpose, the point is that there IS purpose, and that makes all the difference.
So, the challenge before me today is this: I want the Holy Spirit to be evident in me in each situation I find myself in, along each road He takes me. At least then I can rest assured I won't hit that nasty brick wall...and we all know "rest" is what I need so desperately.
As much as I would love to avoid that detour from now on, I've fully realized I cannot do it on my own. No matter how hard I try, no matter how many directions I try to take it, I seem to steer myself down that same path...did someone say "Groundhog Day"?? I have realized I have made one critical error. I was steering. "I" was steering.
When Christ left this earth, He gave us the supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit. The uniqueness of the Holy Spirit is that He can work in us! He can be my driver! (Come on, who doesn't want a chauffeur??) Not only does He know exactly where each road leads, He's connected to The One who made ALL the roads!! There is no better navigator. So, rather than spin my wheels, hit the same wall, or waste all my energy trying to do it right, I want to change my focus. I want the Spirit to steer me. I want the Spirit to do a work in me. And I want the results of that work to be evident to all who witness. That means supernatural patience, supernatural love, supernatural sacrifice. That means Spirit filled. It also means purpose. Purpose for that "detour" I had not planned to take today. The purpose may be to bring me to greater understanding of God's character, the purpose may be so that my son might begin to experience the love Christ has for him, or the purpose could be so that I might be an example to those watching of how Christ changes us. No matter what the purpose, the point is that there IS purpose, and that makes all the difference.
So, the challenge before me today is this: I want the Holy Spirit to be evident in me in each situation I find myself in, along each road He takes me. At least then I can rest assured I won't hit that nasty brick wall...and we all know "rest" is what I need so desperately.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
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