When You Don't Get It

I don't get it, my seventh-grade students used to complain when I taught the parts of speech. Perplexing for sure. I mean a gazillion grammar rules that overlap, overwhelm, and often contradict each other. And you have to know all of them, right?

Not really, I told them. You just need to know one rule.

Sounds weird, but it's true.

Here's the rule: Look at how you're using the word in the sentence. How the word is used determines its part of speech.

Verb. Adverb. Adjective, or whatever.

Ok, relax. My students had to take a test on this, but you don't. Although, I know that you would ace it!

Anyway, they struggled to "get" that little grammar lesson, and I sympathized with them. Sometimes, I find it difficult to "get" the lessons that God wants me to learn.

Have you been there? Like you just want to go after something that's important to you, and it's a good thing. But God says that you've got to be still. And silent. And you've got to surrender everything to Him. And you have to keep it that way.

I don't always "get" why God does that, you know. Do you?

But I'm trying to do what I instructed my students to do: Look at how I'm using the Word.

The Bible tells us that there's a right way and a wrong way to manage God's Word.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

The right way to handle the Word is to get into it every day. Sweet girl, His Word is so good. His Word gives life. And light. Strength. Comfort. Encouragement. He offers help and hope.

However, if we're not getting into the Word, then we can't get anything out of the Word. I mean that should be pretty simple; but it isn't.

Using the Word correctly involves choices. Using the Word correctly includes forgiving ourselves when we make bad choices, and our commitment and consistency aren't exactly stellar.

There's so much that God wants to give to us through His Word.

There's so much that He wants us to give to others.

When we don't "get" what God is doing, He wants us to look at how we're using the Word.

Because we hold the words that the whole world needs to hear.

And He so wants us all to "get" it.

To "get" that He sent His only Son. Precious Son. Beloved Son. To die for us.

To "get" His amazing love.

A Mama's Prayer

I tried to think of a little something to give you on this special day. Now, that would take a big, big budget. Which I don't have. But I did come up with this idea. It's a mama's prayer that I often offer for my family.

I'd like to share it with you:

Abba, thank You for the ones that You have given to me. Thank you for choosing me me to be their mama. There's no higher calling. They are the greatest blessing that I could ever receive.

Protect them by the power of Your name--the name of Your Son, Jesus.

Protect them from the evil one.

Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.

May our family live as one just as You and the Son are One so that the world may know that You sent Jesus.

And so that the world may know that You love them even as You love the Son.

I pray in the name of Jesus. His precious name.

I based this prayer on Christ's prayer as recorded in John 17. These words calm me. They give me peace when I'm anxious and apprehensive about my family.

May they do the same for you.

Happy Mother's Day, sweet girl!

A Hurried Heart

"Hurry is a devious enemy." I read these words on a church sign as I drove by a while back. Told myself to remember them. Yeah, right.

By the time I got to my own church--a few miles away at the most--the only word of that five-word sentence that I could recall was the word hurry.

Should have known better than to rely on my short-term memory skills.

And I hear you laughing, sweet girl. Guess I deserve that one.

Are you wondering why I didn't just pull the car over to the side of the street and copy this meaningful little maxim on a scrap of paper while the sign was right in front of me?

Was there room on the street to pull over? Yes.

Was traffic a problem? No.

So, what happened? All right, I'll tell you why I didn't stop.

I was in a hurry.

Had a bad hair day. Clothes didn't look right. Had to change into a different outfit. Still not better. I was running way behind schedule.

Please tell me you've been there too. Hurrying to work or rushing around on a Sunday morning or sometime.

Just make me feel better, ok?

Well, later that week when I wasn't in such a big hurry, I went back and copied the quotation.

Now, I do admit to having a bit of a problem with that devious devil.

Like, I'm thinking I have a hurried heart at times when it comes to my relationship with God. Not a good thing, I know.

A girl with a hurried heart is hard of hearing. All she has time to listen to is the sound of her own voice. Not God's.

A girl with a hurried heart holds on to the wrong things. She seizes whatever looks good to her at the moment. She doesn't acknowledge that His desire is to hold her in the palm of His nail-scarred hands.

A girl with a hurried heart hesitates to ask for the impossible. She becomes increasingly self-reliant, but her strength isn't enough. She still can't do what only God can do.

I don't want to have that kind of heart anymore.

I want to hear Him. Want Him to hold me. I want to believe that He will do the impossible.

For it is with your heart that you believe...(Romans 10:10).

And I believe.

So I've asked Him to do a transplant. To take my hurried heart and give me a hungry heart. A heart that hungers for more of Him. His word. His will. A heart that believes that He can do anything.

No more hurry.

Just some time with our Savior. Slow. And sweet.