Thursday, November 28, 2013

My Story

Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumin," which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Mark 5:41

And [Jesus] said to him, "Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." Mark 5:19



During the Thanksgiving worship service at my church this year, we were encouraged to think about "our story," the story of God at work in our life.  And we were challenged to share it.

Here's mine:

God has taken my proud and arrogant head and crushed it.  
He has shown me my weaknesses. 
He has brought to light my faults.
He has led me away from the path I prepared for myself…

Only to take me to His path, the one he had prepared for me from days of old.
He showed me my faults only to show me a way to mend them.
He brought forth my weaknesses so that I could understand the depths of his strength.
He crushed my head, so that He could have its place.

And for all of this, I am forever thankful.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Watch

"Mommy!  Watch me!"

I wish I would be able to keep a running tally of how many times I hear this throughout the day.  If Noah is doing something that he is proud of, he proceeds to alert me with this catchphrase at least once every 30 seconds while he is going about trying out his new-found skill.

"Mommy!  Watch me!"



"Mommy!  Watch me!"


"Mommy!  Watch me!"


"Okay," I reply.

And then, as soon as he's completed his feat (trying to stand on his head, catapulting his stuffed toy monkey off of a book, sliding across the floor on his knees), I hear,

"Did you see that, Mommy?"

"Yes, Noah, I was watching you."


He wants to be watched if he's doing something really amazing or something totally mundane.  He wants to be watched first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  He wants to be watched at home, outside, at the park, at school.  It is so frequent, it has turned into one of those things where I have to remind myself to enjoy it, rather than be annoyed by it.  Even if I've seen him slide across the floor a dozen times, he still wants to know that I'm watching him for the thirteenth time.

[The Lord] will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:7-8

What an image: we don't have to ask God to watch us.  He does so out of his great power and mercy.  Perhaps as grown-ups, we would rather that God not watch our every move, because we know he would not be proud to see some of the things we do.  But he watches us, as a loving dad watches his kids, making sure to warn us when we attempt "feats" that might harm us, and rejoicing when we do things that imitate his heart.


The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17