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Remembering Mother’s Day | Joni Tyner
S~ “I think of the old days, long since ended. When my night were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference now.“ Psalm 77:5-6 (NLT)
O~ Asaph is the writer of this psalm. He is discouraged and crying out to God. In verse 11 he changes his perspective and stops dwelling on his circumstances. He says, “But then I recall all you have done, O LORD, I remember the wonderful deeds of long ago.”
A~ Summer is fast approaching and it’s weird this year. It’s different. I don’t have any kids giving me the countdown on how many school days are left. We don’t have the pool schedule posted. There is no family vacation that needs planning. (Insert—me feeling sorry for myself– I’m missing the old days with a house full of chaos and jam-packed schedules. )
So, I’m trying to re-create family life. I need to be like Asaph and change my perspective and stop dwelling on the old days and remember God’s faithfulness. I need to remember that I have a purpose for His Kingdom and it’s not being fulfilled when I’m sitting around whining about the old days.
The New Testament writing today is the love chapter—1 Corinthians 13.
Verse 5—“It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.”
Verse 7—“Love never gives up, never lose faith, is always hopeful, and endures through ever circumstance.”
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I’m glad that I read and processed this before I woke up and had unrealistic expectations for the day. My love for my kids needs to be based on the here and now, what’s happening in 2017. I want to embrace the gift of today and not keep record that it isn’t like the old days. I want my love for my kids to withstand troubled waters and screw-ups that seem to frequent our family.
P~ Dear Lord, thank you for this life journey of motherhood. Yes, it has changed me, but it has also given me valuable insight to just how much You love Your children. Your character is 1 Corinthians 13. It is perfection and I’ll never achieve it— Please infuse me with more and more of Your perfect Love and give me Your perspective of how to love like You do.
Focus | Marisa Tomlinson
S~ “Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.” Psalm 77:13-15 (NIV)
O~ David is feeling forgotten and abandoned. His heart is troubled about something and he does not feel God’s presence. Instead of staying in that place of complaining and crying, he chooses to focus on what he knows about God. God has rescued His people over and over. Why would He forget David now, a man after His own heart?
A~ Am I not also God’s beloved? When I’m feeling lost or abandoned, I need to follow David’s example and FOCUS on who I know my God to be. God has used times of struggle to teach me so many valuable lessons. He does have a plan for me, even when I can’t see it. For many years I felt forgotten by God. I longed to have a godly partner to do life with and it just wasn’t happening. What I couldn’t see, and got progressively frustrated by, was that God was using that time to prepare my heart and mind for the person HE had for me. For seven years I searched for someone who could fill that hole in my life- all the time ignoring the fact that God is the only one who can. It wasn’t until I finally “gave up” looking and started focusing on my relationship with HIM and putting His plan for me first that I had peace and healing. I was blessed to have godly women in my life encouraging me to look to Him, but it didn’t click until I did it on my own.
P~ Lord, thank you for working on me so that I can be who You want me to be. I am humbled by your grace and perseverance. Even when I was stubborn, You never gave up. I thank you especially for the blessing of a relationship where both of us are focused on serving You together. Thank you for saving my heart for his and his for mine. I look forward to how You will grow us together as we seek Your will. Thank you for the relationships that you place in my life that continually point me back to You. Your love and grace astounds me. Amen
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Love you, Marisa! I am so happy for you, and that you are now able to see God in the middle, of what appeared to be a mess.
Marisa– this makes my heart soar!!!!!! 🙂 🙂
I just got a new perspective about God’s timing–that even if you were ready for the relationship part, the person He chose for you, wasn’t! How cool that God was growing his character to be the man you need him to be–that if you had met him 5 years ago, perhaps the relationship would have been a disaster for both of you. And, I’m sure–5 years ago you weren’t the woman God wanted you to be either. It is in the valley and the storms that God molds us and changes us to more reflect His character.
God is so good. Thank you for sharing your personal testimony. It’s beautiful and will encourage many!!!
p.s. I’m gonna be praise’n Jesus at your wedding this December 31st!! 🙂
Thank you Joni. God’s is so good. All in HIS timing.