Daughters… January 23, 2009

I have three…three girls that God saw fit to give to my husband and me.  (Amazin’ in itself!)   I’m the oldest and only daughter with three little brothers, so even though I am a girl, I was a little concerned about what to do with girls, having grown up taking care of boys.  I was grateful when baby number one was a girl because my mom always told me that “Every mommy needs a little girl.” (It still makes me feel special when I think about that – thanks, mom!)   Whew – I was glad to get that out of the way.  After that, I just knew the others would be boys.  BOY, was I wrong.  Two more beautiful baby girls.  And I was grateful for them, too!  And now, well, here’s the problem…

It has recently come to my attention that these three girls are growing up.  As I said to my husband in December (with a new sense of realization)  “THE BABY IS NINE!!”  And just this month, my oldest has turned 16, gotten a driver’s license, and started her first job.  Last summer my sweet middle child 🙂  hit double digits!!

This has thrown me into a little bit of shock, I think.  I’m to the point of struggling on a daily basis with measuring the amount of mercy and grace I give to each child, wondering if I’m being too lenient or too strict.  Am I holding them back from discovering something wonderful, or am I protecting them from being discovered by evil?  Am I parenting by faith, in full assurance that God has His hand on their hearts and their lives, or am I parenting in fear, living out every “what if” scenario in my mind in great detail?  Sometimes I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t even know what to pray for.  For those of you who have done this, or are in the process of doing this, maybe you can agree that THIS IS HARD. 

I found something this morning that helped me immensely!  I dug a beautiful treasure out of God’s word that spoke to me suddenly and strongly.

…that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:  ~Psalm 144:12b

King David was praying for protection for his kingdom and thanking God for all the strength and provision He gives His people and he stopped and asked that the daughters would be “as corner stones.”  And not just any plain old cornerstones (too boring!) – but “polished” and “after the similitude of a palace.”  This is breathtaking to me.

What exactly is a cornerstone?  Well, off hand I know that Jesus is the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20).  That’s good company to be in!  We are supposed to be becoming more and more like Jesus, so praying for my daughters to be corner stones seems like a fabulous idea!

Corner stones in this scripture probably more specifically mean  pillars.  Pillars were used in building temples and palaces.  They were the support system the structure.  Pillars of old temples and palaces were beautifully carved, carefully crafted, and this verse refers to them as being “polished.”  

I yearn for my daughters to be polished, yet  I can’t imagine that polishing stones or pillars of stone is an easy process.  It must involve cutting away parts of the stone that won’t meet the design standards.  Surely it involves a constant attention to bringing out the beauty of the stone without marring it.  It must take a careful hand to cut the stone to the proper size and shape and yet maintain the strength and integrity of the original material.  I’m certain it has to be difficult to balance these tall structures so that they will stand strong and not topple, for if they fall, they may shatter into tiny pieces that can’t be put back together again.

But when the stone is finally fashioned, this verse says that it is fit for use in a palace!  What better place for a daughter of the King of kings, than a palace?

This is my prayer for my daughters – that they “would be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.”

I can see that it will be a long, sometimes painful, sometimes joyful, sometimes tedious process.  I know my husband and I won’t be able to do it by ourselves.  We will need the Master Craftsman to guide our hearts and our hands and fix our mistakes.  He may have to take the chisel out of our hands and replace it with a gentle polishing cloth, or point out to us a rough spot that we ignored because it seemed to difficult to reach.  But when I see my girls standing strong, supporting whatever is placed upon them, carefully polished into the beautifully strong yet fragile pillars that God has designed them to be,  I know it will be worth it.

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.  Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.   ~Philippians 3:20-4:1

I’m a Believer!

Laura

Get to Gettin’! January 6, 2009

Throughout the holiday season, I found myself doing some serious “getting” !  I had to go GET groceries, go GET the kids, GET a gift for a party, GET ready to go.  People asked me “What are you GETTING for Christmas?”  I had to GET some things done.  I needed to GET my house clean, GET my Christmas tree, GET the ornaments down from the attic, GET the tree decorated.  With all that “getting” I also GOT tired!!!

As I was reading the Bible yesterday morning.  I came across this verse:

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.  ~Proverbs 4:7

This verse really spoke to me.  First, because it was worded in a way that makes it humorous to me.  It sounds like something I would tell my kids – “Go get your backpack and everything you need, and with all your getting get your dirty clothes off the floor!” 

But as I looked at it further, I noticed that it really speaks to what needs to be first.  It says “Wisdom is the principal thing…”  The word that is translated “principal” means FIRST, BEGINNING, BEST, or CHOICE PART.  As I start 2009, I need to first seek wisdom.  I need to start from the beginning looking for wisdom.  I should know that wisdom is the best thing.   Wisdom should be the part that I choose first and foremost.  Wisdom is what I should be GETTING! 

And not only that, with all the time I’m getting all that wisdom, I need to get UNDERSTANDING.  I’ve found that it requires UNDERSTANDING to apply wisdom in any way that is helpful.  What good is all the wisdom in the world if I don’t understand how to use it or apply it?  The word UNDERSTANDING in this verse also means discernment.  Boy, do I need some discernment!  There are so many things I need to understand about God, about His word, about what His word says about me.  I also need understanding in dealing with other people.  I need to understand what their needs are.  I need to have discernment about how God would have me minister.  I need to understand what God is trying to teach me at any given time.  I NEED understanding!

I don’t do well with New Year’s resolutions, so this will be my New Year’s “revelation”: 

GET TO GETTIN’! 

This is going to mean spending more time in God’s word and at God’s side.   I do pray that God gives me the spirit of wisdom and that the eyes of my understanding will be enlightened so that I can KNOW what it is that He has for me and just how powerful our God is !

[17] That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: [18] The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, [19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,   ~Ephesians 1:17-19

Happy New Year!  Go get some wisdom, and while you’re at it, don’t forget the understanding!

For more on what you can get from God’s word, click here.

I’m a Believer!

Laura