Resting
in God's love-
Reviving
in God's word.

I wanted to let each of you know that I am currently providing a 30 day devotional on my Respite for the Weary facebook page. It's entitled Moses: Called, Challenged, Changed. The Scripture-based posts are offered Monday through Friday, and we have just completed our first week. It's not too late to grab a friend a follow along! Below is a sampling of one of our days from week one.

If you are interested, you can follow me on facebook @respitefortheweary or press the facebook icon on this website.

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Moses: Called, Challenged, Changed

Day 3: A Sister and a Momma

But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Exodus 2:3-4

Suggested reading: Exodus 2:1-10

Since Pharoah’s plan “A” involving the midwives was not working, he constructed plan “B”:

all baby boys were to be tossed into the Nile River. Unthinkable!

Scripture takes us into one of these Hebrew homes where fretful parents were trying to hide their beautiful baby boy. When it became impossible to do so, a Levite momma had her own plan. Rather than throwing her baby into the Nile to drown, she gently placed him in a basket, chose a specific spot on the river, and sent his older sister to watch the hopeful plot unfold…and it did.

Pharoah’s daughter who “happened to be” bathing in this particular place, saw the basket, opened it, and felt immediate compassion for the child. The sister (Miriam) saw her moment and seized it. This young female slave approached the prominent Egyptian princess and said, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” (v. 7). Miriam knew just who to go and get!

Amazingly, the baby’s mother (Jochebed) was now being paid to nurse her own son! (I think she may be the ONLY woman in existence who has ever gotten paid for the selfless role of mothering.) Oh, what a “give-back” story! Can you imagine the deep sorrow of letting her baby go, only to be met with abundant joy of receiving him back in her arms to nurse again? I’m sure, knowing that her time was limited, she held him even tighter, and prayed for him even more fervently, all the while trusting God for the things that lay ahead in his future.  

When the child grew older, she took him to Pharoah’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water” (v.10).

Thoughts:

Yesterday, we looked at the heroic acts of the faith-filled midwives who did not kill the Hebrew newborn baby boys as Pharaoh had commanded. Now today, we are observing yet two more heroines in Exodus. What descriptive words would you give Moses' (possibly 8 year old) sister? "Brave" and "risky" come to my mind. And what about Moses' mother? "Protective" and "Abounding love" are words I see in her actions.

Is there something in my life and yours today that requires a bold faith like that of Moses’ mother and sister? Is it to speak truth in love to someone or to share the gospel with a friend?

Or is it to step out into unknown territory for the sake of another human being--at work, at home, or in your community?

Will you take the "risky" step and approach this person with God's love?

May we each be called, challenged, and changed as we meditate on and then act like our faith-filled ancestors of long ago: the midwives, a sister, and a momma.

Going deeper and sweeter: Psalm 31:24; Hebrew 11:23; 2 Timothy 1:7

Dear Lord,

Speak to us. Where do you want us to step out in courageous faith? Give us a heart’s desire to obey you and the feet to follow you wherever you want us to go, for the good of your people and the glory of your name. Amen.

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From our forth floor balcony at Panama City Beach, my husband, my daughter, and I watched the waves roll in and the waves roll out. We could have gotten mesmerized by the rhythmic sight and sound, but it was a different kind of evening on the white sandy beach beneath us. Several boats with blue swirling lights were driving back and forth in search of a young 20 year old who had gotten pulled away from his friends by a riptide. His panicked friends and accumulating spectators lined the shore in hope.

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At 11 pm, the search was over, the young man was found. A thriving life ended, and inexplicable grief began.

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Only 24 hours later, same balcony, same white sand, same rolling waves. Yet, what we witnessed on this perfect sunset-evening was a young man, dressed in khaki and blue who had set up a twinkling "marry me" sign in the sand. He waited for his sweetheart, and sure enough, she came. He bent to one knee and asked the question that young girls dream of. When they embraced, the condo balconies erupted in applause.

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At 7pm, the search was over, the boy got his girl. His anxious thoughts stopped. Uncontainable joy began.

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To be honest, I'm not sure what to make of the two extremes, the high and the low of it. I'm still processing the waves of emotion on both ends.

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My only consolation with the young man who was swept away so suddenly is to think that Jesus himself was with him, saying, "Come with Me to a better place." There is a better place, I hope you know...maybe that's why I'm writing this right now...to tell you there is a better place than this life, and Jesus will take each of us there if we believe in him as our Savior. Yes, He saves us...from messes, from chaos, from riptides.

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My genuine hope for this young, engaged, very happy couple is that they will walk with Jesus in the land of the living. Maybe that's why I'm writing this right now...to tell you that you don't have to walk this life alone, and that Jesus will help you in each moment and in every relationship. Yes, He helps...in the happy and in the hard.

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We will always have the extremes...the high waves of over-the-top-joy as well as the low undercurrents of knee-buckling sadness.

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Life and death and everything in between. The hope is this: Jesus is in the midst of it all.

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Maybe that's why I'm writing this right now...to tell you that Jesus is in your midst...and to tell you to hold His hand in your extreme.

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For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Over the past 18 months, I've become a grandmother to two adorable little angels. With each of their very first breaths, I entered and re-entered into the "grandparent-craze-club". I totally get it now, and I will try really hard to spare you of my several hundred pictures at this moment.

As I became Mimi, my oldest daughter became Mommy. Can I tell you how exhausted I am by watching her manage these two sometimes-human-angels? Did I really do ALL of that oh so long ago?

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In reflection of my mothering years, here is a look at each stage from the rearview mirror:

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Newborn-Toddler: Nurturing, (and praying). Primary questions come to mind, "Are they present and accounted for?" "Did they get fed?" "Are they somewhat clean?"

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Elementary years: Teaching, (and praying). Teaching how to brush their teeth, how to read and write, and how to get along with their siblings are just a few things that caused grey hairs to sprout all over my head.

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Pre Teen-Teen: Training, (and praying). Oh my, these years. Talk about grey hairs, now add wrinkles around the eyes and several more forehead creases! When I ponder too long on four different teenagers learning how to drive, I have a come-apart all over again. And then there's teaching how to manage blooming emotions and teaching how to respect authority... so much, so much.

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Young Adult: Listening, (and praying). As each one of my kids took flight, phone calls were filled with lots of highs and lows. I listened carefully; I also learned to read between the lines. They felt far away for the first time, but somehow, (I believe it was through my prayers for them), they were even closer in my heart.

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Adult Children: Watching, (and praying). What a paradox, adult children. They're fully grown, yet they're still growing. I'm in this stage now, and I am more of an observer; like watching my daughter become a mommy. I'm also watching each of my kids grow up as they deal with their real life "stuff." Career paths, relationships, faith. Sometimes it's so awesome, and sometimes it's just not. When they were toddlers at my feet, I could pick them up and just hold them when it hurt. Now, the BEST thing (and sometimes the only thing) I can give them is prayer.

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No matter where you are in your parenting, prayer is the lifeline, for you and for your kids. Remember, you are talking to the One who knows your child better than you do--in each and every stage! Believe this crazy truth: God can out-love even a mother's full on loving heart! So talk to Him.

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This reminds me of a motto that the Lord whispered to me way back in those 24/7 toddler years. It's this:
"Talk a whole lot to God about your kids, and talk a whole lot to your kids about God."

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So parent, choose to nurture, teach, train, listen, watch, and pray.

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