One Thing

There are tons of things I want to talk about but we have to start with the first and most important.

We have to start with the one thing that will leave its mark on our family more than any other.

One of the main things your kids will take from you when they leave your realm of influence is their faith.

Their faith.

You have huge influence on this aspect of their lives.  And it begins with the overflow of your heart.

How things played out among the laundry piles and spilled milk.  Last week I was encouraged that "My kids don't need me to be on top of all my chores or even be perfect in taking care of all there needs.  What they need is for me to be content and patient with life.  To walk by faith that God is in control.  To allow the Holy Spirit to give me peace and joy in the midst of life's inevitable ups and downs.  In a sense, they are looking to me as a barometer of how our lives are faring.  When I model patience in the midst of difficulty, joy in the midst of messes, contentment in the midst of lack, then I provide them a pattern for their own lives.  They will learn that my joy is not circumstantial but real because I have an endless source of strength through the power of the Holy Spirit in my life."

-exerpt taken from The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

My sweetest memories are of our morning routines.  My oldest son wakes up first.  Walks in all sleepy eyed and sits down.  He sees his Mama reading the Word.  Sits in my lap and hears me talk about it.  I love to read my Bible.  Love it.  I didn't always love it though.  I'm talking about even after I became a Christian I didn't always love it.  I'd read it every now and again so I wouldn't feel guilty but there were years after I became a Christian that reading my Bible had no joy and no life.  It felt confusing. 

One night, about 13 years ago something changed.  A simple talk by my Campus Director in the ministry I was involved with.  My friend, Chris, talked from Exodus 33.  Joshua and Moses would go into the tent of meeting to talk with God.  Moses would leave and head back to camp, but Joshua stayed, lingering in God's presence.

He stayed.  He wasn't ready to leave God's presence.  That got me to thinking about my own time of reading the Word.  I never wanted to stay.  It was a clock watching experience so I could get it over with and be done.

The next day on Oprah (before she turned to the dark side) Olympic athletes were on.  One young girl in particular caught my attention.  She got up at 5am every morning to train.  She went to school and left to head straight for the gym again.  She had a vision.  Life was centered on accomplishing her dream.  She made sacrifices of time and energy.

The wheels were really starting to turn now.  I wanted to want to linger in God's presence, in His Word.  I commited to get up earlier.  To get completly ready for school and have an entire 45 minutes to read my Bible.  I started to ask for a desire to read The Word and understand it.  At first it was sheer discipline that kept me going.  But, something started happening.  Things started making sense.  God started answering my prayers to give me hunger and thirst for The Word.

I began to love reading my Bible.  45 minutes turned into hours. 

In Ex. 33:18 Moses ASKS to see God's glory.  Guess what.  God answered his prayer and showed him His Glory!

In the next chapter God commands Moses to be ready in the morning.  Guess what happened?  Moses was ready and God spoke to him. 

Today you might love to read your Bible or you might not pick it up ever.

Baseboards and piles of laundry can wait.  Sleep can wait.  Facebook can wait.

There is only one thing needed.  It is worship.  It is taking time to open your Bible and read.  Asking God to give you understanding.  To open your eyes and ears to his truths.

How is your overflow today?