When the Master calls {how we respond in trials}

I am confident that I am not alone in my observation that there is a distinct difference in nature and personalities between my children. The more I have, the more i see the difference. Even though I have 9 children, I can safely say that no two of them are very alike in personality, nor really in looks. They are all individuals, with a God-given personality that makes them "themselves".

I was reading the passage about the death of Lazarus, the other day. I was struck, again, like I have previously been when reading the "cumbered about" account, that Mary and Martha, although sisters, had quite distinct personalities.

Mary is the quiet, more withdrawn one. I can imagine her, quietly sitting beside Jesus, listening to Him teaching. Martha. She's the one I relate to more. The one who is more bustly, busy, and quick to speak, instead of listening. And yet, passionate in her devotion.

These differences are seen once again in this narrative. IF you remember, the news that Lazarus was sick came to Jesus. He seemed His usual, calm self, and told the messengers it was fine. Don't worry. He's not sick to die. He, in fact, said it was going to be to God's glory.

Let's pause. What a great reminder. Trials come into our lives, and we should realise, right at the onset, that all these things happen for God's glory. It's not so much the incident that glorifies God - rather how we respond to it, and how we deal with it. We don't all get the outcome that Lazarus did, but we still have the God-given opportunity to give praise and glory to the one who "hath done all things well".

Jesus, the one who they KNEW was a miracle worker, announces he is going to just sit where he is for a couple of days. THEN, he decides to go to Bethany, whilst announcing to His disciples that Lazarus is, in fact, already dead. But not dead. Just sleeping. His disciples were understandably confused, but just accepted, and travelled with Him. The purpose for the delay was explained by Jesus, again.

"And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe"

This was all an exercise in faith and trust. It was to point people to His saving power. So that they would know He was GOD.

Pausing again. THAT is why we are allowed to go through struggles and trials. So that others may see GOD in it all. His power. His glory. His perfect will.

He carries on along the road.

Martha hears He is nearby and comes rushing to Him.

Mary sits in the house.

There we have it, again. Two different personalities. Two different natures. Two different ways of approaching the Saviour.

Martha rushes to Him, with a slight accusation, and yet GREAT faith and trust in who Jesus is.

"Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee."

Oh, I LOVE that "but I KNOW".

She knew that Jesus could have prevented his death. But, OH, she knew he could also bring him back to life!!! Such enormous trust and faith.

I SO need more of that faith. TO be in the middle of sad and serious circumstances but to KNOW that Jesus can work it all out, because He is God, and He just can. My faith is so weak.

Jesus then ascertains her understanding of who He is, and what he is capable of. Upon her acknowledgement, she rushes back to Mary, telling her

"The Master is come, and calleth for thee"

I LOVE Mary's response. Yes, she had stayed where she was, when Martha had run to meet Jesus. But,

"As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him."

The Master called, and she jumped to do His bidding.

This made me think of times of trial and difficulty. On difficult days, do we jump to do what Jesus requires of us, or do we sit wallowing in our trials until we feel like being obedient and submissive to the situation we are in?  The Word of God is to be obeyed no matter how down or sad we are feeling. Our feelings don't hold a candle to the importance of being followers of Jesus who come when we are called.

The Lord calls us to be so many things. And those things don't change just because life is hard, or we are facing a bad day. No. We are still to seek Him and follow Him. Not everyone responds the same way to trials and struggles. We may be the kind of people who need to talk to others - we jump up and rush to Him like Martha did. Others may internalise their struggles, quietly - we may sit quietly alone, and then respond as soon as we hear His "Words" whispered to our heart, like Mary. But, obey we must. Seek Him, we must. Be in His presence, we must.

Mary and Martha were tested in a deep way. The whole situation was so emotive that Jesus, himself, wept. When He saw His dear friends in such agony of spirit, He, too, wept, even though He KNEW what He was about to do! He knew the end from the beginning, but was still touched by their sadness.

Jesus sees our sadness. He weeps with those who weep.

But, He still requires that we follow Him and obey His bidding.

Those sisters went through an agonising few days, but just look at the outcome! Their faith was rewarded, and God was glorified in an amazing way. That trial was used for good.

Many Jews saw that He was the Saviour and put their faith in Him.

It also set in motion the events that would lead to Jesus' death.

God's ways are perfect. Trials come, but we need to still be ready to jump up at His bidding, and obey Him in every part of our lives, no matter how we are feeling. WE may come weeping and sad, but come, we must. Come to the one who is control of the situation we find ourselves in, and place our trust entirely in Him, knowing that "all things work together for good".

No matter the situation you find yourself in, run to the Saviour, obey His bidding, and wait to see the great things He has in store to His glory.

Sitting at Jesus' feet {stop being a mother and be a daughter}

Imagine a scene.

You are in a home, where visitors are in attendance.  Naturally, the hostess wants to do her best to provide and care for her guests.  There is food to prepare.  Drinks to offer.  Clearing up to be done.

It's a good thing to be hospitable.  It's a wonderful thing to be willing to care for others.

Imagine a sister, instead of busying herself with domestic duties, sitting.  Sitting at the feet of her Master, the Great Teacher, listening to His words of wisdom and blessing.

No bustling about serving, which was a normal, and right thing to do.

Sitting.

Listening.

Learning.

Martha (yes, you know who I am talking about), was cross.  She was possibly fuming.  Here she was, busy serving, and Mary was SITTING.

SITTING.

Did she not care about the job they had to do?   Did she not think that serving was important?

It was right to look after guests, and she was just listening.

Resting, whilst Martha was busy.

The thing is, I was thinking about this in a new light today.

Work is good.  Work is important. It's right to be take care of others, and be busy.

It's wrong to have a bad attitude about it.  That, I knew already.

What I saw afresh today was to do with my spiritual walk, versus my day to day life - more specifically as a mother.

We have got a mountain of jobs that are forever calling our name.  Cooking.  Cleaning.  Tidying.  Mending.  Caring.  Teaching.

A seemingly endless list of things.

It's oh so easy to neglect "that better part".  It's so easy to place pressure upon ourselves to think that the practical somehow trumps the spiritual.

"But, we have a responsibility to do X, Y and Z...."  we cry out.

My thought for today?

Should that responsibility ever trump the importance of drawing near to Jesus?

Our quiet time can so easily get pushed to the side, because "We have a duty to care for our family, which God gave us".

Perhaps we may think, "I can't possibly ignore my children so I can read my Bible".


No, no, NO, my soul.


"This ONE thing is needful."

This "One thing" - it's not the "Not being cumbered about" part.

It's the sitting and learning at Jesus' feet part.

Mothers have a vital role in a family.  We have the task of training up our children in the things of Christ.  If we are not making spiritual progress, by sitting and learning "at the feet of Jesus", then how can we function in our role as teacher of our children? If we are not first growing in Christ, and desperately soaking up all we can learn of Christ, then we can't impart that knowledge to our children.  We can't apply it to our lives, to make us a more godly example to them.

We don't need to get up before the children, or stay up until the small hours, trying to stay awake and read our Bibles.  What better example can we be to our children, than to have them SEE us read the scriptures!? Not just doing it because it's the only chance we get, but to do it intentionally - for them to see the importance God's Word has in your life.

Reading books that teach us.  Not just ear ticklers, that make everything sweet and simple.  Deep and meaningful literature, that makes us think, and challenges to  understand God better.

Listening to sermons. The world has addled our brains, and listening to God's Word being preached, other than on Sunday in church, seems to be a drudge and a chore.  I challenge my own heart first, here.  It's far easier to choose to listen to an audiobook, or watch a DVD, than to listen to sermon.  It's been a while since I listened to a sermon online, and due to the children being either ill, or potentially contagious, we stayed home from church today.  The sermon was SO challenging.  It was what made me think of this topic at all.  The challenge to "Come up hither".  To aim upwards to being in communion with the Lord and learning of Him.

It wasn't just a sermon for pastors.

Or Office bearers.

Or Sunday School teachers.

Or husbands.

We are all called to "come up" and get to know the Lord better.  To be more like Jesus.  To grow in our spiritual lives. We are His children -  daughters of the king.  That relationship comes above being a mother, or a wife.

It's not going to happen mystically and mysteriously, by some supernatural incident, with no input from us.

WE are required "come up".  WE need to take action.

There are few ways we can get closer to the Lord, and all of them require some action from us.

WE need to open our Bibles.

WE need to expose ourselves to good and faithful teaching - in books or in sermons.

It's not going to happen without effort.

And, it's THIS one thing that's needful

Parenting is right and good, but we can so easily become "cumbered about".  Spending more time searching for ways to make our life more manageable, beautiful, profitable and successful, than we do searching for God's voice to speak to us through His Word.

I heard a very visual analogy today.  Our Christian life is never one that stands still.  We cannot say we are spiritually at a certain point, and have no need to go forward, and that we won't go backwards.  We are either going up, or down.

My mind sprang to someone riding a bike up a hill.  You put in effort, and you go up.  You stop, and you don't stay still.  You will start heading back down the hill!

We cannot be mothers who stop spiritually "pedalling", because we think we have something else that is more important. So busy serving, that we are not actually serving the right master at all. Stressing, and causing exhaustion, over the temporal, and neglecting the spiritual.

We won't just stand still.

We won't just "stop going up".

Slowly, but surely, we'll start to roll backwards, to the detriment of our own life, and the lives of those around us.

NOTHING is more important than making sure that our spiritual life is healthy, and we are growing in our knowledge of Christ.

When Mary sat, she had to stop what she was doing, and rest.  As wives, mums, and women in general, we are so busy DOING, and can be so consumed with it all.  Putting learning about Jesus, above everything else, means a self-imposed sitting, and resting.  If nothing else, the break would do us a physical good.  More than that, we will be blessed, refreshed, and built up spiritually, which will make us more able to get back up and "do".

This week, I need to get into the Word more -  a daughter of the King, wanting to be more in tune with listening out for the voice of her Heavenly Father, as I seek for ways to grow more like Him.  Setting aside the "mother" hat, and basking in the role of "daughter".  Sitting.  Resting.

Making choices that allow me to pedal upwards, and not roll backwards.

Choosing that one thing that is needful.

Sitting at Jesus' feet.

“One thing is needful” -

Life crowds in;

Cumbered about,

Serving Him.

Busy and doing -

Priorities dim.

Make me to sit,

Oh, this I plead,

At Thy feet, Lord Jesus.

“One thing is needful”

Clamouring voice

Of many “things” –

I neglect to rejoice

In Christ my Saviour.

Surrender, by choice.

Make me to sit,

Oh, this I plead,

At Thy feet, Lord Jesus.

“One thing is needful”,

THIS all I need; 

Shut out the world -

On His Word feed.

Seeking Him only

My way to lead.

Make me to sit,

Oh, this I plead,

At Thy feet, Lord Jesus.

“One thing is needful” -

Good, better, best.

Choosing pursuits

Puts our life to the test.

Burdens aside,

On His bosom to rest.

Make me to sit,

Oh, this I plead,

At Thy feet, Lord Jesus.

“One thing is needful”

All else can’t take

That precious time.

Progress we must make,

In our sweet union.

Passion awake.

Make me to sit,

Oh, this I plead,

At Thy feet, Lord Jesus.

C.Cordle 

I've started, so I'll finish....

So, this post is NOT about Mastermind!! LOL

I have several things in life that I battle with....okay, maybe it's more than several, if I am honest with myself!

One of the worst, I think, is starting things, and not finishing them.  Cross-stitch projects, crochet projects, books (although less often with this - not novels! *blush* ), organisation, planning.

I was thinking about it a lot, this evening.  Mainly, because I was thinking about it in the realm of things that are important.  Things that were good for me to start.  Not menial things.  My scripture memorisation of Phillipians.  My Bible study of Ephesians.  My "read through the Bible in a year".

It got me to thinking...."WHY do I not finish some of these things???"  Especially considering that I was benefiting from them greatly, and WANT to finish them.

There may be more than one answer to my question.  I know why I tripped up.  And, I do feel, it is a "good" reason.  I became pregnant!  When I am in the early stages, my life has to get pared down to the basics and essentials.  Mornings become a struggle, and that is often when I get that quiet time to apply myself to profitable activities.  But, then I got to thinking, why do I find it so hard to get going again?  I am feeling better now!  I have no reason not to.

Then it hit me.  With tremendous clarity.  I am my son's mother.  I didn't realise it before. Well, actually, PHYSICALLY speaking, I am WELL aware of it.  Those 24 hours, just over a year ago, will be etched in my mind FOR-EVER....but, character speaking.

I have noticed, since homeschooling, that my oldest son is a bit of a perfectionist.  In some ways.  Not in all ways  (like me!....)  If he can't do a job the way he wants to, or expected to, he gives up, usually with frustration.

"I can't do it, Mum...it's not how I wanted it to be, so why should I finish it?"

Do we call this pride?  Maybe.  I think, with me, it may be that.  I can't do it the way I set out to in my mind, so I can't get up the "mind over matter" to pick up, dust off and keep going.

Maybe it's "non-perseverance"?  I am not keeping my hand on the plough?

Maybe it IS a weird sort of perfectionism - "I'm not doing it the way *I* wanted to, so why finish?"

WHATEVER it is, it's wrong!  I need to change my expectations.  I need to not worry if I don't finish when I said I would, (pride concerning what others will think of me) or thought I would (pride in my own heart).  The best thing to do would have been to finish when I thought I should.  But, things happen,  Things which God has planned for my life.  So, it follows that God didn't expect that I should be able to do what *I* thought was best, but what *HE* thinks is best!  He will be more pleased with me FINISHING, than giving up because I didn't keep "on plan".

It reminds me of the little adage

"good, better best, never let it rest, until your good is better, and your better best"

It was good to start the project at all.

It would have been better to finish it on time.

But, it is best that I pick up where I left off, and finish the job that I started!

The best thing to do, is not always what you THINK it will be.  Take a step back from your "failures" and disappointments, and think "what would be the BEST thing to do, in the circumstances I am in right OW?

God will honour those who honour Him.

So, I will dig out my little book, filled with my printed verses of scripture to memorise, and keep going.

I will keep reading through my Bible reading plan - and take my time, listening for God's "still small voice" , instead of rushing through to "get it done in a year".

I will keep taking notes on Ephesians....I may not be where the others from my Good Morning Girls group are, but it's such a good book  to study, it would be silly to give up, just because I am not "where they are".

Look at your life.  If you feel you are "failing" at a task, it may just be that God has simply altered the time-frame! Don't give up!  Finish, by God's grace, and in GOD'S time, what you started!

Quick announcement

I am so sorry for being rather quiet on here, but there has been a reason.

When you are feeling nauseous, and tired, and simple tasks are tiring, blogging becomes an unachievable luxury.

It all helps when it's worth it!

 
I am due to have bambino numero 7 in the middle of April 2012!  We are so very excited, and I have finally turned the corner on fatigue and nausea! Yipee!

I had been writing blog posts in the mornings, but mornings have not been my strong suit over the last 10 weeks or so!  They are normally my time when I curl up with my Bible, and learn much of God's Word to share with you all.  I have to admit that my quiet times have not been what I would like.  The praise part is, that my body is naturally wakening up near to 6.30am again, no alarm required.  And, with the darker mornings, the children are not wakening so early.  My quiet times should resume as before, and my blog posts should increase in frequency!

It is tough not sharing with people when you feel at your worst, but we wait to tell people until after the scan.  So, once again, apologies for the quiet (not like me, I know!).

I will more than likely now update on several things that I have learnt through these last few weeks - pregnancy and non-pregnancy related.

Anyhow, bed beckons!

I will be back soooooooooon! :-)