Lessons from my children

Wow, last week had so many things I want to share with you that I could write for days.  So I'll spare you and pick one theme that seemed to prevail in my life last week - God speaking to me through my kids.  How humbling!!

I got to witness God immediately answer a prayer by my son that directly affected our lives.  It was incredible.  I was honored to be able to point out to him that he will never have to wonder if God listens to his prayers.  He will never have to wonder if God loves him.  I told him when he starts to feel those things to remember that moment.

Then later in the week, I cried with him while he was very sad over a situation with a neighborhood playmate.  He felt like he wasn't liked anymore.  I reminded him what a cool kid he is, but more than that, I got to remind him that God had just showed him earlier in the week how much he meant to Him!! 

But God used that situation to teach mom a very important lesson that I'll never forget.  God is sad when we are sad.  He hurts when we hurt just as much as a mother hurts with her child when his feelings are hurt.  God is miraculously, gloriously showing me more and more how much he loves me and wants a deep relationship with me.  He's teaching me how he is not a God waiting for me to make mistakes, but rather, he waits for me to seek closeness with Him.  

I hope your children never have to face hurts from other children.  But the reality is that children deal with this sort of thing every day.  Just like adults.  How often are you hurt by other human adults?  Often, I'm sure.  We have a parent to run to to cry on their shoulder.  And He hurts with us, just like we hurt with our kids when they come to us.  Remember this during those times and be encouraged.  There are lessons from the Lord in every act of every day.  Our job as believers is to have our eyes and ears open enough to see and hear the lesson, then apply it!