Take the Very Hardest Thing~Becoming a Woman of Strength

I was recently asked to speak at a Ladies Tea that our church held. I thought that I would share the talk that I prepared for that event . . .  I pray that the Lord may use it as an encouragement to you! 

I remember the day clearly. It was dreary and cold and my children and I had just come down into the kitchen for breakfast. My spirits were low. I felt joyless and alone. We had recently moved to Wisconsin from Rhode Island. My husband and I shared a car at that point and I was home each day of the week with my two little children while my husband was at work. I felt discouraged. As David so aptly described it in the Psalms, "my soul was downcast within me." My husband and I had come with our family to Wisconsin out of obedience to a calling that the Lord placed upon our lives. I was absolutely convinced of that. But the day in and day out obedience in a different place where I was struggling to adjust with two very little children was difficult. 

I remember thinking, half-praying in my mind as I stood at the old porcelain sink washing dishes--I don't have the strength for this. I honestly believed that I didn't. I had relocated halfway across the country and I missed my family and friends--I did not know at that point how long it would be before I saw my family again, my husband worked long days, we were on an extremely tight budget and the cold weather did not help my mood. 

Immediately as that thought came to me--that I didn't have the strength--I heard the Lord speak to my heart--"the joy of the Lord is your strength." And this thought came from outside of my downtrodden mood--I knew very clearly that the Spirit of the Lord was communicating with me. 

Immediately, in that moment, the Lord gave me strength. Joy flooded my heart and the day did not seem dreary anymore. The thought kept coming to me --the joy of the Lord is your strength, the joy of the Lord is your strength.  The Lord replaced my unrest and sadness with a peace that passes understanding and a great joy in and though my circumstances. 

The joy of the Lord is our strength. 

That is what I have found over and over again in this past year and a half and throughout my life. That He is my strength and that He is able to give me strength when I feel like I cannot do something or feel something or be something. 

He is my strength--and yours, too---in whatever circumstances we face--

And I don't want to try to pretend to understand completely the circumstances that God has placed you in. Some of you have faced or are facing very difficult roads. I have experienced very dark times in my own life where I felt utterly forsaken and abandoned by God. And I can only say that the Lord Himself must come to you in those circumstances and give you His strength. He will--He is the same God who gave strength to Christ Jesus to face the death of Calvary. He is able to give strength in the darkest place even in the shadow of death.  He will come to you in your circumstances just where you realize that you cannot handle them without Him.

I have found so many times that when I try to produce "strength" in and through my own efforts, I always fail and become discouraged, whereas when I rely upon Jesus Christ and wait upon Him, He supplies me with strength at just the time when I need it. 

We receive strength when we relinquish our own efforts to produce it and allow Him to work out His strength in and though our weakness. He says to us in Philippians 4:13 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. "

The paradox of His strength comes in here--that we know His strength when we humble ourselves in weakness before Him. 

That is where He makes us strong. That is where He fills us. That is where we receive joy and strength to face our circumstances whatever they may be. 

His strength is made perfect in weakness.

The Lord makes each person different, but each one with a capability of knowing His strength in weakness. I have a personality that is naturally reserved and introverted. So when the Lord spoke to me about 16 years ago, calling me to begin a ministry of hospitality to missionaries, pastors and their families, and fellow believers, it was a surprise to me.

That is the reason that we came to Wisconsin--we took a step of faith after many years of prayer and seeking the Lord's will in where He wanted us to begin the ministry He called us to.  We saw His hand in so many countless ways and were convinced of His leading us here.

But coming here was a step that I would not have naturally taken. I am by nature an introverted, quiet person, a creature of habit. I loved New England--loved it-- with its history and haunts, with its charm and feel. I am not a thrill seeker or an adventure-taker. I enjoy eating at the same restaurant, drinking the same flavor of coffee from the same cup day after day, month after month. I used to walk a lot for exercise and I would hesitate to change my familiar route, even for years. I find comfort in routine.

In all honesty, I did not want to come here. I dreaded coming here. 

But I wanted to obey the Lord--more than anything else--and He convinced me that His grace would be sufficient for me here--and it has. 

As believers, as Christian women, we are not limited by our natural capabilities. Instead, the Lord calls us to bring our weakness, our lack, and our shortcomings to Him, so that we may experience His power working through us and the glory may be His and not ours. He loves to work where we cannot see a way, even in ourselves.

I was introduced to the writings of Lilias Trotter through one of Elisabeth Elliots' books years ago. Lilias Trotter was a missionary to the Algiers who was physically weak--initially, Missions boards refused her as a missionary candidate because of her health. She paid her own way and the Lord greatly used her there until her death. Lilias Trotter wrote--Take the very hardest thing in your life – the place of difficulty, outward or inward, and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot.  Just there He can bring your soul into blossom.”   

Take the very hardest  thing--

Take whatever you struggle with--whatever it is you think that you cannot handle in your life and offer it to Him. Offer it to Him in surrender. And then see what He does as you patiently wait upon Him.. 

It is and has been the stories of missionaries and Christian women like Lilias Trotter, Amy Carmichael, and Susannah Wesley who have been such an encouragement to me in my own life to follow the Lord no matter how inadequate, weak, or helpless I may feel. Feelings come and go--but the strength of the Lord is a continual promise. Take His strength, regardless of your feelings and lean into Him as your strength. You will find Him every time you humble yourself under His mighty hand. And you will be strong in Him.

Take the very hardest thing, and surrender it to the Lord.

Read the word of God, memorize it, learn hymns, read missionary biographies. If you have small children and are unable to find that "quiet" time with the Lord that you crave, listen to sermon tapes or solid ministers on the local Christian radio station. This has been a tremendous help to me, and something that I always remember my Mom doing when my sisters and I were very little. 

This is how we become stronger in the Lord, how we embrace His strength--through immersing ourselves in his Word and promises. We become strong through admitting our weakness and then embracing His strength-- not trying to take the bull by the horns and show everyone how capable we are in our own strength.

He will enable us to do whatever it is that He has called us to do. 

Do you feel weak in any particular area? Good! It is an opportunity to take the Lord's strength. 

Take the hardest thing--and expect God to come through there in your life. 

This is how we become strong women who trust in the Lord--

Strong in difficult, painful marriages . . . 

Strong in the midst of health problems . . . 

Strong when we are faced with an impossible relationship . . . 

Strong in the midst of financial strain. 

Take the hardest thing--and offer it to the Lord in obedience and surrender. 

Remember that the Lord uses weak people who hold onto His strength.

The world tells us that to be strong women we need to assert ourselves, demand our rights, do what makes us feel good, and pursue our dreams and goals selfishly, that we need to be brash and headstrong and in control. 

But this is not real strength. Because strength is not what comes from within ourselves--it is a gift that comes through Someone greater than ourselves--true strength comes from Christ, the One who humbled himself, who laid aside His own rights, who forfeited an earthly crown for a heavenly kingdom, who took the last place and washed the feet of His disciples. 

True strength comes through surrender, through yielding oneself to the will of the Father, not grasping at whatever makes us feel happy and fulfilled in the immediate moment.

True strength comes from Jesus Christ. 

True strength is eyes of steel focused on the glory of the Father, hearts of compassion for a dying world around us, and a face set like flint to do the will of the Father--whatever that may be for your life. It is a strength that the world cannot understand. And--

His strength will crown us with beauty

His strength will clothe us with dignity

His strength will cover us with grace. 

We will be able to laugh at the days to come because we know that He holds them perfectly in His hand. 

I'd like to end with this quote from Elisabeth Elliot because it speaks so wonderfully to this subject-- We are called to be women. The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman. For I have accepted God's idea of me, and my whole life is an offering back to Him of all that I am and all that He wants me to be.

May we be clothed with strength and dignity and laugh at the days to come--because He is our strength. 

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party

How the Lord Answered My Prayer of 16 Years~Ministry Update

For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert

The parched ground shall become a pool,And the thirsty land springs of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
There shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

Isaiah 35:6-7 NKJV


Nothing so clears the vision and lifts up the life, as a decision to move forward in what you know to be entirely the will of God.
~John G. Paton

About a year and a half ago, our family moved from Rhode Island to Wisconsin, obeying our Heavenly Father's leading and calling in our lives to begin a ministry in the Midwest. We came with a minivan packed full to the brim and I came with a very fearful heart, but also with a heart that hoped in my God's precious promises. He went before us. And that first year in the great "wilderness" of Wisconsin was one of the most difficult years of my life, but I would not trade it and the lessons that the Lord taught me through it for anything. 

I missed my family and friends dearly. But I found in my loneliness a Friend in Jesus. I found peace in the quietness of seeking Him. I found rest in depending upon Him alone when there was no one else to turn to. Truly, He gave me grace in the wilderness. 

My husband and I came out here to begin a ministry--people have asked why Wisconsin? Do we have family here? Was it work-related? The very short answer is no. We moved to Wisconsin after years of seeking the Lord and becoming convinced that this was where He wanted us to be--that this was where He wanted us to begin the ministry that He called us to. We moved here in a simple act of obedience to the Lord as He enabled us by His grace--an act of obedience that I struggled with up to the very end when the Lord strongly spoke to me through a Ravi Zacharias sermon and through His Word. I said yes to the Lord through many tears. 

Years before that, I had begun to pray--to pray for the Lord's direction and guidance in my life in regards to this particular calling. I was around 18 years old when the Lord spoke to me--and I never imagined at that point how much time would pass before He accomplished His purpose in this particular area. 

And now I am seeing the fruition of 16 years of waiting in a beautiful and precious answer to prayer. 

My husband and I want to establish a place of rest here--a place where fellow believers can come and have a respite from the world as they seek the Lord, a place for missionaries to stay, a place for pastors to come apart for a time of refreshing, or for any Christian seeking rest and quietness. It needed to be a peaceful place with enough room to house our brothers and sisters. 

When I came here, my heart was burdened with three main concerns. A job for my husband that would provide for our family, a solid Gospel-driven church, and a place, a home, to establish this ministry. 

The Lord mercifully provided a job for my husband in his field just before we moved here and then recently opened up the door for a different job in the same field in response to our prayers for His provision. 

He opened up a place for us to worship Him-- a church that we love and where the Gospel is preached boldly and with compassion. This was another precious answer to prayer.  

But my third concern-- for a place, a home; this prayer went unanswered. I struggled when the time came for our lease to be renewed. We had been here for about a year, living in a rental home that was not the most cost-efficient place to live. We were traveling a good distance to church with two small children and my husband, after the Lord opened up the second job here for him, was commuting about an hour-and-a-half to work each way. 

I felt as though it would be "wiser" to move closer to our church and closer to my husband's job. I prayed and struggled and sought the Lord, earnestly trying to explain to Him why moving at that point would be best . . . 

I heard the Lord's silence. 

We looked at homes to rent in the area where we felt that we should possibly move. We considered purchasing a smaller home, which would be more cost-effective than renting, while we waited for the Lord to open the door for a home for our ministry. 

I felt hesitant, but we continued to explore options. 

The Lord kept stopping us--a house would already be rented or an offer had already been made on a home that we looking at. My husband and I began to think that perhaps the Lord had a different plan in mind and that we were supposed to stay where we were, at least for the time being--but we just could not understand why. We looked at one final house, hoping that maybe the Lord would show us otherwise. 

That night, I read a passage in the devotional Streams in the Desert--

When the cloud remained . . . the Israelites . . . did not set out. (Numbers 9: 19)

This was the ultimate test of obedience. It was relatively easy to fold up their tents when the fleecy cloud slowly gathered over the tabernacle and began to majestically float ahead of the multitude of the Israelites. Change normally seems pleasant, and the people were excited and interested in the route, the scenery, and the habitat of the next stopping place.

Yet having to wait was another story altogether. “When the cloud remained,” however uninviting and sweltering the location, however trying to flesh and blood, however boring and wearisome to those who were impatient, however perilously close their exposure to danger— there was no option but to remain encamped.

The psalmist said, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry” (Ps. 40:1). And what God did for the Old Testament saints, He will do for believers down through the ages, yet He will often keep us waiting. Must we wait when we are face to face with a threatening enemy, surrounded by danger and fear, or below an unstable rock? Would this not be the time to fold our tents and leave? Have we not already suffered to the point of total collapse? Can we not exchange the sweltering heat for “green pastures . . . [and] quiet waters” (Ps. 23: 2)?

When God sends no answer and “the cloud remain[ s],” we must wait. Yet we can do so with the full assurance of God’s provision of manna, water from the rock, shelter, and protection from our enemies. He never keeps us at our post without assuring us of His presence or sending us daily supplies.

Young person, wait— do not be in such a hurry to make a change! Minister, stay at your post! You must wait where you are until the cloud clearly begins to move. Wait for the Lord to give you His good pleasure! He will not be late!

And so, against what I humanly deemed as "wise and prudent," I decided to wait upon the Lord for His direction without actively seeking to move forward until I knew His hand leading; my husband and I committed to this course of seeming "inaction," renewed our lease, and decided to wait again upon the Lord in prayer. 

And interestingly, someone very close to me kept reminding me not to limit the Lord--I honestly was very doubtful that the Lord was going to open the door at that point for a home for us that would be the place for our ministry-there seemed to be too many obstacles and I just didn't see humanly how it could be done . . .   But  this person kept telling me to wait patiently--that I and my husband never knew what the Lord would do and at the same time the Lord continually kept reassuring me through His Word that He was ready to act in His perfect way.

The housing market remained grim. I worried and wondered and fretted and then returned to trusting in the Lord as we waited. Nothing came on the market that was suitable. 

Finally, as the time drew closer to when we would need to make a decision about whether or not to renew our lease again (the 6-month period that we had leased our rental house for was drawing closer to its end again), I believed that the Lord was telling me to seek Him more deliberately in prayer, and I set a side a period of time to do this. During that time, nothing still came on the market. Yet I waited, believing that His hand had led me to wait upon Him earnestly in prayer and so I did . . . 

Right at the end of this time of prayer and seeking the Lord, a house came on the market. I can only attribute what happened next as a miracle from the Lord's hand in direct answer to prayer. The house exactly fit what we were looking for for our ministry. It was set on almost four acres in a peaceful setting. Its outbuildings and layout would perfectly accommodate what we have been called to do.  And in the Lord's perfect mercy, the style of the home is one that I love--an old-fashioned 1890s house that reminds me of my beloved New England. Tears of joy come to me even now as I write this, and now that we realize that the Lord has given us this place for this time, for His purposes I can only say

I waited patiently for the Lord;

And He inclined to me,

And heard my cry.

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of the miry clay,

And set my feet upon a rock,

And established my steps.

He has put a new song in my mouth—

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

And will trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV

Furthermore, to add to the Lord's merciful hand in all of these things, the home is located within a much easier commute to my husband's job and near our church. It is in a very rural setting, and yet easily accessible for people to find--I was concerned that we would be "out in the boondocks," in order to find something suitable, but the opposite is the case--we are in a very rural setting, located near a state park , but also in a location that is easy to find and access, which would be helpful for this kind of ministry. It is actually as though this home was made for what the Lord called us to--more than 100 years ago, no less! The Lord never ceases to amaze me and to challenge my "finite" thinking with His infinite plans. For years, I have been fascinated by missionary biographies and stories of the Lord's provision in the lives of people like George Mueller and Hudson Taylor. I have tried to follow their pattern of obedience and trust, although very imperfectly. And now I am again seeing this accomplished in a miraculous and merciful way in my own life. And I praise Him; it is all of grace. 

There were times when I doubted the Lord. There were times when I truly questioned my own sanity--when I questioned whether the Lord had really spoken to us. We had relocated halfway across the United States; some people literally thought that we were crazy, or at best, misled. But I held on to the certainty that the Lord had spoken to us and that He would fulfill His purpose, and He has. At the same time, the Lord held on to me and helped me and strengthened me in my times of discouragement. And He showed me His goodness in a wonderful and miraculous way. He gave us this home. 

Looking back now and writing this, I see that if we had done what seemed "wise" at the time, if we had trusted in our own understanding and ignored the Lord's gentle voice leading us to wait, we would have been locked into another lease or have purchased a home just before the Lord was ready to act and not have been able to move forward into the ministry that He called us to. I have learned through this experience once again, as I have in the past, that it is always better to wait upon the Lord when there is doubt. It is always better to trust in His wisdom, even if it seemingly contradicts the best of human wisdom. His plan may seem like it doesn't make sense, but He is preparing His best for us if we will wait upon Him and receive it. 

And so I praise Him for answered prayer--the answered prayer of 16 years, the prayer that I prayed in a little bedroom in Rhode Island as a teenager. And I pray that He would continue to pour out His grace in my life and make me into a willing vessel to accomplish His purposes. I pray that He will use this place of rest for His glory. And I pray especially that this testimony would strengthen other believers who are in a "waiting" place to hope in the Lord and trust utterly in Him. He is good to those who wait for Him. And they will not be ashamed. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Below are the links to other blog posts that I've written detailing our move here and how the Lord has worked His grace through our lives,  if anyone would like to read more about it--

Flying to A Summer Land
The Gift of Quietness
Grace in the Midwest Wilderness
When you Just Can't Do It
An Impossible Prayer Request
Midwest Ministry update

You might find me on these link-ups:


Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party

Devotional Spotlight~~Now: Purposeful Steps Toward A More Abundant Life, by Sarah Coller

I have been blessed to get to know Sarah through her wonderful blog Classical Homemaking. Sarah has much wisdom to share and does so in a gracious, engaging way. When I heard that Sarah had recently released a women's devotional, I was excited and am anticipating reading it in the near future. Sarah's blog has been a blessing to me in many ways. I pray that her writing would bless you and encourage you in your daily walk with the Lord. Below are some details about her devotional as well as where you can find her on social media. 

From the Back Cover of Now: Purposeful Steps Towards a More Abundant Life:

Do you have big goals that seem impossible? Are you ready to step out into fulfilling your dreams but everything seems so overwhelming? In Now: Purposeful Steps Toward a More Abundant Life, Sarah Coller shares practical steps for living a fulfilling life, no matter your life circumstances. This simple devotional offers readers a place to journal thoughts and prayers and is excellent for both individual and small group study.

    About the Author:

Sarah Coller is just a regular girl saved from her sins by the Lord Jesus Christ. Married since 1998 to her high school sweetheart and mother to nine sweet blessings, she stays busy homemaking and homeschooling. Her passion is to create a comfortable and peaceful home for her family. In her free time, she also enjoys reading classic novels, shopping at flea markets, sipping tea, scribbling her thoughts, traveling, and enjoying all things British. Sarah blogs at ClassicalHomemaking.com, as well as at her literature blog, BellesLibrary.com.

You can visit Sarah on her~~

BLOG

Facebook Page 

Pinterest

Twitter Account

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party

Monthly Book Giveaway~Humility and Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray

For more information about Monthly Book Giveaways, click HERE. 

Anyone who has read Murray understands what a rich source of encouragement his words are. He is both refreshing and challenging--I enjoy him because he brings theology to a practical level and speaks plainly, simply, and sincerely. 

I also enjoy him because one can sense through his writing that his heart was so closely knitted to his Heavenly Father in surrender, submission, trust and obedience. He writes about walking intimately with Christ, on a level that goes far deeper than mere head knowledge or adherence to correct theology alone. 

Murray's heart is one after God's own. And this is expressed through his writing. I pray that someone may benefit greatly through this volume that I am offering--it is a two in one book containing Murray's Humility and Absolute Surrender. I pray that it will bless someone. 

Description of Humility and Absolute Surrender (from CBD)

For over a century countless readers have found in Andrew Murray a trustworthy guide to the deeper Christian life. As a pastor, evangelist, educator, and writer driven by concern for the spiritual guidance of new converts--and for revival in long-time believers--Murray penned some of the most enduring devotional classics of Christian literature. Though he ministered in a deeply-divided nation, his vision seemed blind to race, class, or political persuasion. And from a remote corner of South Africa, his preaching, teaching, and writing would eventually fuel spiritual awakening with a worldwide impact.

This edition pairs Humility and Absolute Surrender in one volume. Together these classics reflect Murray's longing for a closer walk with Christ, and call us to a life of holiness and virtue, empowered not by our own strength but by the indwelling Holy Spirit. 





a Rafflecopter giveaway

You might find me on these link-ups:

Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party, Fabulous Warm Heart Party

Getting My Body Back

A very vivid memory from my childhood often comes back to me . . .  my Mom in the kitchen, busy with something, and me wrapping my little girl arms around her soft waist--the love that I felt for my Mom and the certain knowing that she was there for me, that she loved me and constantly gave all of herself to raise me and my sisters. 

Wrapping my arms around that waist that had given--had been stretched and used and worn from giving life to us, to me--her beautiful motherly body that was not tight and firm and toned. 

Something that has had a great effect upon me in my own life has been the way in which my Mom gave everything towards raising her children and walking transparently before the Lord. 

Her devotion to Him came first--I remember her always with her Bible in the morning having her quiet time and seeking the Lord throughout her day, even though it was busy with children. 

And something that had a profound effect upon me was that my Mom's focus was not on her outward appearance, but on her inward relationship to the Lord. This didn't mean that she didn't dress attractively or wear makeup or exercise--my Mom maintained a neat and feminine appearance and exercised when she could. But her focus day in and day out was in giving herself in raising my sisters and I to know and to love the Lord. The other things were secondary and she would quickly forfeit them if it was a choice between her children or her appearance, even to the point of not buying herself new clothing for lengths of time so that she could afford to send us to a Christian school. 

My Mom's focus was on the spiritual and this played into every area of her life. I watched that kind of example growing up. 

I have a personality that craves order and discipline. It's the way that the Lord made me and He has used that for good in my life. But at times, if I am not watchful, it can become a distraction from that deeper more intimate walk with the Lord that my heart truly craves. 

For this reason, I have been very careful in the past with what I ate and making sure that I exercised regularly. I love to walk and so this was an almost daily part of my life, especially before I had children. I consumed broccoli religiously and ate in an otherwise extremely healthy way. 

And then I had children . . . and as anyone who has had children knows, the body goes through extreme changes, both physically and emotionally. 

Both of my births were difficult. I experienced extreme tearing during my first birth and faced a long healing process. My second birth which I chose to do naturally without pain medication took a toll on my body (looking back on that experience I would have chosen to do things differently now, but that is another blog post!) My son was born face down--in posterior position (in the Lord's mercy I delivered him without having a C-section) but my body was physically "broken." Again, I faced a long healing process and couldn't get my body back to normal.

And so, with a "broken" body, I faced caring for two little ones, 18 months apart. 

I struggled. And I just couldn't seem to get my body back into that same pattern of order and discipline that I had maintained before having babies. 

I was nursing, I was weak to the point where I struggled to pick myself up from the floor when I was sitting down with my children. 

And I felt frustrated at times--honestly--frustrated that I just couldn't get my body back--just couldn't fit into my jeans that I wore before I had children. Frustrated that I just couldn't seem to get it under control.

I, me, my body. 

Until the Lord spoke to me, quietly at first, and then with increasing strength--

My work was to focus on the two tiny souls He had given me--to raise to nurture, to love, to enjoy--to train up in His ways.

My work, as He spoke to me strongly one night, was to feed His sheep, and for me, this is to teach my two precious little ones, Deborah and Elisha, to know and to love Him. 

My focus in some ways needed to shift. 

And what I am not saying is that one shouldn't live a disciplined life, exercise, eat healthily, and take care of one's physical body. Our Pastor illustrated this beautifully in a recent sermon--he said that when we place the Lord first, when He is all in all to us, everything else falls into its proper order and place--in other words, through seeking His kingdom first, everything else will be added . . . when we place Him first, everything else falls into place. 

This way of living brings freedom . . . 

The Lord, and it is difficult to describe this completely, but a transformation took place in my heart at one point, replaced my natural motherly care and general love for my children (which I believe that every mother has) with a deep, strong, spiritual love for them. I cannot describe this, but He did. And it has been like a beautiful flower growing in my heart--I love them spiritually and I want them to know Him. 

This has cost me my body. 

The natural part of mothering in childbirth has cost me my body--my body will never look the same again--and it doesn't have to--who are we to hold on to this physical body in a way that rebels against any change to it? 

Are stretch marks and scars really the enemy? Do we need to stress and fuss and fume and desperately grasp at trying everything possible--every trick, gimmick, and exercise technique to get our body back? Again, I am not at all saying that it is wrong to exercise after we have children (I still enjoy walking, only now I do it with my children!)--what I am trying to say is that when getting our body back becomes the focus, we have lost something of spiritual significance--the willingness to give even if it means that we can't maintain the "perfect" body. The focus is "off" when we cling to the notion that we need to be a certain weight or a certain size in order to be content instead of resting in the Lord and concentrating on His present will for our lives. Perhaps the real enemy is holding onto something that we need to be willing to let go of. 

Our body is given in order to give it back--because it always comes down to surrender--whether or not we are willing to give something lesser for the greater--just as Jesus did. 

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. II Corinthians 8:9 NKJV

To give back spiritually --we give our body spiritually when we sacrifice what we could have had in order to give to another--a "perfect" body for the stretches and scars of motherhood, our time, our passions, our lives--for the life of another--for the lives of little ones, for the Lord's sake. 

There is a character  in one of my sister's novels, The House of Mercy who would have been physically handsome except for the fact that his face bears a garish scar. He is one of my favorite characters, even more than the hero in that novel. A deeply sensitive man, he marries a woman who became pregnant out of wedlock and takes her child as his own. He is a beautiful example of Christ-like love and his face and very life bear deep sorrows, wounds and scars. 

Sometimes scars, imperfections, can be things of great beauty--can actually draw rather than repel. 

Jesus was scarred--He bore the scars of the nail prints in His hands--nail prints of love and evidence of a body broken. Broken for us. His body was used for our benefit. We follow His example when we give our bodies for the sake of our children, or even for the sake of spiritual children, such as missionaries whose bodies have been broken down by years of fasting and toil and ministry. It is worth it. 

I remember hugging my Mom's waist, her selfless, Christ-like giving and I remember that ancient truth that burns in the heart when we embrace it--we receive when we give. We possess when we let go. He who seeks to save his life will lose it but he who loses his life for My sake will truly possess it. 

And this is how I have gotten my body back. 



You might find me on these link-ups:


Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party

A Romantic Giveaway!!!

Until the will and the affections are brought under the authority of Christ, we have not begun to understand, let alone accept, His Lordship. The Cross, as it enters the love life, will reveal the heart’s truth.

~Elisabeth Elliot

In the spirit of Valentine's Day and to close my blog series on Marriage, I am so excited to host . . . 

A Romantic Giveaway! 

💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

This is something that I've been looking forward to for a long time 😊. I've been gathering together some resources and fun "romantic" items that I hope you'll enjoy and including them as part of the giveaway. Please feel free to share about this giveaway with your friends; let's "spread the love." (Haha; my attempt to joke :-)). 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💗

If you are new to this blog, or haven't read my Marriage Series blog posts and would like to, you can find them here--

Introduction HERE,
Part 1 HERE  
Part 2 HERE 
Part 3 HERE
Part 4 HERE
Part 5 HERE
Part 6 HERE

I hope and pray that this giveaway would bless someone and that the Lord Jesus would lead each of us into a deeper and deeper love for Him. 

Here's what it includes:

• A paperback copy of Ravi Zacharias' book I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebekah (this is a wonderful, encouraging book on this topic)
• The DVD, Old Fashioned  (you can read my review HERE) :-)
• A very lovely lace scarf (this reminded me of Anne of Green Gables :-)). 
• "I have loved you with an everlasting love" rose mug. 
• Beautiful rose and pearl earrings  (well, I think so!)

Please enter the giveaway by using the Rafflecopter form below; it is very easy to use. 

The Lord bless each one of you and cause the light of His great love to brighten your path. 

*Giveaway open to residents of the continental United States for shipping reasons. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You might find me on these link-ups:


Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth, Inspire Me Monday, Literacy Musing Mondays, The Modest Mom, What Joy is Mine, A Mama's Story, Mom's the Word, Rich Faith Rising, Cornerstone Confessions, Mom's Morning Coffee, Raising Homemakers, Classical Homemaking, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Ministries,  Testimony Tuesday, Tell His Story, Women With Intention Wednesdays, Messy Marriage,  Graced Simplicity, Children Are A Blessing, Imparting Grace, Thought Provoking Thursday, Soul Survival, Good Morning Mondays, The Weekend Brew, Counting My Blessings, The HomeAcre Hop, Mommy Moments Link Up, Grace and Truth Linkup, Faith Filled Friday, Tell It To Me Tuesdays, SHINE Blog Hop, TGI Saturdays Blog Hop, RaRaLinkup, Word of God Speak, Booknificent Thursday, Living Proverbs 31, Sharing His Beauty Blog Linkup, Coffee For Your Heart Weekly LinkUp, You're the Star Blog Hop, Homesteader Hop, Fresh Market Friday, Heart Encouragement Thursday , Sitting Among Friends Blog Party