I know that as a parent I have the HUGE responsibility of shaping a life. Sometimes I question if my daughter looks at me with the same wonder I have when I look at her. To make God a visible part of our lives, each month I create a poster and hang it where it can be seen. On one occasion I had made a poster with quotes from the bible study sermon series. It hung in our home before we hosted a youth night sleep over. I was not present, but the poster made an impact on the group leader. A poster of the very subject they were discussing was on our wall and she and the other girls were aware that in our house, God is relevant.
I saw a saying, “Be different. Act Normal.” On this month’s poster I put those words but with an arrow to the side of “be different”- I wrote CHRISTIAN. And before, “Act normal,” I wrote in God’s Love.
Be different- Christian.
In God’s Love, Act Normal.
In this week’s Crazy Love by Francis Chan chapter 5
1 corr. 13: 4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
I shared with my daughter that we are to know God is love and we can put “God” in the verses and recite it this way:
God is patient, God is kind. God does not envy, God does not boast, God is not proud. God is not rude, God is not self-seeking, God is not easily angered, God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Then I asked her could she say she has God in her life, and in the blanks where “God” is, can she put her name. L is patient. L is kind. … etc. Immediately she said no, she is not patient, at times she is not kind,… etc.
She said she doesn’t hear the voice of God, like when people say, “God called me to missions.” Or, “God told me to go to build a church.” I told her that there will be times in her life she will know God is leading her. I told her on a daily basis to be aware of the small things God will direct her to do, even if it is something small like saying, “hello,” to someone.
I challenged her to give one day to God. A whole day. A day of silently saying a prayer when she gets up, “I got out of bed today, for God.” And through her day; “I went to school today, for God. I ate today, for God.” And I told her as she acknowledges God in her day, she will begin to feel the presence of God, just by inviting him to be there.
God may never be a loud voice we can hear, but God filled day can be life changing.
Try it in your own life.
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
May your life be Changed by God.
Tonight a stranger said "hello" to me as I left the bookstore. He asked if I liked the change in the weather. I said yes. He said, "change is always good." I needed to hear those words. When I got to my car I called my BFF and told her. We both agreed that man was sent by God to say that one little thing to impact our lives.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you have heard it before, perhaps a million times, but if it's a message from God, it's like hearing it for the first time. I hope you too are encouraged to let God enter your life. CHANGE IS ALWAYS GOOD!