i’m a survivor
Hello! We survived our first hurricane experience last weekend! Hurricane Nate passed through the Mississippi Gulf Coast last weekend. In preparation, we bought water and had a small generator ready just in case. My sister came to spend the night Saturday and brought her baby, her tiny striped grey kitten. We enjoyed playing with him. We had plenty of movies ready and moved all our outdoor toys and furniture to the garage. Thankfully, it was a dud storm in our area and praise the Lord it was not as strong as expected.
Our church service was cancelled for Sunday, along with many other coastal churches, so we had what we refer to as “home church.” My human side was excited to sleep in a little Sunday morning, enjoy cinnamon rolls, and discuss God’s Word in a t-shirt and shorts in our living room! We were able to take our time getting up, getting dressed, and enjoyed popping some cinnamon rolls in the oven and partaking in the melty icing I love! I could eat the entire roll myself. We sat in the living room and sang some simple songs. We sing Jesus Loves Me all the time, so we had to include that one. We talked about people we needed to remember to pray for and prayed aloud for them. We moved to the kitchen table to some “arts and crafts” time and colored a few coloring kits we had from LifeWay but had not completed yet. Despite arguing that broke out, wallowing around on the living room floor, cats shooting through the room, and toddler trips to the bathroom, the time was still for God. We were still able to worship even in our humanity and “real life.” Even though a corporate worship at our church building was cancelled, it is still important to give to God the time of worship He deserves. We talked at church this morning how the best we can do for children is to point them to the law of the Lord.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple… Psalm 19:7-14
Children need to know the Word of God – it is everything and affects all aspects of life! I love that this verse reminds us that His Word revives our soul! When we have a rough day (or week or month or year, for that matter), His Word is God’s comfort to our souls. I say this all the time, so here it is again, parents are the MOST influential people in the lives of their children! Not a teacher, pastor, or mentor! God can use you in your imperfections to disciple your children and show them the law of the Lord in order to direct your children to the Savior!
Some of you may be reading who are teenagers or do not have parents who know Jesus and depend on yourself to make the effort to know Him better. Let us all, no matter our place in life, saturate ourselves with His Word. Listen to edifying music, watch appropriate shows, read His Word, attend church where people are teaching His Word, participate in organizations that teach His Word. In middle school, I often had a difficult time falling asleep as most teenagers do, since adolescent brains wake up later and shut off later. I had to bring a psychological perspective here, after all, I am a counselor! I listened to a lot of radio really late at night, and a lot of what I listened to were preachers. Sounds boring, and maybe I would not have chosen to listen to it, had I been busy doing other activities. But, in the quiet of my bedroom, supposed to be sleeping, I had nothing else to think about or do but listen to the radio. I heard God’s Word every night. We have ways to learn His Word in unconventional ways. Make use of the time you have, even if it is just a few minutes here and there.
Enjoy God’s Word this week and let it revive your soul! I pray you will find HOPE in His Words to us. Let His Words bring you joy in your circumstances. We all fight a hard fight and each of us has “stuff.” I am no exception, let me tell ya! Sometimes I wake up and feel so overwhelmed by all the stuff I already have to do, I am tired before my feet hit the floor. Let His Words energize and renew you!
Love,
Charis
