My birthday has never been a really big thing for me , I’d much rather make the fuss on other’s special days. I keep getting asked what I want for my birthday, but to be honest I sincerely don’t need anything. To me the best gifts can never hold a price tag. And as I ponder this past year I am reminded of the priceless gift God has blessed me with this year. For 3 John 1:4 has found a new reality in my heart. “ I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth.” All three of our kids have the deepest walk in truth I have yet witnessed. What joy to a parent’s heart, what a gift that I simply want to be joyfully thankful for this year.
I will share with you from this past week and the heart of my eldest while it is so fresh. I can honestly say, she brings me to my knees not only in thankfulness but in a deep and pure love for more of Him even in my own life. May I always press in enough that our children would having a living example before their eyes that spiritually leads them in truth despite the competition of worldly distractions and pleasures.
Recently Brea got her first job. Which in itself took a lot of work including Roger and I helping to encourage resume building, application, gathering, interviewing skills, etc. lol I felt as if I was working back at TELUS in job building skills.
Despite Brea only being 15 she was given an interview that day and the first of 20 applications was indeed the one that hired her. She is years younger than the other women in the teen clothing store, and yet her maturity had led to the belief that she was well beyond what her birth certificate reads. J
As Brea transitions to the “corporate world” I see her pure eyes awakened to the reality of pride, greed, money, ungratefulness, beauty at all costs, hard selfless grunt work, being taken advantage of, being an outlet of stress and still yet finding joy in learning and accomplishing and blessing other staff and customers with you joy and a cheerful attitude.
The stress and pressure, the injustice in 19 year olds lording it over your precious 15 year old rises the hairs on my neck and causes me many deep meditative breaths… ughhh… It’s one thing for me to deal with it, it’s a whole other thing to have your gentle gracious daughter taken advantage of. But yes there are lessons for all of us in this. Lol! So we debrief and talk constantly about what is really going on when she shares the situation and sure enough she seems the truth of it unfold shortly afterwards.
This is a turn in Brea’s life. In a few months she will begin to drive the car and I don’t ever want to hold her back but I have indeed upped my prayers for her and her protection. Interestingly God has been teaching her more than ever through this all.
She’s been faithfully reading through the entire bible every day. She won’t miss a day. We recently read the passage in John 6 where Jesus had just been deserted by so many as his teaching was too hard for them. And then He looks at his disciples and asks them if they too want to desert him? Peter responds, “Where would we go we know you are the Holy one of God.”
Then just this week at work Brea’s manager asked her in a poking fun tone, “Are you religious?”
The famous question… the stand that is so HUGE for every teen. Their identity and fitting in associated with God. She could hear this wrestle in her head wanting to please her boss and others, but knowing she did indeed love her Lord.
As she was telling me I was prepared that she felt pressure to confess she wasn’t “Religious” and just left it at that. BUT to my surprise she said, “No mom, I’m standing for my Lord.” And I said, “Yes I am.”
Her boss was taken back and made some comments that she noticed she never swore and such. But they left it at that. Later it seemed they were acting different towards her; trying to change their own choice of words and somewhat walking on eggshells. Brea called them out on it. (Again you can picture the look on my face as my mouth drops open!)
“Yeah Mom, I just told them they didn’t need to change for me. They should just be who they are I was fine with it. I don’t want to PUSH my religion on them.” Right away they were put at ease respected Brea even more for mentioning it and went back to normal.
I told Brea how proud I was of her. But more importantly God. He was testing her. I reminded her of the passage that declares if we are not ashamed of Jesus He will mention our names before the angels. Then I went on to bring the passage to life in a dramatic way replaying the heavenly conversation as we rode our bikes together. She smiled as did I . Powerful.
Then she added how that very night this happened on TV the Jesus film was playing and as soon as it came on, it came to that part of the verse I’d said earlier with Jesus looking at His disciples asking if they wanted to leave him? The odds were too divine. She then realized that this whole process from when she first read the verse to the practical application was all based on God teaching her intimately. I told her that God is calling her deeper into His relationship with her and she is right smack in the middle of His will. It’s so beautiful. So blessed my heart. An answer to my prayers. And to now encourage her boldly in this pursuit. We ended the conversation with Brea saying, “Mom I can have many conversations with so many people but they are never as deep and as filled with the Spirit as you and I.”
“Lord the very gift you gave me in my precious daughter I give to you fully. She is yours I simply pray that as she walks the road of life you would continue to be ever close to her, protecting and guiding her. I have no greater joy than to see this precious gift walking fully hand in hand with you, my first love. Now becoming her first love.”
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