I have been so thankful to be able to make a lot of memories this past week or so.....hopefully soon I will post a few pictures....I have several favorites! But in the meantime.......
I have something to share. My almost 2 year old is very independent. He is also at the stage where he wants to always "help" me. This evening, while D and Noah were out watching some friends play baseball, Nicholas and I had to go to the Dollar Store. I just picked up a couple of things, and it all fit into one bag. Nicholas carried it out of the store for me. The bag in one hand, my index finger in the other hand. Then when we got home, he wanted to bring the bag inside for me. I tried to hold his hand and he said "Move Mama!" and pulled his little hand back. He wanted to walk inside carrying the bag without Mama's help! He was following a step or two behind me and I turned to make sure he stayed on task, and when I did, I saw he was about to trip. I instinctively dropped everything in my hands.....my keys, purse, a cup of water I had poured myself, and Nicholas's cup. I dropped it all in an attempt to try to catch him before he fell. But it was too late. He had already taken a dive, and he has a nice little scrape mark on his knee as proof. Now believe me when I say this is not the first time, nor was it the last time, that this has happened to him. He just whined a second, said, "Bo-Bo Mama!" then he picked his bag up and started right back on his mission. Notice that when I was holding his hand at the Dollar Store he did not trip, but when he refused my help or guidance, he got a bo-bo.
Some of you may have saw this coming, but God showed me a sermonette out of this!!! Stay with me!
How many times do we "think" we are doing what we are supposed to be doing to "help" or serve God and His Kingdom, and we try to do things on our own, and we trip, and fall, and stumble? We just flat out mess up sometimes. We even refuse His help much like Nicholas did me at home. And even though God may drop everything to try to catch us sometimes, we seem to have already fallen without seeing or feeling His help. Then how many times do we make His heart break? ( I said "we" because I am certainly not above making mistakes, and I do not judge others based on theirs: Matthew 7:1).
But THEN, here comes the good part, THEN, after realizing that He has and always will come to our rescue, we may be stubborn or prideful and we may whine a little, but we can pick right back up where we left off and get right back to the mission. (Romans 11:29).
There are many commands and laws in the Bible. Jesus gives us two:
LOVE HIM and LOVE OTHERS!
By doing those things, I am trying my best to become closer and closer to Him, and to live more and more like Him. As I stated before, I mess up all of the time. The only thing that seperates me from a continual sinner is God's grace. I try very hard to live out Jesus's commands, and I try very hard to do them with all of my heart. Do I fall? Sure. Have I missed the whole picture completely? Yes. Is He always right there when I need Him to help me straighten things out and get back on my way? You bet!!!
And to dig a little deeper, if you once knew God, not religion, not false doctrines, not fake people, not rules, but God (He's none of those things I just mentioned!) and you have fallen real deep, please know that He is married to the backslider. Please read Romans 10:9-13. Read the whole Bible. But follow the instructions in those few verses. People, the Bible is the Living Word of God. If we use it, and the words in it when we pray, and we remind God of what he says to us, then those prayers CANNOT return to us void! It's the Word of God!!! He has to keep His promises! Uh-oh, I better wrap this up before I start preaching on "Standing on God's Word!"
Amen and Amen, my God is Good!!!
