“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans
for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11,
NLT)
Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s
will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1Thess. 5:17-18, NLT)
Remember Borders bookstores? They only closed two and a half
years ago, but it seems like a distant memory. When we moved to our current
home, we were delighted to have a store just a couple of miles from our house,
where we could browse piles of discounted books or just roam the aisles and
breathe in that new book smell! I liked to take my laptop to the café there,
before we had several of the chains around, and enjoyed sipping a caffe mocha
while writing my novel masterpiece (Yeah, still working on that!).
Borders was the first place I mounted my courage to order a
fancy coffee, hoping not to sound too ignorant—a café au lait with raspberry
flavor. Thus began my coffee snobbery and expensive habit. We often utilized
Borders’ coupons and had a discount card.
Despite the fact that there’s a Barnes and Noble just a few
miles away, I still occasionally have that wistful feeling when I drive by the
sporting goods store which took Borders’ place. Happily, a mom and pop
bookstore has opened up not that far away, giving us an alternative besides the
internet.
Losing Borders was just an inconvenience for us, and a big
change in the retail book market for sure, but it wasn’t anything compared to
Job’s losses of children, wealth and health. Yet he said, “The Lord gave me
what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”
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I find myself in a season of life where things seem to be
constantly changing and some of it I don’t really like. When my children were
small, it seemed like I would be a stay-at-home mom forever and it was what I
loved the most, or at least the role in which I felt most comfortable. I defined
myself as a homeschooling mom, doing the best I could to serve the Lord. I
never thought my kids would all be moved rather far away. I figured at least one or
more would be married and settled. When you’ve been a mother and needed by
others 24/7 for so many years it’s not easy to redefine your role—in fact, I’ve
been trying to reinvent it several times and searching for God’s will, how He
can use me best.
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I’ve watched my kids go through changes that are difficult
for me to accept, yet I still love them. It’s led me to question why the Lord
has allowed certain things, but I have to believe that these changes are what
He has allowed, because they’re best for me. They’ve drawn me closer to the Lord
Jesus. Still, it’s not easy.
Lord, help me each day
to trust You more for the future, to know it’s filled with hope. Help me to
have a thankful attitude through all that you do. In Jesus’s name, amen.
Tomorrow will be your last chance!
Thanks, Jen. I pray the Lord will guide you on your journey and
ReplyDeleteeventual change in roles. Being a homeschooling mom is,
in a way, all-consuming, but you don't realize how much
until you're done.