Cherishing what He's given you

We are so excited and feel so incredibly overwhelmed with blessing as we move into a beautiful new-to-us home. It's been a journey: I had started calling our little home that Chris transformed a mansion. Everything I could ever have wanted - he sought to please me, and me him, as we worked together to tear down walls, replace floors, fascia, and make beauty happen. In our eyes, it was amazing and we loved it. But then we went from a family of 4 to a family of 6 (and for a while we had 8!), and the walls just became too close. We needed more space, and despite all that we had created there, all the memories, all of the remaining plans, we had to start considering what "more" could look like.

In order to come to this place we had to begin to open our hands from the hold we had on our current home.  We felt God had led us to that home, God had blessed us there, and we had honored him in all we did there: not that we were a perfect couple or perfect parents while we lived there, but because we strove to steward all that we had there well and sought Holy living.  But it was time to consider moving on because He had increased our bounty of children. I prayed that He would increase our boundaries in other ways and show us how He would provide.  More kids means more expenses and Chris didn't get a promotion with each additional child.  God began to show and tug at Chris and I, revealing new and before-considered ways to increase our income.  Although we have not yet started to receive that extra income, we are believing and have stepped out in faith to buy this beautiful house that, to me, is our little house multiplied in space to be a mansion!  (No, it's still not literally a mansion, but that's all based on opinion anyways, right!?  To me, it's amazing!)

Maybe you're wondering why God isn't moving you to a new place.  Maybe it's your job, you really don't feel passionate about it anymore.  Maybe it's your marriage, it's not what you had hoped.  Maybe it's how you're mothering, you never thought you'd be a yeller, have to spank your kids so much, or struggle with bonding (just my own confessions).  Maybe it is your physical location.  Whatever it is, please consider your hold on it, and if you are insisting on your own ways, or if you are staying where you are (physically or relation-ally) out of fear.

Let me remind you, fear is not of the Lord.  He gives and He takes away, but He is always there, never leaving or forsaking us, and His plans for us are good and to make us prosper. So if it's your job, start looking up, asking God where He would want you to be, and if He wants you to go, what the next steps are.

If it's your marriage, remember that He is a covenant God, and He created the marriage to be sacred.  The second half of this book may be incredibly helpful (I sure hope so- that's my intent!).  Don't give up on your marriage, give up on insisting your way.  Ask God for His way.  There are some great biblically-based books on marriage out there, I would highly recommend Debi Pearl's "Created to be his Help Meet". 

If it's mothering your obstinate children, maybe consider that it is not them you need to change so much, but rather you: let go of your ways and ask God how to form you into the mom your child needs.  He will lead you, I promise!  Whether it's been a mother's group, parenting class, or book, He's always answered.  And remember, all in alignment with His Word!  One of my favorites is "Parenting by the Book", because it so much points to scripture and helped me let go of some confusion in my parenting.

If it's your location or something else physical (car, house or finance-based), consider how you are stewarding what you have.  Read the story of the master and the tenants in Matthew 25:14-30: are you investing what you are given or spending it quickly?  Are you treating what you have as the best, or looking the gift horse in the mouth- as if it's not good enough.  Praise God for what you have and take care of that old beater of a car as if it's a classic.  You may end up wanting to keep it after you care for it so well! 

Often we don't like what we have because we quit taking care of it.  When we start taking care of it, open-handedly (willing to give it up, yet caring for it with value), God is pleased and will give you more.  I believe this is a promise.  Search scripture to test that! 

And when we begin to consider more, we hear Satan's "that's not for you" and fears begin to overwhelm us. Ask God what He wants from you, and what He has for you!

Tomorrow we'll dig into discerning desires and letting go of yours a little more.