HOPE, Leading Horses To Water 10-25-13

Just a thought that's been rumbling through my mind, especially in the past years...

You've heard the saying, "You can lead a horse to water. But, you can't make it drink." 

Well, that saying preoccupied my thoughts often in the past few years -- as we faced some of the normal challenges of parenthood (and a few of the not-so-normal challenges). Let's just say that I'm putting my children in the place of the "horses." We tried to lead to water -- in our case, water would be the Living Water - the Lord. Recent bumps in the road of life caused me to question...

• Did we help them obtain the skills and values to prepare them for adulthood?
• Did we model the values & beliefs we talk about - through actions - in public and at home? 
• Did they see those same values & beliefs echoed in the activities we choose for leisure, celebration, etc.? 
• Did they see similar values & beliefs in the friends with whom we chose to spend our time?

I went through a long time of asking myself many questions. I guess the bottom line was that I felt I needed to know I was the best parent I could be. After reflection, prayer and a lot of soul-searching, I came to the conclusion that we had done our best to bring up our children to understand what & why we had chosen our beliefs & values. Bottom line, I think we did pretty well at communicating those beliefs & values.

Now, it's their turn. I would like to think that they saw what we did, saw that it was good and will choose to live with the same beliefs & values. However, God gave us free will in our choices. We have set our hope on God & His Word for guidance as we journey along life. We can only choose for ourselves. And, we did choose - although not as quickly as our parents would have hoped. 

Even if you can't make the horse drink the water... I firmly believe that you should lead them to it.

My hope is in the Lord for my today & my tomorrow... for my children's today & tomorrow.

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Psalm 78:7

Linking October 2013 with The Nesting Place

 for the 31-day Challenge 

Waiting on the Porch

Time seemed to stand still. The days passed like weeks. The nights lingered and offered little rest. Each new morning brought more questions & uncertainty. Even so, in those times of darkness, he knew God was at work. Daily he found himself waiting on the porch, honestly crying out to God and waiting with expectation. He laid out his prayers before the Lord & waited with expectation for the answer to those prayers from the God he knew to be the One True God.

It felt like a life time. And, so often, it appeared to be hopeless. Yet, he waited & watched...

(free stock photo from rgbstock.com)

"And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." Luke 15:20

All of us "churched folk" know the story - the parable told by Jesus of the prodigal son found in the 15th chapter of Luke, verses 11-32. A man had two sons whom he loved dearly. Both brought up in a loving, God-honoring home. Both taught about God of Abraham in word & in deed. And yet... one chose to take another path. 

Do you know someone who's waiting on the porch today? 

How about you? Have you ever been waiting...

• waiting for forgiveness - whether it be from others or yourself
• waiting for someone with whom to spend the rest of your days
• waiting for a relationship to mend
• waiting to find the perfect job or just any job
• waiting for healing to come
• waiting for a lost one to find their way home  

Life has a way of throwing obstacles in our way which we can allow to hinder us from choosing to experience the joy & peace that God offers each of us daily. We can experience this joy & peace daily -- even when we are waiting. I don't think that it's the waiting that bring turmoil. I think it's the waiting without expectation (hope) that breaks us down. 

I'm waiting on the porch today. I'm believing that God is at work & that my waiting is not in vain. I boldly echo the words of the Psalmist:

"Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly." Psalm 5:3

Are YOU waiting on the porch for something today?

Shared with the Ann Voskamp, Holy Experience, community 9/30/2013...

Where Can They Go?

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there Your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.
Psalm 139
photo by Tom Getz

My children can't accurately be called children.  They're young adults.  I've loved them to the moon & back.  And, I've taught them about my love for the Lord & his children.  But, will they choose to embrace the things I hold so dear?  I've been looking at my "love" in comparison to the love of God. 

We're promised in Romans 8:38, "... NOTHING can separate us from the love of God." Nothing is a pretty big deal. It really leaves out NOTHING :) 

We are assured in Psalm 103:8, "The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love." Unfailing love - unable, no matter the circumstances or the choices made by someone, to fail??

But, what if we don't want God's love or someone dear doesn't want God's love OR our love? True love doesn't come with strings. It's freely given. Love isn't contained by boundaries or diminished by someone's refusal to accept it!

David asked God in Psalm 139:7-10, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me." 

God's love GOES with us - even when we don't want it... when we are hiding from it. Even there God's hand is upon us & leading us. That's the kind of love I want to have. God is love & He is unfailing, ever-present & never discouraged.

Psalm 139 is a great reminder that God will never leave us. But, it's also a great reminder that God promises to not let ANYTHING separate any of His children from His love - not even their choices.

(shared 9/4/12 with the Ann Voskamp One Thousand Gifts community)