When You Want to Give Up
In this chapter, I loved the imagery of Peter in the fishing boat. The authors’ emphasized Peter’s reaction came alive for me: ‘All that work for nothing! Wasted effort, wasted time. I should just quit.‘ For sure I’ve had that thought in the last 6 months, and before that too. So far, the only time as a mom that i feel like my efforts are not fruitful is when it comes to the Boy’s sleep habits. They’re terrible – as in none of us get much sleep! Right now he’s too little to really make me feel bad about the pouring in that goes without knowing if it’s making a difference, but I imagine that as the Boy grows up and starts to talk and think and make choices, it will absolutely become more difficult. I’m sure – positive, actually – that there were times when my mother wondered if all she was pouring in was turning to good fruit in us, because we weren’t showing her good.
Delayed fruit. =)
However, I also know it’s not too early to do good by him. I am committed to do my best to make sure that he knows how loved he is, by me, his daddy and family, and by a very big God who thought him up in the first place. Husby and I have a special phrase that we reserve for needed occasions. We say no matter what. I had it engraved on the inside of his wedding ring. Those little words – no matter what – is our promise to each other, and now our promise to The Boy. No matter what, I am committed to him. No matter what kind of personality he has, what kind of trouble he gets into, what his attitude is like… no matter what.
I will never give up on my family, and I will never give up on God’s ability to move in their hearts.
Let’s chat:
- What does ‘God meeting you in your mess’ mean to you?
- Have you ever felt like Peter did after that night of fishing?
- Are you ready to proclain to the world that you will never give up on your family?
-anna
{girl with blog}
{girl with blog}
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Thanks friend! I too didn’t relate to the giving up quite yet… being that Norah’s not doing anything negative at this point! 🙂 I know those days are coming, and I spend time praying that even now God is softening her heart.
God meeting me in my mess currently means that I am real with him. I’m not pretending that things don’t worry me. I’m not afraid to let him know that things frustrate me. Right now our life is fairly simple. It’s busy, but simple. I know it won’t always be this way and I’ll be honest, I need to work at depending on God in my mess everyday.
I was doing a Bible study with some middle school girls on Proverbs 31. There was one verse that really caught my eye. I hadn’t noticed it before, and it goes something like this, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.” I was so struck by this – that a wife of noble character laughs at the days to come. Of all the things that could ever happen to my family, friends, this world, I am called to be a woman who looks at it and “laughs.” That, I need to work on. That is a messy place for me.
I am certainly ready to proclaim that I will never give up on my family. I can’t imagine how it will work, but I desire to cling to God through it all.