All week I’ve felt like I was missing something. You know that feeling when you’re looking around wondering what you’ve left behind, or you check your calendar multiple times in one day just to be sure you haven’t forgotten a meeting or an appointment? That is how I’ve felt all week…like I’m supposed to be somewhere or doing something, and that I’ve undoubtedly dropped one of the many plates I’m usually spinning. No amount of worrying this week ever brought to mind what that ‘forgotten’ or ‘missing’ thing was, so I gave up.
Then…like a bolt this afternoon, it hit me. I wonder if there is such a thing as excitement deficit disorder. Yep…I think there is, and I think I have it. I experienced a lot of excitement over the last 7-10 days, all of which is over now.
Easter Sunday has come and gone. My son’s high school soccer team was crowned Area Champs after beating our most staunch (I would say hated but I’m a Christian) competitors, and a little dinner party I had planned is now over. After spending almost two weeks on edge with all I had to do, I think I have an excitement deficit; I’m diagnosing myself with EDD.
In an effort to make this relevant for those of you reading this blog, stay with me here…
Jesus has been crucified and buried. It seems the end has come. We know it’s not because we sit this side of the resurrection, but “they” didn’t know that…yet. For three heart wrenching days, the promise of Jesus being Who He claimed to be seems nothing more than futile hope. The excitement that surrounded encountering the Messiah has died (literally) at Golgotha.
I joke about EDD in my own life, and certainly cannot compare having a less than busy schedule to the crucifixion, but can you imagine - even for a moment- that Jesus’ followers must have felt a letdown of excitement.
What is so incredible is that the real excitement was still to come. Jesus’ Resurrection- for lack of a better word- resurrected excitement. He overcame sin, death, and the grave. He was and is alive! I’m not sure you could find anything in this world that would get your heart pumping more than going to someone’s grave and finding them not just gone, but standing in the garden talking to you.
Living this life is a series of exciting times, followed by (and sometimes very welcome) periods of a lull in the action. I wonder – in my EDD state- if I let down my guard and actually miss the still very real excitement that comes with living a life of following Jesus. I wonder if I, like I imagine Jesus’ followers did, miss the clues about what is to come because I’m stuck on what I’ve lost.
I’m sure there is a lesson for me…for our kids…for all of us in there somewhere. EDD or not, we live on this side of the Resurrection, and that is more than exciting, it’s the promise of abundant life!
This Week’s Announcements:
Don’t forget that this weekend is a BIG weekend on the Square! Because of Taste of Marietta, we will not have two services on Sunday. We will have ONE service on Saturday at 5pm (to replace our 11am Sunday service), and then ONE on Sunday at 9am. As a rule of thumb (and to help us with numbers)- if you normally attend the 11am service, please come at 5pm on Saturday, and if you normally attend 9am, please come at your usual time.
What God is Teaching Us:
Click on the links below to view our lessons from Easter Sunday
This link is no longer available
Funny Things Kids Do and Say…
Nothing came to mind this week for this section, but stay tuned. With Mother’s Day looming, we’re about to ask kids questions about their moms, and that will be funny!
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
As moms, there are times when we want to fix things for our children. Who are we kidding…there aren’t “times” – there is always. Since I’m a mom, I can’t speak to how dads feel, but I imagine they feel this way too. I’ll rephrase to include dads…as parents, there are times when we want to fix things for our children.
When we take on the role of parent our lives as we knew them change in ways we only heard or read about in books. One of those many changes is our capacity to see the future. You know it’s true. Your kid is running with something sharp, and you immediately know a fall is in his/her future. Your child is playing with grandma’s pearls and you don’t need a crystal ball to tell you that you will soon be on your hands and knees trying to find all the scattered beads that are running all over the floor. Parents can tell the future.
I think it is the moments of “revelation” (we’ll call them) that help and hurt us as parents- or at the very least induce anxiety. There is wisdom in revelation of course. We intuitively know that anytime a two year old is running with something sharp will not turn out well. That kind of future-telling/revelation - or just good common sense - is helpful. But because we have so many “I knew it” moments early on, we may fall into the trap of thinking we can not only tell the future, but control it.
As a mom of much older children than most of you reading this blog, I have experienced this firsthand. My youngest is in the process of visiting colleges and trying to “figure it out” when it comes to what is next after high school. We’ve had a lot of starts and stops as he’s made his way through his junior year. In my attempt to ‘tell the future’…okay, control the future, I’ve given advice, ultimatums, consequences, encouragement, and encouragement disguised as advice, ultimatums, and consequences.
I know what’s best…right? I’m the mom! (I’m sure there’s a t-shirt for that somewhere) Here’s the thing that the Lord has been working on in this momma’s heart…
I can’t see the future, pure and simple. He has purposes and plans for all of us (Ephesians 2:10) which of course includes my son. God’s purposes don’t change, even when we get off track. I can rest in that…I have to rest in that. I have to stop trying to control or even see the future. God holds all things together and that alone gives me the peace I need to be hands-off.
Moms will never stop wanting the best for their kids. We wouldn’t be doing a very good job if we did, but we also have to remember that no matter how well we do, God does it better. My prayer for my children is simple- that they will love and listen to the Lord more than they love and listen to their momma.
One last thought…as we make our way through Holy Week, I wonder how this very simple truth of knowing we cannot change the plans and purposes God has for our kids (we can only slow them down if we get in the way)- must have resonated and broken the heart of Mary. Can you imagine what she was feeling as she saw her son walking to Golgotha carrying a cross? She certainly knew full well where this was going, and I’m sure every part of her wanted to change the future. We know on the other side of her pain, there would be resurrection and eternal joy, but she didn’t know that at the time.
In light of that, it seems really silly for me to worry about how well my son will finish high school and where he will go to college. God’s plans and purposes for us do not change…we may slow them down…we may get off the path or hit a few speed bumps…we may even experience some pain along the way…but ultimately if we’re asking Him to lead, wherever we end up will be good.
Let’s not try to see the future for our kids, but instead trust the One that holds their future in His hands.
(But…I think He’s okay with you getting your toddler off the chair!)
This Week’s Announcements:
Ways you can help:
- This Sunday, April 20th is EASTER! This is the Super Bowl of Sundays, and we can always use extra helping hands. There are three services: 7am, 9am, and 11am. We need help at 9am and 11am. Please contact me at penny@stonebridgemarietta.org if you would like to know more about this opportunity to serve.
What God is Teaching Us:
Click on the links below to view our lessons for the last two Sundays. God is truly preparing our hearts for Easter!
This link is no longer available
Funny Things Kids Do and Say…
One of our toddlers has a new “friend” as she has fallen in love with the teen helper in her room. Her parents told the adult leader that when they woke up and were telling her that it was church day, she excitedly said, "See Andy?!" They were racking their brains trying to remember a 1-2 year old named Andy and couldn't. When they walked into 164 and she saw him, this sweet little girl lit up and pointed, "There's Andy!!" It seems she likes older ‘men’ :)
One of our 4k boys asked if he could borrow the Lego Bible last week. He wanted to take it home and have his dad read it to him. Not to be one to discourage the reading of the Word, I told him that he could indeed borrow it…especially if I could have a hug first. (Yep, I bribe kids for affection) After some time of looking at the Bible very excitedly, he looked up at me and asked, “If I give you more hugs, can I have it forever?!” He gets me.
When we take on the role of parent our lives as we knew them change in ways we only heard or read about in books. One of those many changes is our capacity to see the future. You know it’s true. Your kid is running with something sharp, and you immediately know a fall is in his/her future. Your child is playing with grandma’s pearls and you don’t need a crystal ball to tell you that you will soon be on your hands and knees trying to find all the scattered beads that are running all over the floor. Parents can tell the future.
I think it is the moments of “revelation” (we’ll call them) that help and hurt us as parents- or at the very least induce anxiety. There is wisdom in revelation of course. We intuitively know that anytime a two year old is running with something sharp will not turn out well. That kind of future-telling/revelation - or just good common sense - is helpful. But because we have so many “I knew it” moments early on, we may fall into the trap of thinking we can not only tell the future, but control it.
As a mom of much older children than most of you reading this blog, I have experienced this firsthand. My youngest is in the process of visiting colleges and trying to “figure it out” when it comes to what is next after high school. We’ve had a lot of starts and stops as he’s made his way through his junior year. In my attempt to ‘tell the future’…okay, control the future, I’ve given advice, ultimatums, consequences, encouragement, and encouragement disguised as advice, ultimatums, and consequences.
I know what’s best…right? I’m the mom! (I’m sure there’s a t-shirt for that somewhere) Here’s the thing that the Lord has been working on in this momma’s heart…
I can’t see the future, pure and simple. He has purposes and plans for all of us (Ephesians 2:10) which of course includes my son. God’s purposes don’t change, even when we get off track. I can rest in that…I have to rest in that. I have to stop trying to control or even see the future. God holds all things together and that alone gives me the peace I need to be hands-off.
Moms will never stop wanting the best for their kids. We wouldn’t be doing a very good job if we did, but we also have to remember that no matter how well we do, God does it better. My prayer for my children is simple- that they will love and listen to the Lord more than they love and listen to their momma.
One last thought…as we make our way through Holy Week, I wonder how this very simple truth of knowing we cannot change the plans and purposes God has for our kids (we can only slow them down if we get in the way)- must have resonated and broken the heart of Mary. Can you imagine what she was feeling as she saw her son walking to Golgotha carrying a cross? She certainly knew full well where this was going, and I’m sure every part of her wanted to change the future. We know on the other side of her pain, there would be resurrection and eternal joy, but she didn’t know that at the time.
In light of that, it seems really silly for me to worry about how well my son will finish high school and where he will go to college. God’s plans and purposes for us do not change…we may slow them down…we may get off the path or hit a few speed bumps…we may even experience some pain along the way…but ultimately if we’re asking Him to lead, wherever we end up will be good.
Let’s not try to see the future for our kids, but instead trust the One that holds their future in His hands.
(But…I think He’s okay with you getting your toddler off the chair!)
This Week’s Announcements:
Ways you can help:
- This Sunday, April 20th is EASTER! This is the Super Bowl of Sundays, and we can always use extra helping hands. There are three services: 7am, 9am, and 11am. We need help at 9am and 11am. Please contact me at penny@stonebridgemarietta.org if you would like to know more about this opportunity to serve.
What God is Teaching Us:
Click on the links below to view our lessons for the last two Sundays. God is truly preparing our hearts for Easter!
This link is no longer available
Funny Things Kids Do and Say…
One of our toddlers has a new “friend” as she has fallen in love with the teen helper in her room. Her parents told the adult leader that when they woke up and were telling her that it was church day, she excitedly said, "See Andy?!" They were racking their brains trying to remember a 1-2 year old named Andy and couldn't. When they walked into 164 and she saw him, this sweet little girl lit up and pointed, "There's Andy!!" It seems she likes older ‘men’ :)
One of our 4k boys asked if he could borrow the Lego Bible last week. He wanted to take it home and have his dad read it to him. Not to be one to discourage the reading of the Word, I told him that he could indeed borrow it…especially if I could have a hug first. (Yep, I bribe kids for affection) After some time of looking at the Bible very excitedly, he looked up at me and asked, “If I give you more hugs, can I have it forever?!” He gets me.
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