The Reward for Surviving Rough Seas

The Reward for Surviving Rough Seas
We are all like sea shells tossed about in rough waters and being re-shaped in wondrous ways. But have you ever contemplated the notion that sea shells have to complete their journey through the rough waters before they get to rest on the shore? Yeah, we are ALL like sea shells and Heaven is The Great Shore.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

In the Family



Greetings Everybody,
It's Sunday morning, and here I sit again, contemplating God.
I really enjoy contemplating God...probably can't explain it to anybody else, but there is just something peaceful and right about my daily morning prayer time with Him.  


However, my prayer time is done for the morning, and now I'd like to catch you guys up with what's been going on since my last post.


Let's just say that this week has been a busy one.


On Tuesday our new granddaughter was born...and as you might imagine, there has been quite a bit of flurry going on.


We got to babysit our grandson some during our daughter's hospitalization, and that was really nice too.


BTW, it is really special to watch this 11 month old child interact with his new baby sister. 


He toddles up to her, and pats her...and then extends his pointer finger and touches the tip of her tiny nose...and giggles.  And then he is off on his next adventure as he toddles around the house.


He is so very gentle with her.  


None of us were sure how he was going to respond to this "interloper in his mothers arms" lol...but he has shown no jealousy or resentment whatsoever.


In Fact...he is particularly tender with her.


It's almost as if he knows she is fragile and that he needs to be careful with her.


And we are all grateful for that. 
We know not to assume that he will always be this way, but at the present it is very sweet to watch him interact with her.


The Grandmother-In-Me thinks that it is pretty cool to know that as he grows up, she will be written so smoothly into the memories of his own childhood that he will probably never remember life WITHOUT her.
And that she will have no memory of life without him either.


For the rest of their lives, they will be bonded and fused as Family.
They will be Significantly, Sufficiently, and most Assuredly Bonded & Fused as Family.


And there you have it...
Security.


We all want security
We all want safety
We all want to know that we are loved.


And my Grandson and Granddaughter will grow up like that.


They have their parents and they have each other and they have grandparents and aunts and uncles.


God, made this incredible support system for little babies  called The Family.


And when that support system is in place, and God is at the center of those families, Families are Powerful.


Families are The Most Impressive TASK FORCE ever assembled.


The God Centered Strong Family Unit wages a daily battle against, drugs, gangs, violence, and evil.


And God Centered Strong The Family Unit wages this war with unquenchable love, courage, discipline, encouragement, strength, stamina, diligence, determination and a whole lot of prayer.


And that God Centered Strong Family Unit has a very impressive win/loss ratio in these daily battles.


God, thank you for Families.


Thank you for the Mommy's and Daddy's who lovingly hold strong to your ways.


Thank you for Grandparents who do the same.


Thank you for this system.


Thank you for solid marriages that stand the test of time.


Thank you for commitment to those wedding vows.


Thank you for fidelity, and loyalty, and strength.


Thank you for the Fun of the Family Table, where we eat and laugh and share acceptance and tell stories.


Thank you for the Unity Created and the Sense of Belonging found at our Family Table.


God, this Family thing is such an Impressive Force For Good.


Father, as I contemplate YOU this morning, I have been granted a tiny insight as to the wisdom with which you designed us the way you did.


You created us to need each other.


We don't lay eggs like turtles.


Instead, YOU bring human life into this world in small numbers...and you give us helpless babies who require constant love & attention...and you help us to bond with them.


We are special like that.


We are made in the image of YOU.
"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26


And if we are made in the image of YOU, and we are made with the need of our Parents loving care and attention...then God, I understand why I am so drawn to my time with YOU.


YOU are my Heavenly Father.
And I am part of YOUR Family.


YOU Help me. 
YOU Feed My Soul. 
YOU Make Me Strong.


In my morning prayer times...YOU hold me, and YOU feed me and YOU cause me to feel secure.


This is when YOU reassure me that I am
Significantly, Sufficiently, and most Assuredly Bonded & Fused into YOUR Family.

Scripture says that when I put on Christ in baptism, I become a member of the family of God and an heir of your blessings...right along with Jesus Christ.

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8: 16-17


I am part of YOUR Family.

And there you have it...
Security.

We all want security
We all want safety
We all want to know that we are loved.

I rejoice in the knowledge that my Grandson and Granddaughter will grow up like that because of their Earthly Family.


And I pray that, when they are older that they will Come to Christ, be baptized, and then be Adopted into the Family of Faith.


And in The Family of Faith, you grow for the rest of your life.

Yes, even though I am in my 50's, I am still growing in the Family of Faith.

I grow each morning during in prayer time with God.

And I grow more bonded and more secure in The Family of Faith, every time I attend worship services with my other Brothers & Sisters in Christ.

I am most certainly still growing in the Family of Faith.

And I crave to be bonded and fused more every day to YOU my Heavenly Father.


My hearts desire is to be Significantly, Sufficiently, and most Assuredly Bonded & Fused into YOUR Family Forever....AMEN!

In Him,
Grace

5 comments:

Christine said...

Your grandchildren will call you blessed.
They will grow up knowing that they are loved and cared for. Security!


How is the job change? Are you going to take the position?

Grace said...

Dear Christine,
Thank you for those words.
And thank you for asking about the position in the Christian School.

The SHORT answer is: NO.
I was not hired by them.

The LONGER answer uses a whole lot more time and energy to explain, but the end result is still NO.

-There was no drama.
-I was treated with great courtesy and respect.
-But it seems that God has not released me from the Mission Work of Public School yet.
-To the best of my knowledge I will still be teaching at the high school level.
-He uses me there.
-And I am honored to be used by the King.

I didn't shed 1 single tear over the outcome of the application process.
It was put into God's Hands all along...and lol...I have EVERY reason to believe that He Knows What He Is Doing.

No repressed feelings of sadness...just trust in Him.

It was actually pretty cool to experience that :)

Anyway, thanks again for your comment and your question.

How are things going with YOU?

In Him,
Grace

Christine said...

Storms are brewing and I need to cling to God's words even more.
I keep repeating James 1:12 over and over.

But I understand what you mean when you said that you had "no repressed feelings of sadness...just trust in Him". And that it was exciting!

On my knees. And excited to see what God has for me.

Grace said...

Christine,
Working on a post for you. Will probably have it ready tomorrow at some point. I am on my iPad right now, and my PC is Much easier to work with when it comes blogging.

Normally I don't prepare things in advance...the entries just come to me as I am writing them. But tonight several scriptures came to mind and I have set them aside to marinate overnight.

Tomorrow morning, after my prayer time, I will see where God leads me with these scriptures and I suspect that He will showme how to lace together a message of comfort and strength for you.

I the meanwhile, be comforted that you are not the only one who is in prayer about your life. Somewhere in Texas, you have a Sister in Christ who is praying for you too.

In Him,
Grace

Rebecca Nelson said...

I share some sweet news about my granddaughter today and her momma. I hope you'll find some time to read it and celebrate with me answered prayer.

Congrats on your newest bundle of GRANDJOY! :) Nothing in the world like it.

Blessings~Rebecca