I struggle with people applying the Bible to my life. I've heard preachers, workshop leaders and event speakers be very adamant about how God's Word "should" apply to my life. I'm not against the application process; I hope, pray, wish, believe, etc., that God will apply His Word to my life and grow in me thereby. However, the application process in the modern church, as well as modern Bible study, has taken a disturbing turn toward a humanistic trend.
The bottom line is this: God will apply His Own Word to my life in His Own way. We, as teachers of the Word of God, cannot own the results our students have.
Case in point: I once attended a scrapbook and crafting retreat on a weekend in which I was under extreme stress in my personal life. The things on my plate were so overwhelming that I had spent quite a bit of time in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity for me to go to the retreat and praising Him for all the details that had fallen into place to allow me to go. I love to scrapbook and the fact that this was a Christian retreat where the Word of God would be focused on was just bonus to me. Before the first teaching session, I recall sitting at my table, looking out the window and breathing a sigh of relief over the beauty of the lake outside and my opportunity to be there.
Then came the first teaching session. The speaker had chosen to speak about remembering God's Word and His great works in the lives of His children, and the Israelites' reaction of murmuring and being ungrateful. Very little of God's actual Word was used, other than to read the account of the murmurings, then the speaker spent the next 20 minutes telling us how ungrateful we are and how grateful we should be and how we should not be like the Israelite people and that we are not grateful enough in our lives and God is not happy.
Hmmm. Ok. I fully believe the speaker had the best of intentions. You might be thinking, "Hey! Maybe some ungrateful lady in that audience needed to hear that! It's not all about you, Tricia." But, I would disagree that anyone needed to hear that. I would agree that it's not all about me. No one needed to hear this speaker's opinion, but we ALL needed to hear more of God's Word and more about God, Himself.
The speaker made a grave mistake in her presentation: She "owned" the results. She had decided ahead of time what we ladies should learn from her - and from God's Word - and that's what she presented. She fueled her talk on the expected results - results that were extremely humanistic and filled with anti-Biblical concepts. I was incredibly discouraged as we went back to our work tables and I was quiet, which is rare for me. I didn't get peace until I spent time in God's Word back in my room, focusing on His attributes. But, I was still disturbed because of all the other ladies who had just been put through that.
I fully understand the lean toward results. Our schools are built on results. I approach my home school with a results-oriented focus. I approached Kindergarten with the expected result that my children would learn to read and I tailored their studies to that goal. As they get older, I approach each year with results in mind. But, that is academic and academic goals are necessary to academic success.
God's Word cannot be approached purely academically. There are times when we can teach it from an academic standpoint. For example, memorizing the books of the Bible is an academic goal, reading through the Bible in a year is an academic goal, most word studies are academic goals. But, preaching and teaching the Word of God to an audience is different. It's not academic.
God, Himself, describes His Word using food examples. He calls His Word the "sincere milk of the Word, " (Hebrews) and "meat," (Hebrews). Now, just think about that for a minute. When we consume milk and/or meat, we do not have a talk with that milk or meat and tell it what to do. Nor do we talk to a body part and tell it how to absorb that milk or meat. We do not say, as we eat our meat, "Meat, my arms are feeling especially tired today, would you please direct yourself to them?" or "I'm having a bad hair day, milk, so would you please direct yourself to my hair?" Nor do we say, "Hair, I'm going to drink some milk, so take this milk and shine up with it! Stop being so dull and difficult to manage!" or "Arms! Get stronger as I eat this meat! Take this meat and apply it to yourselves and strengthen yourself with it!"
How ridiculous! We do not do that! We cannot even do that! But, that is exactly what someone is trying to do when they attempt to apply God's Word to another person's life. The result does not pan out as they expect, frustration ensues and the person whom the expectations is thrust onto is left feeling worse than before, and much like a failure.
The great thing about the Word of God is that we do not have to direct It in any way. God knows the hearts of the listeners, hearers, readers of His Word and He will see to it that His Word accomplishes what he sends It to accomplish! What a relief for any Bible teacher or preacher! The results are not ours to own.
So, how do we present God's Word without a results-oriented plan? Just give the Word. Just like a mom gives her baby milk. She knows the milk will cause her baby to grow without her directing it and telling it what to do. It will fuel that baby and the baby will grow. The same is true for God's Word. Give the Word, not your opinions of the Word. Give the Word, not what you think the person listening should do, think, say or feel. Just give the Word. It is enough all by Itself. God owns the results and they will always astound!
More on this to come.
~Tricia
Showing posts with label theology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theology. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Humble Pie
It's been a while since I blogged. I've been rather overwhelmed and chowing down on some humble pie. Eating humble pie takes time, energy and lots of patience. It started out innocent enough and even fun. We were taking our new boat out on our favorite lake for the 1st time and I wanted everything to be just right. We were not going to get a chance to go boating again for a while, so I wanted this day to be perfect. And it was, truly. I was a good girl and used sunscreen on my face, neck and exposed arms, packed a few drinks and some chocolate, donned my favorite sunglasses and we were off!
The weather was slightly cool, but the sun felt good. The lake was a little choppy, but we just took it a little slower than we might otherwise. Our boat performed perfectly! She floats. She powers up easily. She's easy to get in and out of the water and we had a wonderful day.
The next day, Sunday, I woke up and got ready for church and while sitting in my Sunday School class, my face felt a little itchy. Then, my arms starting itching a little. Just a little. No big deal; I'd been out in the sun all afternoon, of course I'm going to itch a little. Not a big deal at all.
That Sunday afternoon, we left for a 12-hour drive to Denver for a conference. We and our 2 youngest sons. We drove to Lincoln, NE that first night and it was enough driving. We got to our hotel in a blinding thunderstorm and were glad to make it safely that far. We checked in and got ready to go swimming in the hotel pool. And every once in a while, I lightly scratched my face, then my arms, then my neck. No big deal.
The next morning, I woke up and my face felt like it was on fire! My arms and neck were itching out of control and I was in a lot of pain. I realized what was going on; I was having an allergic reaction to the sunscreen. One look in the mirror confirmed my worst fear - my face was swollen, red and starting to get tiny bumps all over it. The bumps were starting to form on my neck as well. And, my arms itched like crazy.
A quick stop at Walmart to get some anti-itch gel and some allergy medicine and we were on the road to Denver again. I was, however, becoming quite miserable. The gel didn't provide the level of relief that pharmacist had thought.
But, we made it to Denver, got checked in, had dinner with our oldest son (who was working the conference and got there ahead of us) and the first session of the conference began. I did learn a lot at that first session; preaching from the Book of Acts, but I was miserable and my face hurt and I was swollen like a blowfish. My face felt tight. My arms were starting to break out in tiny bumps, and they itched and they burned and the bumps that were all over my face were spreading down my neck.
At this conference, we see friends that we only see this one time a year. Humble pie; I looked pretty awful. People kept asking me if I'd been sunburned. I had to explain over and over again what was going on.
Tuesday afternoon, the boys and I had some free time, so I took them to the hotel pool. I sat reading my Kindle while they swam and I was getting more and more miserable and my neck was starting to form welts and my face felt like it was on fire. A friend spotted me and came over. She wondered how I was and I started to cry softly. I was so, so miserable. She said I needed Benadryl; that the allergy meds I was taking weren't working. Her husband saw me after a while & he's an EMT. He took one look at me and didn't like what he saw. Humble pie. I took the Benadryl & waited a while. It didn't help. The EMT thought I needed to see a doctor. I don't have a doctor in Denver. But, I was getting nervous since this reaction was spreading.
Another friend, a nurse, later said she thought I should see the conference doctor. The conference has a doctor? I'm there! By this time, it was 7:00 PM on Tuesday night and I had gone beyond miserable. The pain was intense; my face felt like it was on fire and the welts on my neck were bigger than ever, a few oozing lightly. I was in trouble.
The conference doctor didn't have to take a very long look at me; he said had I not come to see him, I would be calling 911 by midnight, unable to breathe. The welts were growing so rapidly that he feared they were also growing on the inside of my neck and could compromise my breathing. He quickly called a pharmacy and prescribed a steroid that should quickly knock it out of me. And he told me never to use sunscreen again.
The medicine worked. By the next morning, while I still had bumps all over my face and it was red, the swelling had gone down, the welts had shrunk and I was no longer feeling like I was on fire. By Wednesday night, I was no longer in pain, but I remained red for a long while.
So, I ate humble pie. I was embarrassed by how I looked, especially since I only see most of the people at the conference once a year.
How does my theology play into this? I was awestruck by the compassion of my friends in Denver. Everyone I saw was so sorry this had happened to me. No one told me I looked awful. When I needed help, help was more than ready and everyone wanted me to be better and felt bad at the timing of that reaction. So, my theology played itself out in the form of gratitude. I am so very, very blessed to have people in my life who genuinely care about me and want what's best for me.
So, a little humble pie never hurts. If you ever have to eat it, you might just find out who really cares for you. A hearty THANK YOU to all in Denver who came to my aid!
A very fresh-faced....
~Tricia
The weather was slightly cool, but the sun felt good. The lake was a little choppy, but we just took it a little slower than we might otherwise. Our boat performed perfectly! She floats. She powers up easily. She's easy to get in and out of the water and we had a wonderful day.
The next day, Sunday, I woke up and got ready for church and while sitting in my Sunday School class, my face felt a little itchy. Then, my arms starting itching a little. Just a little. No big deal; I'd been out in the sun all afternoon, of course I'm going to itch a little. Not a big deal at all.
That Sunday afternoon, we left for a 12-hour drive to Denver for a conference. We and our 2 youngest sons. We drove to Lincoln, NE that first night and it was enough driving. We got to our hotel in a blinding thunderstorm and were glad to make it safely that far. We checked in and got ready to go swimming in the hotel pool. And every once in a while, I lightly scratched my face, then my arms, then my neck. No big deal.
The next morning, I woke up and my face felt like it was on fire! My arms and neck were itching out of control and I was in a lot of pain. I realized what was going on; I was having an allergic reaction to the sunscreen. One look in the mirror confirmed my worst fear - my face was swollen, red and starting to get tiny bumps all over it. The bumps were starting to form on my neck as well. And, my arms itched like crazy.
A quick stop at Walmart to get some anti-itch gel and some allergy medicine and we were on the road to Denver again. I was, however, becoming quite miserable. The gel didn't provide the level of relief that pharmacist had thought.
But, we made it to Denver, got checked in, had dinner with our oldest son (who was working the conference and got there ahead of us) and the first session of the conference began. I did learn a lot at that first session; preaching from the Book of Acts, but I was miserable and my face hurt and I was swollen like a blowfish. My face felt tight. My arms were starting to break out in tiny bumps, and they itched and they burned and the bumps that were all over my face were spreading down my neck.
At this conference, we see friends that we only see this one time a year. Humble pie; I looked pretty awful. People kept asking me if I'd been sunburned. I had to explain over and over again what was going on.
Tuesday afternoon, the boys and I had some free time, so I took them to the hotel pool. I sat reading my Kindle while they swam and I was getting more and more miserable and my neck was starting to form welts and my face felt like it was on fire. A friend spotted me and came over. She wondered how I was and I started to cry softly. I was so, so miserable. She said I needed Benadryl; that the allergy meds I was taking weren't working. Her husband saw me after a while & he's an EMT. He took one look at me and didn't like what he saw. Humble pie. I took the Benadryl & waited a while. It didn't help. The EMT thought I needed to see a doctor. I don't have a doctor in Denver. But, I was getting nervous since this reaction was spreading.
Another friend, a nurse, later said she thought I should see the conference doctor. The conference has a doctor? I'm there! By this time, it was 7:00 PM on Tuesday night and I had gone beyond miserable. The pain was intense; my face felt like it was on fire and the welts on my neck were bigger than ever, a few oozing lightly. I was in trouble.
The conference doctor didn't have to take a very long look at me; he said had I not come to see him, I would be calling 911 by midnight, unable to breathe. The welts were growing so rapidly that he feared they were also growing on the inside of my neck and could compromise my breathing. He quickly called a pharmacy and prescribed a steroid that should quickly knock it out of me. And he told me never to use sunscreen again.
The medicine worked. By the next morning, while I still had bumps all over my face and it was red, the swelling had gone down, the welts had shrunk and I was no longer feeling like I was on fire. By Wednesday night, I was no longer in pain, but I remained red for a long while.
So, I ate humble pie. I was embarrassed by how I looked, especially since I only see most of the people at the conference once a year.
How does my theology play into this? I was awestruck by the compassion of my friends in Denver. Everyone I saw was so sorry this had happened to me. No one told me I looked awful. When I needed help, help was more than ready and everyone wanted me to be better and felt bad at the timing of that reaction. So, my theology played itself out in the form of gratitude. I am so very, very blessed to have people in my life who genuinely care about me and want what's best for me.
So, a little humble pie never hurts. If you ever have to eat it, you might just find out who really cares for you. A hearty THANK YOU to all in Denver who came to my aid!
A very fresh-faced....
~Tricia
Thursday, June 23, 2011
It's Over and No Regrets
My oldest daughter moved in with us 6 months ago with her 5-year-old son. They planned to live with us while his daddy was deployed to Afghanistan with the USMC. It's not an easy thing to have a grown child move into a household with a child of her own. I was determined to have no regrets during the time they were here.
It seems unlikely that there would be any trouble, at least practically speaking, but I knew there would be major adjustments - and there were. Moving a 5-year-old into a household with three other kids, all teenagers, is challenging to say the least. While my daughter worked full time, I was my grandson's primary care-giver. He fell into our plans, was included in what we did and tagged along, ate dinner and ran errands along with the rest of us. This presents challenges because a 5-year-old is not so independent as a teenager. So, the other kids were either waiting for me to secure him in a car seat, or assisting with that themselves. Or, they waited for their supper while he washed his hands because he forgot (that's what 5-year-olds do).
The list of opportunities to react badly to any given situation during this time was long. But, my theology kept me balanced. I knew my 3 youngest kids were watching me; I knew they could easily copy my behavior and take cues from me on how to treat their young nephew. Many days, my decisions to do right were very intentional and targeted, given the situation. I knew that I would regret doing the wrong thing; I had to choose to do the right thing, and I did. I knew I represented all I had tried to teach my kids about God's love and I had to represent it well.
I can't take any credit, however. It is God Who works in me to do what He will. It's His Word that strengthened me each day to face and deal with its challenges. I praise Him that I have no regrets. I hope that my young grandson will think of this time in his life, when I was caring for him, and think of me as kind. Firm, but kind.
And thus ends a brief chapter in the growth of my ever-changing family. Praise God for His goodness!
~Tricia
It seems unlikely that there would be any trouble, at least practically speaking, but I knew there would be major adjustments - and there were. Moving a 5-year-old into a household with three other kids, all teenagers, is challenging to say the least. While my daughter worked full time, I was my grandson's primary care-giver. He fell into our plans, was included in what we did and tagged along, ate dinner and ran errands along with the rest of us. This presents challenges because a 5-year-old is not so independent as a teenager. So, the other kids were either waiting for me to secure him in a car seat, or assisting with that themselves. Or, they waited for their supper while he washed his hands because he forgot (that's what 5-year-olds do).
The list of opportunities to react badly to any given situation during this time was long. But, my theology kept me balanced. I knew my 3 youngest kids were watching me; I knew they could easily copy my behavior and take cues from me on how to treat their young nephew. Many days, my decisions to do right were very intentional and targeted, given the situation. I knew that I would regret doing the wrong thing; I had to choose to do the right thing, and I did. I knew I represented all I had tried to teach my kids about God's love and I had to represent it well.
I can't take any credit, however. It is God Who works in me to do what He will. It's His Word that strengthened me each day to face and deal with its challenges. I praise Him that I have no regrets. I hope that my young grandson will think of this time in his life, when I was caring for him, and think of me as kind. Firm, but kind.
And thus ends a brief chapter in the growth of my ever-changing family. Praise God for His goodness!
~Tricia
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Mentioning Jesus/Giving the Gospel
Mentioning Jesus at the end of a funeral message is not the same as giving the Gospel at a funeral. Just so you know.
My husband attended the funeral of one of our members this week. Even though the person was a member of our church, my husband did not preach the funeral. We have no idea why he wasn't invited to do just that; it's normally a given with a sitting pastor. But, another man preached the funeral and my husband attended. And this other preacher did not give the Gospel message - not even once - during his message. He mentioned Jesus at the end of his message, but that is not the same as giving the Gospel message.
My husband is troubled. His burden - as ANY pastor's burden - is to lead his flock in light of the Gospel at all times. A funeral is always attended by those who do not know the Savior and they need the Gospel. Not only so they can know Him, but the Gospel eases the pain of their hearts at a time of utter human sorrow. My husband always preaches the Gospel at every funeral, without fail. He has preached literally to thousands through funerals over his 29 years in the ministry and he has given the Gospel at every single one of the funerals he's preached.
So, the saddest part of the day is not the fact that this family laid their loved one to eternal rest. She's in Glory with her Savior. The saddest part of the day is that NOT ONE person heard the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at her funeral. So, so very, very sad.
Where does my theology come into this? A deeper resolve to do the right thing no matter what. A deeper respect for my husband for going to show respect for that member, even though it was humiliating to be ignored. A firmer decision to live out the Gospel even in light of those who ignore it.
~Tricia
My husband attended the funeral of one of our members this week. Even though the person was a member of our church, my husband did not preach the funeral. We have no idea why he wasn't invited to do just that; it's normally a given with a sitting pastor. But, another man preached the funeral and my husband attended. And this other preacher did not give the Gospel message - not even once - during his message. He mentioned Jesus at the end of his message, but that is not the same as giving the Gospel message.
My husband is troubled. His burden - as ANY pastor's burden - is to lead his flock in light of the Gospel at all times. A funeral is always attended by those who do not know the Savior and they need the Gospel. Not only so they can know Him, but the Gospel eases the pain of their hearts at a time of utter human sorrow. My husband always preaches the Gospel at every funeral, without fail. He has preached literally to thousands through funerals over his 29 years in the ministry and he has given the Gospel at every single one of the funerals he's preached.
So, the saddest part of the day is not the fact that this family laid their loved one to eternal rest. She's in Glory with her Savior. The saddest part of the day is that NOT ONE person heard the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at her funeral. So, so very, very sad.
Where does my theology come into this? A deeper resolve to do the right thing no matter what. A deeper respect for my husband for going to show respect for that member, even though it was humiliating to be ignored. A firmer decision to live out the Gospel even in light of those who ignore it.
~Tricia
Monday, April 4, 2011
This & That
We are surviving the "living in" arrangement with our daughter and her little boy. It has not been easy. The main thing I've lost - everyone has lost - is privacy. Our new master suite helps with that - for me - but I don't have much time to spend there.
One thing I have NOT lost is my temper. I am my grandson's primary caregiver as his mother is working full-time. He's active and precocious, but a pleasure once he follows the rules. My daughter has different rules, a more relaxed approach, whereas my approach is firm and sure, something he had to get used to.
Oddly enough, he doesn't cross me; he sighs once in a while at my rules, but he has yet to actually defy me or cross me. He obeys well enough and he's happier overall when he does.
My theology has played into this a great deal. When things are hard, and they get hard, I'm reminded from His Word that He has allowed the hardness for a reason; that He has promised to see me through anything and that knowing that - even when I can't see it in action - helps.
Is that not true for all of life? He has promised; that is enough. If I can't see His promises at work, it's no matter because He promised and He cannot lie. So, the promise rings more loudly than my hardship and doubt. My relationships stay more connected and less tension-filled because my theology rules them as well as my response to them. Theology. It sees me through each day/trial/mood/happening. And I am so very thankful!
~Tricia
One thing I have NOT lost is my temper. I am my grandson's primary caregiver as his mother is working full-time. He's active and precocious, but a pleasure once he follows the rules. My daughter has different rules, a more relaxed approach, whereas my approach is firm and sure, something he had to get used to.
Oddly enough, he doesn't cross me; he sighs once in a while at my rules, but he has yet to actually defy me or cross me. He obeys well enough and he's happier overall when he does.
My theology has played into this a great deal. When things are hard, and they get hard, I'm reminded from His Word that He has allowed the hardness for a reason; that He has promised to see me through anything and that knowing that - even when I can't see it in action - helps.
Is that not true for all of life? He has promised; that is enough. If I can't see His promises at work, it's no matter because He promised and He cannot lie. So, the promise rings more loudly than my hardship and doubt. My relationships stay more connected and less tension-filled because my theology rules them as well as my response to them. Theology. It sees me through each day/trial/mood/happening. And I am so very thankful!
~Tricia
Friday, January 7, 2011
Perspective!
We all need a new and different perspective on things from time to time. Today, I got myself a new perspective. I've always been interested in business planning. I have run up to 5 home-based businesses at one time and love the business planning aspect of business. I do not like the mundane of business, so my husband nearly always handles the books when it comes to our joint businesses or my private businesses. Now, don't get me wrong. I am interested in business planning, not corporate business. Right out of college, I worked in a small business office and it was ok work, but I didn't like the mundane tasks that had to be done over and over again each week. I also worked a corporate job for a few months just a couple of years ago and I found the mundane parts of it nearly intolerable. After all, I've been "free-lancing" for 28 years as a stay-at-home mom who can basically run my own schedule.
My interest in business planning led me to click on a news link that was about the weirdest questions asked during job interviews. These were real questions taken from real-life situations and they were beyond interesting to me. One interviewer asked, "If you were shrunk down to the size of a pencil and stuck in a blender, how would you get out?" Another was, "How do you weigh an elephant without a weighing machine?" I would love to be in a position to answer either one of those questions in competition for a real job!
As I thought about all the questions, there were 10 total, I began to think about business and money. After all, isn't money the ultimate business goal? The questions prompted me to think about how these businesses, in their quest to hire only the best, had become incredibly creative in their interview processes. I think this is great. When it comes to money, it doesn't look like I have much. My bank accounts are low, my retirement plan went up in smoke and I have not been able to replace that, and my prospects look less than promising for a glowing financial future.
Yet, I calculated what I have earned and spent over the past 28 years and I realized that I am a multi-millionaire - literally! I'm not talking about the emotional or spiritual value of raising kids and how that is worth far more than any bank account. I'm talking about real, grass-roots money that I have spent over the past 28 years in the raising of these kids.
FYI - we have 8 children. The government estimates that it costs roughly $215,500.00 to raise one child to age 18, not including college. Ok, let's be a little more conservative. Let's say I spent only $200,000.00 on each child. With 8 kids, taking them at their current ages, that adds up to more than $2M. So, according to government calculations, I have spent over $2M raising these kids over the past 28 years (the age of my oldest). No wonder I never feel out of place in a room full of wealthy people! I'm one of them!
It must be what we do with all that money that makes a difference. I used it to give 8 children life, love, security, discipline, responsibility, education, values, ambition, and drive, not to mention the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, while my accounts remain low, my satisfaction is high because I have been given the privilege of raising children, the best job on earth....and the only one that I pay to do instead of get paid to do!
The Scriptures tell us that "The love of money is the root of all evil," and, of course, we all know that to be Truth. It takes money to raise kids, it takes money to live in this world. I don't love money, butI have no animosity toward anyone who has lots of money. Apparently, I had lots of money and gave it all away to people I gave birth to.
Hmmm. What does my theology have to do with this? Well, today, I was discussing pretty laundry rooms with a friend of mine. That discussion stemmed from me seeing pictures of Martha Stewart's laundry room, well one of them, anyway, at her Maine estate. I commented how pretty it was and my friend talked about how happy retailers were with her, and with all women, because we like pretty laundry rooms and such. He's right, retailers are happy when we spend and many of them probably love money. But, money issues don't bother me because, apparently, I'm a millionaire! Besides, you can get a pretty laundry room with lots of creativity and very little money. My theology says God will provide, and He always has. My new perspective shows that He provided much, much more, even materially, than I ever realized!
But, even if He hadn't blessed me so much, He would still be good - all the time.
~Tricia
My interest in business planning led me to click on a news link that was about the weirdest questions asked during job interviews. These were real questions taken from real-life situations and they were beyond interesting to me. One interviewer asked, "If you were shrunk down to the size of a pencil and stuck in a blender, how would you get out?" Another was, "How do you weigh an elephant without a weighing machine?" I would love to be in a position to answer either one of those questions in competition for a real job!
As I thought about all the questions, there were 10 total, I began to think about business and money. After all, isn't money the ultimate business goal? The questions prompted me to think about how these businesses, in their quest to hire only the best, had become incredibly creative in their interview processes. I think this is great. When it comes to money, it doesn't look like I have much. My bank accounts are low, my retirement plan went up in smoke and I have not been able to replace that, and my prospects look less than promising for a glowing financial future.
Yet, I calculated what I have earned and spent over the past 28 years and I realized that I am a multi-millionaire - literally! I'm not talking about the emotional or spiritual value of raising kids and how that is worth far more than any bank account. I'm talking about real, grass-roots money that I have spent over the past 28 years in the raising of these kids.
FYI - we have 8 children. The government estimates that it costs roughly $215,500.00 to raise one child to age 18, not including college. Ok, let's be a little more conservative. Let's say I spent only $200,000.00 on each child. With 8 kids, taking them at their current ages, that adds up to more than $2M. So, according to government calculations, I have spent over $2M raising these kids over the past 28 years (the age of my oldest). No wonder I never feel out of place in a room full of wealthy people! I'm one of them!
It must be what we do with all that money that makes a difference. I used it to give 8 children life, love, security, discipline, responsibility, education, values, ambition, and drive, not to mention the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, while my accounts remain low, my satisfaction is high because I have been given the privilege of raising children, the best job on earth....and the only one that I pay to do instead of get paid to do!
The Scriptures tell us that "The love of money is the root of all evil," and, of course, we all know that to be Truth. It takes money to raise kids, it takes money to live in this world. I don't love money, butI have no animosity toward anyone who has lots of money. Apparently, I had lots of money and gave it all away to people I gave birth to.
Hmmm. What does my theology have to do with this? Well, today, I was discussing pretty laundry rooms with a friend of mine. That discussion stemmed from me seeing pictures of Martha Stewart's laundry room, well one of them, anyway, at her Maine estate. I commented how pretty it was and my friend talked about how happy retailers were with her, and with all women, because we like pretty laundry rooms and such. He's right, retailers are happy when we spend and many of them probably love money. But, money issues don't bother me because, apparently, I'm a millionaire! Besides, you can get a pretty laundry room with lots of creativity and very little money. My theology says God will provide, and He always has. My new perspective shows that He provided much, much more, even materially, than I ever realized!
But, even if He hadn't blessed me so much, He would still be good - all the time.
~Tricia
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Challenge
The challenge is this: My oldest daughter and her 5-year-old son are living with us while her son's dad is deployed to Afghanistan. I home school my kids and the youngest is 12, so having a 5-year-old in the house is a challenge all by itself. There is extra noise and extra chaos; and this is a lot of extra work on my part - emotional work that I don't feel up to.
How does my theology play into this? In several ways:
1. I must keep my relationship with my daughter as a priority. This means I might have to overlook some inconveniences and allow her to "go first" in the kitchen, etc.
2. I must keep my relationship with my grandson as a priority. This means I have to remember my role and place in his life & not usurp his mom's authority.
3. I must keep school as consistent as possible for my 3 kids who are still in school. This means I can't allow 2 new people in the house to disrupt school any more than is necessary. So, I have to get a little bold & ask my daughter to conduct phone business in her room so as not to disturb the boys' studies in the dining room (which is where we home school). I also must retain discipline in their lives so that they learn to give and sacrifice, too. But, at the same time, my relationship with each of them is also a priority, so I can't sacrifice that and they need to see that they are still a priority even with the added people living here. And I have to accomplish this while making dinner, or folding laundry, or schooling them, because moms do not get to take sabbaticals.
4. First and foremost, I have to keep in mind my objective as a believer in Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, I want to lie down with a clear conscience, knowing that I've done right by my family, to the best of my ability, and also done right in the sight of God.
As I think of my challenge in a theological way, it's easier to bear, although it's still a challenge and very stressful.
Theologically speaking, nothing about God changes when our circumstances change. This realization is representative of how theology influences my life. It's not about ME; it's not about THEM. It's about HIM. The verse which comes to mind on this one is Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever." Praise the Lord, HE never changes. So, I will rest in this: that HE never changes, no matter how much my daily circumstances change. And my main focus, even in all this chaos and uncertainty, will be the Lord Jesus Christ, and not myself, my family or my current challenges. Just Him.
~Tricia~
How does my theology play into this? In several ways:
1. I must keep my relationship with my daughter as a priority. This means I might have to overlook some inconveniences and allow her to "go first" in the kitchen, etc.
2. I must keep my relationship with my grandson as a priority. This means I have to remember my role and place in his life & not usurp his mom's authority.
3. I must keep school as consistent as possible for my 3 kids who are still in school. This means I can't allow 2 new people in the house to disrupt school any more than is necessary. So, I have to get a little bold & ask my daughter to conduct phone business in her room so as not to disturb the boys' studies in the dining room (which is where we home school). I also must retain discipline in their lives so that they learn to give and sacrifice, too. But, at the same time, my relationship with each of them is also a priority, so I can't sacrifice that and they need to see that they are still a priority even with the added people living here. And I have to accomplish this while making dinner, or folding laundry, or schooling them, because moms do not get to take sabbaticals.
4. First and foremost, I have to keep in mind my objective as a believer in Jesus Christ. At the end of the day, I want to lie down with a clear conscience, knowing that I've done right by my family, to the best of my ability, and also done right in the sight of God.
As I think of my challenge in a theological way, it's easier to bear, although it's still a challenge and very stressful.
Theologically speaking, nothing about God changes when our circumstances change. This realization is representative of how theology influences my life. It's not about ME; it's not about THEM. It's about HIM. The verse which comes to mind on this one is Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever." Praise the Lord, HE never changes. So, I will rest in this: that HE never changes, no matter how much my daily circumstances change. And my main focus, even in all this chaos and uncertainty, will be the Lord Jesus Christ, and not myself, my family or my current challenges. Just Him.
~Tricia~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)