so things on the blog front have been a little quiet. It’s intentional. I don’t know why, it’s just that soooo much is going on I can’t begin to put much into words. I don’t mean busyness (although it’s that too), but really so many ‘ranges’ of experiences, adjusting, emotions and places of seeing (and needing) Jesus. I’m not use to this lack of processing but guess what, life still flows. Surprisingly, it actually flows pretty freely. My processing is what ‘binds it up’ nice and neatly. The dilemma comes when I’m not processing before the Lord.
I think we SHOULD process before the Lord. I often would rather process with Andy (hubby), friends (which is good!), and my own head. Now that our ‘life’ is preventing those from happening, I’m realizing how processing before the Lord is not my default MO. It should be, but it takes TIME. Something that is a precious commodity to me. So, I hold back. Instead, I wait for the things that need processing to just go away or resolve themselves. OR...here’s another tactic: I put into overdrive the ways to ‘fix’ my (or others) issues. Neither draw me closer to the Lord.
When we began our adoption journey there were certain themes that seem to keep coming from my time in the Word and with the Lord. One of those was ‘be still and know that I am God’. If you’ve been there, you know that’s no background theme...it’s a center stage, get all the attention type of theme. Ironically, it’s one that just won’t go away. Through various events in our life I feel like the Lord would work on either the ‘be still’ portion or the ‘know that I am God’ portion of this verse (Psalm 46:10). The adoption journey began to piece both of these together. Quickly since the boys have been home and our whole family dynamics are shifting, I’ve seen my tendency (OK, my habit) to forget BOTH portions of this truth. I keep praying to even have a window to ‘be still’ and am reminded what I learned about this.
Being still isn’t always ‘physical’. It’s a matter of my soul too. I can ‘be still’ in the middle of the wildest day here. How? Because my heart (get this now...1st part of verse linked to 2nd part) KNOWS THAT HE IS GOD!!! (NOT ME!!). YES...I’m reminded so often how I can’t be still AND KNOW that God is God if I’m busy trying to ‘figure it all out’. It’s so true. Much more happens when I stand on The Rock (and being still before Him helps me do that!) and grounded in the truth about myself and my circumstances.
We didn’t adopt our sons from Ethiopia out of our goodness of heart. We did it out of our Lord’s favor toward us in Jesus. He showed us, we followed and now we’re in it. I wish more people were. Not because it’s some glamorous and grand experience but because it’s humbling. Humbling to see what we cling to. Humbling to see where we think life is found. Humbling to see where God’s heart really is. Humbling to realize we need Jesus even more. I don’t choose humbling. I choose pride. Jesus chose humbling though that God would get the pride!
I never paid attention to the last part of this verse as I wrestled (God knows I can only handle bit by bit). C’mon...you know it, it’s just visible to me every day now. Follow the order of it with me..."Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
exalted among the nations...do you know our home has 3 nations in it?! We notice, our kids notice. They realize what they didn’t before about our short-cited view of ‘God’s Kingdom’. God’s not just about our comfortable (or was) family. He wants us to KNOW He is God. WE KNOW!
So I’d like to think God has pulled the curtain back for us to get just a glimpse of Him being exalted. Sometimes we do. It’s hard here. It’s not depressing, it’s actually a lot of fun! It’s just hard to change. But when I can realize a certain Grandmother’s heart in Ethiopia has praised the Lord for Jeremiah having his new family and another mother believes that among the earth you are GOOD to your son, Jacob, GOD IS EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS! I don’t know why, but others from their home town are dying from this drought and famine. I do know God chose to spare them. When I am still, I know God has chosen to SPARE ME NO LESS! and it’s not on my own merit.
Will you see with me God doesn’t need us? He just wants to invite us and show us...and for us to enJOY that HE IS BEING EXALTED IN ALL THE EARTH!!
Ok...maybe this is too much deviation from my latest 'our family updates', but I mentioned I have to adjust from the adoption journey to our new family here on the blog too. I’m grateful the Lord would use many of YOU to say...keep sharing...it blesses me. Learning to have JOY...as HE is exalted!
I think we SHOULD process before the Lord. I often would rather process with Andy (hubby), friends (which is good!), and my own head. Now that our ‘life’ is preventing those from happening, I’m realizing how processing before the Lord is not my default MO. It should be, but it takes TIME. Something that is a precious commodity to me. So, I hold back. Instead, I wait for the things that need processing to just go away or resolve themselves. OR...here’s another tactic: I put into overdrive the ways to ‘fix’ my (or others) issues. Neither draw me closer to the Lord.
When we began our adoption journey there were certain themes that seem to keep coming from my time in the Word and with the Lord. One of those was ‘be still and know that I am God’. If you’ve been there, you know that’s no background theme...it’s a center stage, get all the attention type of theme. Ironically, it’s one that just won’t go away. Through various events in our life I feel like the Lord would work on either the ‘be still’ portion or the ‘know that I am God’ portion of this verse (Psalm 46:10). The adoption journey began to piece both of these together. Quickly since the boys have been home and our whole family dynamics are shifting, I’ve seen my tendency (OK, my habit) to forget BOTH portions of this truth. I keep praying to even have a window to ‘be still’ and am reminded what I learned about this.
Being still isn’t always ‘physical’. It’s a matter of my soul too. I can ‘be still’ in the middle of the wildest day here. How? Because my heart (get this now...1st part of verse linked to 2nd part) KNOWS THAT HE IS GOD!!! (NOT ME!!). YES...I’m reminded so often how I can’t be still AND KNOW that God is God if I’m busy trying to ‘figure it all out’. It’s so true. Much more happens when I stand on The Rock (and being still before Him helps me do that!) and grounded in the truth about myself and my circumstances.
We didn’t adopt our sons from Ethiopia out of our goodness of heart. We did it out of our Lord’s favor toward us in Jesus. He showed us, we followed and now we’re in it. I wish more people were. Not because it’s some glamorous and grand experience but because it’s humbling. Humbling to see what we cling to. Humbling to see where we think life is found. Humbling to see where God’s heart really is. Humbling to realize we need Jesus even more. I don’t choose humbling. I choose pride. Jesus chose humbling though that God would get the pride!
I never paid attention to the last part of this verse as I wrestled (God knows I can only handle bit by bit). C’mon...you know it, it’s just visible to me every day now. Follow the order of it with me..."Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
exalted among the nations...do you know our home has 3 nations in it?! We notice, our kids notice. They realize what they didn’t before about our short-cited view of ‘God’s Kingdom’. God’s not just about our comfortable (or was) family. He wants us to KNOW He is God. WE KNOW!
So I’d like to think God has pulled the curtain back for us to get just a glimpse of Him being exalted. Sometimes we do. It’s hard here. It’s not depressing, it’s actually a lot of fun! It’s just hard to change. But when I can realize a certain Grandmother’s heart in Ethiopia has praised the Lord for Jeremiah having his new family and another mother believes that among the earth you are GOOD to your son, Jacob, GOD IS EXALTED AMONG THE NATIONS! I don’t know why, but others from their home town are dying from this drought and famine. I do know God chose to spare them. When I am still, I know God has chosen to SPARE ME NO LESS! and it’s not on my own merit.
Will you see with me God doesn’t need us? He just wants to invite us and show us...and for us to enJOY that HE IS BEING EXALTED IN ALL THE EARTH!!
Ok...maybe this is too much deviation from my latest 'our family updates', but I mentioned I have to adjust from the adoption journey to our new family here on the blog too. I’m grateful the Lord would use many of YOU to say...keep sharing...it blesses me. Learning to have JOY...as HE is exalted!
2 comments:
So challenged and encouraged by your comments about being still. That it I can be still in the midst of a wild day. Reminds me of Psalm 131:2... " But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me." God is working on me to teach me that stillness of my soul, which I struggle with. Thanks for sharing your journey!! ~ Jill
I have been challenged by this verse the last 2 years. I have it on my Bible cover and on my purse so I can make sure everyday that I make note of the fact that God is God and I am not.
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