Expectations and Thankfulness...

Life is filled with expectations that don't always pan out...

When we experience tribulations and trials what do we do?  Do we turn to the Lord, but when He doesn't answer us as quickly as we think He should or not quite how we wanted to we turn to ourselves... the world around.... God says in Isaiah that His ways are not our ways, and our time is not His... can we trust in that?  

When a child is born it is a demanding creature... it needs to be... it is totally dependent upon the caregiver for food, warmth and all of it's basic human needs.  It has to be able to let us know when it needs changed and is hungry... Children as they grow older still can be demanding and they still  have expectations.  They expect that when they wake up in the morning they are going to have clean clothes to put on, toothpaste to brush their teeth, warm water and soap to take a shower and a nice fuzzy towel to dry off with... then they will expect to have a nice breakfast waiting for them and of course a cheery 'good morning!'  Their lives are filled with expectations that are more than likely fulfilled  by their parents.  Younger children have no concept of how any of these things get there, they simply trust that they will be.  As they grow older they start to understand that dad and/or mom 'work' for all this stuff and hopefully are learning to not so much expect, but more appreciate and be thankful that the stuff is always there....

The teaching of this thankfulness can be the real job at hand... teaching children to understand how things are acquired needs to be shown through both example as well as practice on the parents part. 

It is like that as well with our Heavenly Father... in the beginning of our christian walk things are a bit easier and things come a bit more quickly. As we mature and we are not such babes in Christ, the trials become a bit more... this is to help us grow in trust and faith...  growing pains can be difficult, but we must believe 'that He will never give us anymore than we can bear and He will always make a way of escape for us...' 

Trust builds faith, faith builds trust,
Until next time,
Jean
     

My Heart and Soul...

The Lord's day is so special to me... it allows me time to reflect on things... the everyday things of life... what's important and what's not... my family and the time we spend together... where things are going and stalling... to just be...
The other Sunday's sermon talked a bit on the ark... the minister was comparing the raven and the dove... it was quite enlightening to me... I had never really thought about some things that he pointed out.
First Noah sent the raven and it just roamed to and fro but never returned to the ark for safety... Then Noah sent out the dove... it flew and found 'no rest for it's soles...' and it returned to the ark of safety...  then it was released again and this time it brought back an olive branch... life... but it still returned to the ark... then the third time it didn't come back... it was able to survive in the new life found on the earth...

In the New Testament satan is said to roam to and fro across the earth looking for what he can devour... a raven is a 'devouring' bird... it hunts for carnage... dead things. A dove is often a symbol of Christianity, peace and gentleness... like Jesus... the dove went out and sought life.
There is only true life in in living for Jesus and His salvation...
A hymn we sang at church...

Holy Jesus, lovely Lamb,
Thine and only Thine I am;
Take my body, spirit, soul,
Only Thou possess the whole.

Thou my dearest object be,
Let me ever cleave to Thee;
Let me choose the better part,
Let me give Thee all my heart.

Whom have I on earth below?
Only Thee I wish to know;
Whom have I in heaven but Thee?
Thou art all in all to me.

All my treasure is above,
My best portion is Thy love;
Who the worth of love can tell?
Infinite unsearchable!

Nothing else may I require;
Let me Thee alone desire;
Pleased with what Thy love provides,
Weaned from all the world besides.

Until next time,
Jean