Gaining Perspective

I'll admit it. The last few days have been trying for me. My heart aches with concern for someone I love.

This seems to make my normally optimistic outlook quite gray. My heart feels like winter right now.

Today was as full as could be... my time gratefully filled with homeschooling our ten children who are still home.

Self-pity began to creep in by dinnertime though. In each room was evidence of an active family, home all day, living life fully. Shoes and coat here, papers there, my scissors left out for the dozenth time, it seemed.

"What, another mess?" I thought.

"Children, please play quietly," I admonished gently... tears, forming in my eyes. "Oh for a few quiet minutes!" I allowed myself to whine inwardly.

My quiet minutes arrived after dinner when the children and I sat down for some time together in God's Word.

Truly His Word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. (Heb. 4:12)



Tonight we were reading in 2 Corinthians.

2Co 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Yes, even Paul was perplexed and even discouraged at times. 2 Cor 4:7 reminds us that

"we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;"

Yes. The surpassing greatness is in Him, definitely not in me.

Winter is good. The times when I am "afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within." (2 Cor 7:5) are for my good when they are orchestrated by God, when I choose to renew my thinking by spending time in the Word rather than by relying on my own reasoning.

Spring will come again. Look what, even now is blooming in my kitchen window;



The only boasting I desire to do is in my weaknesses. Truly I have many. But thanks be to God, "His grace is sufficient for me" (2 Cor 12:9) and for you too.

My loving and gentle admonition is this: do not neglect time in God's Word, either alone or with your precious family. God's grace be with you all!

Lovingly,
Susan