“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6
Have you ever had one of those days when you felt like a complete failure? A day when the kids aren’t doing what they’re supposed to be doing, the house is a disaster, and the whining, bickering, and fighting seem unending?
This morning, I was having one of those days. I locked myself into my room to have a pity party. (I knew that I would be interrupted by a little one wanting to give me a hug or something if I hadn’t locked the door!) As tears of frustration rolled down my cheeks, I wondered why the Lord thought that I should be entrusted with another baby when I couldn’t even do a good job with the children I already had. Poor me. I just wanted to walk out the door and escape, because it was obvious that I couldn’t do what was expected of me.
Then, out of the blue, a tune started running through my head, and I was hearing the words to an old Steve Green song. ”He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it…”
Okay, so I’m not anywhere near the mother I want to be and my children haven’t come close to achieving the perfection that I want for them. The truth is that it isn’t MY work being done. The Lord is performing a work in me and in my children. He began the work in us, and has promised to complete it. He didn’t give a time frame for completing it, and I can’t give up in discouragement when it isn’t completed overnight or even over a period of 18 years.
It seems that there are far too many lessons that have to be repeated in my life over and over again, but that is not the fault of the One doing the work. That fault lies squarely with me. I get frustrated at times when it seems that one of my children is being thickheaded about learning something that I am trying to teach them, but I am thickheaded far to often when the Lord is trying to teach me something, too. The Lord hasn’t given up on me, but has promised to complete the work. Likewise, I should continue in patience as I seek to teach my children.
After a few minutes of reflection, I unlocked my door and called all of the children together. I asked them if they ever felt like failures, and admitted my shortcomings to them. I then shared the above verse with them, asked for their forgiveness for my failures with them, and encouraged them to remember that the Lord is also doing a work in each of them.
No, the rest of the day hasn’t been all roses. However, there has been a sense of hope, and things are much more in order than they were earlier!
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Oh, we were doing the same thing today this am?! HUH? You inspired me to post, ohterwise, I’d be sleeping sweet dreams right now. Thank you for taking your time.
I love you, Mama.
Ahhh yes… I understand Ü – your follow thru was so sweet, loving and Motherly – thank you! It’s soooo important we communicate, listen and really hear one another! ((Hugs))
With tears in my eyes, I wondered as I read this, did I pray for you this morning as I should? Did I ask the Lord to wrap his arms around you, encourage you, that you might know His love and His strength to carry on? The tears further welled in my eyes as I read the comment from “Daughter,” simply, “I love you, Mama.” And, yes, the younger children would likely have wanted to hug you as you gave way to tears if they had had access to you. But, how good that you could go into your “closet,” so to speak, and allow the Lord to soothe your spirit with the words of a song! Let our hearts and minds be filled with Him, so that His words can minister to us in times of need.
And to quote Glenda, ((Hugs))