I am reading a devotional right now called Truth Unchanging (Hearing God daily in the Midst of Motherhood), by Becky Thompson. And it has really been speaking to me right where I am.
This is from the devotion for today (scripture reading is Exodus 4)…
… to prove that Moses was equipped, the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.”
I”m sure Moses was thinking, What do you mean? It’s the stick that I use to walk and lead the sheep and climb mountains.”
…This staff wasn’t just any stick Moses had chosen off the ground. It wasn’t a stick from the burning bush. It was the stick that Moses had held in his hand daily. And God used this stick to be the sign to all those who needed to believe that God was with Moses and was on his side.
God has always been in the business of taking what’s already in our hands and using it supernaturally to accomplish His purposes.
Everything that we have been through has been preparing us to take on everything else that God is asking us to do from here. Each mountain and valley was training us to become this mom to these kids.
God takes what we have used in the past – our skills, talents, and giftings and the special characteristics of our lives – to help us lead and love our families. Just like Moses, when we offer the Lord what we already have in our hands, He supernaturally transforms it for His purposes.
I believe the Lord is asking us both today, What’s in your hand, daughter? What’s already there? You thought that it was only used for one thing, but what you have learned in the fields while taking care of the sheep will be what I use to prove My presence and My power. Offer Me what is in your hand, and I’ll give you what is in Mine instead.
So, one of my areas of prayer is that God would open up a door for a source of income for me as I stay home with Hannah. She has been asking to be home-schooled for 2 or 3 years now, and with the option of the virtual academy this school year, Adam and I made the decision to allow her to try virtual schooling. At the end of last school year, when schools were closed, and kids were doing school online, H really stepped up and proved that she could do it. So, after prayer, Adam and I both felt that God was opening this door for her. However, this will greatly reduce my ability to guest teach. I will still be available to substitute some (when I have someone to stay with Hannah). So, I have been praying that God would show me what I could do from home with talents that He has already given me. And then, this devotion today. I have really been struggling with it because I just want to know God’s plan. If He wants me to sit still and trust Him to provide, then tell me. If He wants me to go out and get an evening job, then, tell me. I just want to know. But, I think my worry has made it difficult to hear anything at all. So, this devotional is challenging me to give God what I have and let Him give me what He has instead. And yes, it is very easy to type this, not so easy to live out. I will probably need lots of reminders from you, my readers.
The past 15 years have held a LOT of big things in this journey called life … dating, marriage, cancer, death, widow, grieving, marriage, allergy-induced asthma, autism, anxiety, therapies, counselors, IEPs, meetings with schools and teachers. So many things that have been difficult to navigate at times, but God has been faithful. I have learned a lot, and am still learning. As God continues to prompt me, i will share our story here on this blog. My heart is that our story will help others navigate some of these same things that we have journeyed , or are still journeying. How can God use these things? Only God knows. But I want to make sure that I am willing and open to obey what He asks of me. He will give me what I need, and maybe already has given me what I need for this assignment called life. I just have to use what He has given me. And, honestly, I would be less than who God has called me to be, if I held on to my story and never shared it. Because, it is, in fact, MY story. A story that God has woven together to make me uniquely me … a beautiful, creative, messy seeker of all things Jesus. I hope that you come alongside me as I share my journey with you. It will be a beautiful God-woven adventure together.
I pray that today God will show you how much He delights in you, and may you hear Him joyfully singing over you today. (Zephaniah 3:17)
Until the next blog …
We Three Are 