Then There Were Five

by Jodi @ God Still Speaks 8:36 AM 0 comments #lampandlight Bible Study marriage parenting pregnancy Testimony

Our year started off with me being sick.  Not just pregnant sick, but pregnant with the flu and sinus infection sick.  To say I was miserable was an understatement, and my poor husband had to take time off of work just to care for the boys and I.  If we're being honest, I barely remember the beginning of the year unless it involved a trip to the doctor's office or pharmacy.  Then on January 19, 2015 our family welcomed Baby R into our midst.  He was a healthy, happy 7lbs 5oz and 20 inches long.

Since then, we have been adjusting to life as a family of five.  I'm fortunate that Baby R has a go with the flow demeanor (for the most part).  Our older boys have been adjusting as well as can be expected; in many ways better than expected.  Hubby and I are thankful my parents were able to come and help for the first six weeks as I recovered from my c-section and we all worked to get to know our newest addition.

As the dust starts to settle, and a fledgling routine emerges, I am working to SLOWLY add things back into my daily life - like blogging.  One of the first things I wove into my routine was bible study.  I have found it helpful to read my bible app during these crazy baby days.  My phone is easier to hold in one hand while nursing the baby, cuddling a preschooler, or helping our big kid.  The bible app I use (from YouVersion)  has different reading plans and I am working on two of them.

The first is called A Minute For Mommy, which helps me keep perspective as I adjust to having three earthly children.  The other is God, Sex And Your Marriage because years ago, we committed to keeping our marriage a priority in our lives and not letting work, kids, or even education become more important than our relationship to each other.  Only our relationship with Jesus Christ should come before our marriage, and when we do that we know everything else will fall right into place.

Thought For Today

I was raised around scouting and along the way I picked up a lot of outdoorsy skills.  One of those being how to navigate in a variety of circumstances.  Maybe you don't have a map and your compass is broken, how do you find your way?

You should have a general idea of the area you're in before you ever ventured out.  Then using the sun (or stars) you get your bearings - north, south, east, west.  From there, you can navigate in the general direction you need to go to reach a major road, town, or something of similar importance.  One thing you learn quickly is if you start walking in one direction, you will veer off course!  Humans for whatever reason can't stay on course no matter what we do.

Skeptical?  Close your eyes and try walking down the middle of a long hallway, eventually you'll bump into one of those walls.  Seasoned navigators will tell you to look at the horizon and pick a focal point; tree, mountain, some kind of landmark where you need to go.  If you keep your focus on that landmark, you will continue to walk in the right direction... even when you veer off course.

Our relationship with Jesus Christ is similar.  Keep your focus on the Lord, and everything else falls into place.  It's a biblical principle!

Proverbs 4:25 ESV 

Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

Hebrews 2:1 ESV

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Psalm 119:105 ESV 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Luke 12:31 ESV

Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things [verses 22-30] will be added to you.

Even in these crazy days, I know I only need to seek the word of my heavenly Father and everything will play out according to His will for my life.  I don't have to worry about making sure everything turns out "just right" because God is in the intricate details of everything in our lives.

Do I still have bad days?  Yes!  Do I get frustrated, angry, and lose my temper?  Of course!  Does my house stay clean, laundry folded and put away, dishes washed?  Not by a long shot.

It's about keeping perspective and knowing what my duties as a follower of Christ are.  The two main duties in this moment are being a help mate for the man God joined me with and the best mother I can to the boys God has chosen me to raise for Him.  The bible's focus should be my focus.  Being Pinterest perfect or embodying society's idea of the can-do mom is NOT IT.

I love knowing that God is not far away watching things play out, he's right here; within me ever since I accepted Jesus Christ's redemption.  Before Jesus, God was still closer than the air we breathe, just waiting for the day I let him come in.  If the devil is in the details, I'm glad to know that the one who defeated the devil is in charge of all my details!