Reflecting over the last three months, it's hard for me to believe how much has happened. In March, God layed a desire on my heart to somehow help other parents who have children, like my own, who live with life challenges. The "help" He called me to would be in the form of a book. As most of you know, this started the process of writing the book tentatively titled "Unexpected Gifts, God's Blessings for and through Children Facing Life Challenges."
So far, I have interviewed nine families and spoken to countless others, in fact I can't seem to keep up with the people who would like to share their stories with me and for that I apologize. I want to hear all of them! I have also spoken to two groups, written five chapters, have completed a book proposal, have had author business cards printed and am writing endorsement letter requests. I have spoken with two self publishers and am planning to attend an American Christian Writers Association Mentoring workshop in July where I will be mentored by the editor for Wesleyan Publishing and will meet other writers from across the nation. I am excited!! Needless to say, I am also overwhelmed by God's loving and guiding Hands in this process. I certainly know that I am not capable of doing this on my own. I pray that God's blessings are on this book. He knows that parents of kids facing life challenges need love and support, HIS love and support.
A few Saturdays ago I went with friends to hear Babbie Mason and Jessica LaGrone speak at Roswell United Methodist Church. They shared with us their newest bible studies. Babbie spoke about Embraced by God and also used her wonderful musical talent to bring us to our feet in praise. Jessica shared an intriguing study called Namesake, When God Re-Writes Your Story. I enjoyed hearing her talk about Jacob and how God changed his name and his character. Both women were excellent speakers and inspired me further in the writing of my book. They also confirmed the calling that I have received as each quoted bible scripture that has spoken very loudly to me over the last few months. The verses were quoted as their "favorites" and are as follows:
Psalm 139:14
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Ephesians 3:20
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
These verses speak volumes to me everyday as I encounter parents who share their stories with me. They speak to me about each of our own possibilities to glorify God. They speak to me of the lengths and depths of God's love for us. And they tell me that the path to fulfillment exists only through Him. Despite what others may perceive as our limitations, despite what we may even see as our limitations, God is always able to do more. Remember this as you rise each day to face the world. God is good!
Ten years ago the word "app" wasn't even in my vocabulary. Neither were the words iphone, ipad, ipod or Twitter. My how the times have changed!
Ten years ago I was living what I thought was the American dream. Our children were one and five and I had gone back to work. My career as an interior designer was thriving and my husband's self-owned landscaping business was also flourishing as residential and commercial development skyrocketed in our area. We had recently moved from our quaint 1800 square foot bungalow home into a historic Georgian manor home and we would soon also purchase a lake home in order to "get away" from the hustle and bustle of our lives. We worked from early in the morning until late into the evening, striving to gain the riches that the world promised would make us happy and respected by our peers.
As our children grew, I began pushing my son to participate in every sports league and social event that a five year old can attend. Our neighbors were also climbing their way up the social and economic ladder. We often spent evenings with them drinking wine and celebrating our successes. We were on our way- or so we thought.
A few short years later things began to make a drastic turn. The career that I had once enjoyed had taken over my life and I realized that I no longer desired to rise to the top in my field. The economy had taken a huge hit and both my work and my husband's business rapidly declined as the real estate markets flat-lined. Our fun-loving neighbors were headed to divorce court and our youngest child was diagnosed with multiple learning disabilities. The ultimate blow was when my husband's father was diagnosed with throat cancer.
A time of reflection and searching followed. All my life I had done what I thought was "right" in they eyes of the world. My work ethic was stellar. I pushed myself to go above and beyond what was expected of me and I demanded that same work ethic from those around me, including my husband and my children. I was hard on everyone. As time progressed, I began to realize that what I had perceived as "right" might not be the answer after all. In this time of searching, God began calling my name.
The Bible had always been a mystery to me. The language and words stilted and hard for me to comprehend. Of course until that time, I'd only read it sparingly. My understanding was that it was simply a framework of how to live a "good" life and I thought I already knew the answer to that. But soon I realized that the Bible was more than just a framework for morality. As I began to study the stories, they made more sense. I found myself relating to the characters and I longed to apply the teachings in my life.
One particular story resonated strongly with me - the Parable of the Lost Son. See, like the older brother in the story, I thought that I was doing ALL the right things. I was always obedient to my parent's/boss's wishes, always the hard worker trying to please others and "do the right thing," always looking for approval and gain along the way. But I was also hard on and unforgiving of others, judging them by my own set of self-imposed standards. I began to wonder what my intentions were. Was I trying to help people? Or was I simply trying to get ahead and stroke my ego? Were my desires for my children to help them find God's purposes in their lives by letting them experience new things? Or was I simply trying to "keep up with the Joneses?"
I soon realized that my role in this parable was not that of the first born child, but of the lost one. I was lost "in the world." And as I responded to God's whisper of my name, I was awestruck by His desire for me, despite my many years of confusion and sin. His pull in my life led me to read His Word, and over time the stories began leaping off of the pages, speaking to my daily struggles and giving me life applications and guidance.
I now know the true reason for the Bible, His holy Word. God never intended for it to sit on a shelf, gathering dust. He never meant for it to be a set of ancient rules that are not relevant to our daily lives or a set of morals for us to use without an understanding of His love for us. God's desire is for us to find ourselves in these stories, and in the midst of finding ourselves, to find Him.
Do you look at the problems in your life and wonder how God can work in your circumstances? Is the Bible still a mystery to you? God's love is revealed on the pages of His Word. The stories are timeless and speak to each of our situations. Open your Bible and you will find the answers you have been searching for. I promise you, the Bible is the ultimate "App" for that!
