I love my sweet friend, Linny’s, idea of having a Thankful Thursday. I love the idea so much that my kids and I have set aside a Thursday as a day to offer our thankful prayers to the Father during our devotions. It is good for me, and it teaches the kids to have thankful hearts. (By the way, please continue to pray for Linny as they try to salvage precious treasures in the rubble of their destroyed home.)
So, today is Thursday—Thankful Thursday. How appropriate the timing is to share something I have been pondering in my heart.
I really do love the life that God has chosen for me. Have I always been this way? Nope! I shared here that I never imagined that God would gently lead me down this path. Two kids was IT for me. But, here I am with my five, homeschooling them and loving every minute—well, most minutes :). I absolutely have my days of thinking about how fun it would be to get a REAL job. The kind where I would drop the kids off at school, have the whole day to myself (and actually USE my brain,) and then come home just in time to make dinner. But, the times that I think those thoughts are fleeting—God always brings me back to MY reality. (I absolutely know that the lifestyle God has chosen for me, is not for everyone—this is just the road He has me on.)
My amazing (and to me, super hot 🙂 ) husband works for a Hospice where he serves as Chaplain. He loves his job. And, he is amazing at what he does—not too many people can be fulfilled loving dying people all day. Anyway, with the nature of his work comes a lot of discussions between us—how short our time is on this earth, how we have just one shot at making it work, how we never want to have any regrets when our time comes to pass on. You get the message. With his job has come this urgency in both of us to make the MOST of what God has for us on this earth, one day at a time—no regrets, no looking back, no “darn, I should have done (blank)!” Just absolute surrender to God, and embracing ALL that He has for us.
My point? Well, I never imagined that my life would take this road. I never imagined I would NOT be a career woman—and LOVE it. I have been pondering this for days—how children truly ARE God’s reward! Yes, Psalm 127:3 says that “Children are a reward from Him“. Goodness, I have read that a hundred times in the past, but only recently am I getting it! I know, I know, sometimes I am just slow to GET IT. My children are His reward to me.
I LOVE what the message says about the same scripture—“Don’t you see that children are God’s BEST GIFT”. Goodness, not just a gift but his BEST GIFT! How amazing is that? That sure does something in my heart. It tells me that there is NO greater gift that God can give me. The message continues to say that, “The fruit of the womb is His generous legacy”. WOW, it really is not about the challenges of parenting, the ups and downs of raising Godly children, the daily same old, same old—it is ALL about the legacy that we leave behind, the ones who will become the next generation of mighty warriors on the earth. That really puts it all into perspective for me.
These days I am seeing my children differently, I am seeing my ‘job’ differently—it really is ALL about the seed that we leave behind. Will I leave behind fruitful (Godly) seed, or not?
I am so thankful today—thankful that God has chosen to bless me and my amazing hubby with His BEST GIFTS. The Webster dictionary defines “reward” as something given in return for a deed or service. Oh Lord Jesus, what did I ever do for You to deserve your BEST GIFTS? I cannot think of anything that I have done to deserve such beautiful gifts from You. My heart is overflowing with gratefulness on this Thankful Thursday.
