April 25, 2015

Interrupted by Grace 2015: Listen to Your Elders!

I'm blogging daily in April. Learn more about the series here.

Today I want to share another's words with you, because her words were my grace interruption  as I started the day yesterday.  Sally Clarkson is an author and woman whom I greatly respect.  Her Biblical counsel was used by God to change my life as a wife and mother.  I can never express enough gratitude for her or to her.  Yesterday she shared a blog post called, "Balancing Life and Controlling our Circumstances is not even Biblical!"  Catchy title, right?  Makes ya want to read.  So I did and, boy, was I grateful.

A typical day in the living room of our home.
And, yes, they complain when it's time to pick up!

Often it is tempting to make light of the comments and advice of those who have gone before us.  We think, If I hear, "Enjoy them, they grow up so fast," one more time I'm going to scream!  But I am learning that listening to our elders, anyone who is ahead of us in this little thing we call life, could be the very best thing we do for ourselves and our families.  So today I leave you in Sally's hands, because I was so touched by her words yesterday and pray you will be, too.  Life can always be meaningful; Praise God!


From Sally:

Last month, I was with a group of young women speaking at a small group Bible study. At the question and answer time, so many wanted me to give them a formula to assure them that they were doing all of the right things to be sure their children would turn out ok.I also realized that because I made it to 60 and I am still alive, my kids made it through their years into adulthood with faith in tact, with vision for life, and still loved us, that somehow, I must have “done all the right things” or perhaps was more in control of my life.
Reality is I have never been in control and there were never formulas I could count on. Each child was extremely different. Each year was a new kind of stretch to my life, I always had challenges and kept looking for the time when life would settle down.
Expecting to be able to control life, children, husbands, friends, church, family is a road that leads to disappointment. We cannot make life behave by just trying harder or getting the right book, planner or instruction. Truth is, God wants us to rest, to leave our burdens in His hands, to learn a little more every day, how to walk by faith, love and become more patient, work hard and enjoy our days that He has given. As I thought about these things, I remembered an article I wrote some years ago, right in the middle of the “messiness of life” that I hope will encourage you.  Continue reading here: http://sallyclarkson.com/balancing-life-and-controlling-our-circumstances-is-not-even-biblical/

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1 comment:

  1. Thanks for sharing Heather. I well remember the days when my girls were little and the challenges of the day to day living. The challenges are different now, but I agree with Sally that there is no "formula" short of relying on our Lord and Savior for every step.

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