“Can I walk on water, Mom?” Gideon asked me this today and I smiled, what a great way to have a God conversation!
“Well, Are you Jesus?” I asked him.
“No…” He answered.
“Jesus could walk on water and do you know he said in the Bible that if you have faith, nothing will be impossible for you? He said you can move mountains! You can make difference that could change the world, buddy! What do you think about that?”
Gideon shrugged then said, “I’d rather go swimming.”
Oh. So much for Theology 101.
At least that conversation got me thinking about what Jesus did say in Matthew 17:20. Nothing will be impossible for us if we have faith. Honestly, that seems pretty impossible to believe sometimes. Especially when it feels the only mountains I move these days are the mountains of laundry from my bed (when I didn’t get time to fold it) to the floor (where it will join the growing Mt. Kilimanjaro of it’s fellow wrinkled friends).
The question begs to be answered, how can I live a supernatural life of moving mountains when I need strength some days just to move laundry?
I began turning this question over in prayer as I talked to God (while loading the washing machine and cleaning floors of course) and I don’t feel like I got the life-changing answer I was seeking, but I do feel like I got an answer.
I feel like God replied, “Keep trucking.” (I guess God keeps it simple, we are the ones that complicate it sometimes)
Just keep on doing what we feel God has called us to do. And do it in HIS strength and with HIS joy and we will be faithful. Once again I am reminded that God doesn’t call us to be successful, only faithful. I think I can do that.
That is how we can walk on water and maybe one day, change the world!
And when all else fails, take a break and go swimming.
I just love your posts, keep them coming. They make me feel more normal when I throw my clean, unfolded clothes on the floor to be folded the following day.
ReplyDeleteThere are times when I have really loud God answered moments and other times when I have small voiced God answered moments and I'm not sure I even heard him. Either way you're on the right track of keeping on trucking and someday before you know it those piles of laundry won't seem so large once the kids get older and can fold their own.
Yes, you're in good company! In fact, just again tonight after posting another blog I had to move a pile of CLEAN clothes to the floor (something I never thought I do before kids...you know how that goes, I used to have no kids and four theories on how to raise them. Now I have four kids and NO theories!).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome encouragement! I love the way you think and word things.
And yes, I DO look forward to when the kids can fold their own clothes...is it to early to make my 1 year old start? ha ha!
LOL! It is my contention that it is NEVER too early to start teaching them. As long as you don't expect results, that is! I find that with Eden, she is usually contented to just feel like she is doing whatever I'm doing with me. At least it keeps her from trying to distract me into playing with her! Here's a little thought for you though. This is an answer God gave to me once when I was feeling much the same, and I still take much comfort in it. Did you ever consider that in having the faith to move that laundry (to me this is repesentative of any all things that seem mundane and sometimes all too routine or meaningless in the longrun) You actally ARE moving real mountains? Every great man or woman of faith who goes on to move real spiritual mountians has learned from the example of another. And how awesome is it that YOU get to be the one to teach that to your kids? And as unlikely as it sometimes seems, that does include the mundane things like laundry. Simply because raising a family includes the laundry. Because of your faithfulness in doing this, you will get to share in the joy that will come from the mountians that THEY will move. Thus, in moving the laundry, you actually are moving mountans! I like to focus on THAT when I feel overwhelmed by the laundry in my life. :)
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That's good stuff, Nikki. Love it.
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