"Do not gloat over me, my enemy!
Though I have fallen, I will rise.
Though I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be my light."
The author starts off the devotional with,
"There are some days in a mother's life when the sun just doesn't seem to rise. We may have been disappointed by someone. Or maybe we're not feeling good about ourselves or about our relationships with others. Maybe we're just lonely. Whatever the reason, a cloud settles in..."
Huh? I've never had one day like that?! Ohhh...oops, I've had many...
And yes, my response, more times than I'd like to admit has been, "poor me, let me sit here in my gloom." Don't get me wrong, there is a difference between sadness and self-pity. I'm talking about the self-pity part, which the author refers too.
The author points out our own spiritual mood affects not only us, but also those around us. Hmm, that saying of, "if mama ain't happy, nobody's happy." I guess I've always thought about that saying in a selfish tone of, "if I'm not happy, no one should be happy" instead of, "if I choose not to be happy, everyone else is going to be miserable too."
We have to make choices. We have to listen really hard when the Holy Spirit is calling us, letting us know how we're going to feel better and then decide if we're going to do it (kicking and screaming), with a happy heart or not at all and sit in our own misery, allowing the enemy a foot hold.
Just today, after a truly lovely day that the Lord took hold of, my four year old decided to act like the four year old little boy he is (imagine that?!) I was praising the Lord during worship time and he (bless his heart) was ramming his head into my arm (you're laughing now right...me too:) ) Well, I can just say that after a few gentle, "please stop's" my lovely heart of praising became filled with not so lovely emotions and more of anger. And I became upset with my son for disrupting my praise time and the joy I was feeling. He did stop after a talking to, but I continued to hold onto that anger (even though it mellowed), even up until bedtime. I was ready to come sit down in front of the TV, because my sweet little boy had "given me such a hard time and I needed a break; I just want to veg." Well, praise the Lord. He gently tugged at my heart, "read my Word, bring it to me, I can help." So, I reluctantly, with some grumbling sat down, stopped from turning on the computer and turned the TV back off and opened my Bible. How His grace is sufficient. To read this devotional, to read His Word, to ask for forgiveness, to pray for my little ones. His gift of forgiveness, patience and peace...exactly what he knew I needed and I was blessed, simply by choosing to obey (even though I didn't even start with a happy, humble heart-another moment of repentance and His mercy.)
God is so amazing! Praise His name! Bring it to Him. Praise Him in the good and bad times, resting it at His feet, relying on His strength. Jesus will help us, even when our faith is little...trust and obey...
"But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
"If you can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
-Mark 9:23-24
something to think about...
God bless you~
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