Loving Sacrificially

I recently read "Kisses From Katie" by Katie Davis, a young missionary in Uganda.  What makes her story so compelling is the "unorthodox" way in which she does things.  She just doesn't "make sense".  She has NO training.  She went there when she was 18, not even knowing the language.  She went with her parents' very reluctant blessing.  She has adopted 13 daughters to date.  Her ministry feeds 1600 children a day, 5 days a week.  She didn't have a plan.  She didn't have the money.  But she has been obedient to her Savior.  She humbly admits that she didn't plan this, this wasn't her plan, but it's God's heart for her life.  The other compelling thing to me is her capacity to LOVE, I mean really love. She sacrificed everything, her family, her comfortable home, her boyfriend and friends to go to the other side of the world and pour out her life as an offering to her Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

I am challenged by her example.  Do I pour out my life for those around me?  Do I LOVE like that?  Do I sacrifice for my husband?  For my children?  What ways can I LOVE more? 

I think of myself way too often. 

I forget what an awesome honour & blessing it is to be chosen to be a mother.  To be a wife.  It seems so common.  Everywhere I look there are wives & mothers.  BUT, my desire is to be a blessed wife & mother.  I want my husband & children to be blessed by my words, my actions, my training, my teaching. 

Proverbs 14:1  Every wise woman buildeth her house:  but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

Titus 2:4  That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding bass, or a tinkling cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Love, charity IS really the most important thing.  AND I cannot do it on my own.  I must FIRST Love the Lord my God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my mind THEN love my neighbor as myself.  Jesus has to be first.  Without Him loving them through me, I can't love the way He wants me to.  I cannot build up my husband or encourage my child.  I can't teach them to the love the Lord with all their heart if I'm not pursuing Christ with all of mine. 

Such an awesome responsibility and the greatest privilege. 

Matthew 18:5 And Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

By receiving children into our home, we are literally receiving Christ.

May I remember that and treat them as special and honored as I would Christ.  Love them sacrificially.  So that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

In His Grip,
Laura

A Slight Obsession

     If you know me personally, you may or may not know that I have an obsession.  Well, a few, really, but the one obsession that I've had the longest would be...  laundry.  If you were to talk to my younger sister, she could probably tell you the story of the time we were folding laundry together & I refolded the underwear she folded.  Underwear gets folded in half, front side up, NOT bottom side up.  We have laughed over that little incident time and again.  

     I LOVE laundry.  I love the shelf with all the baskets of dirty laundry.  Love it even more when they are empty.  I love the line of shelves with the folded laundry.  One basket per person.  I love the routine.  The control.  
     This past winter, every appliance in our house broke, I think.  But, most importantly, my washer broke.  Normally, we just call the repair guy, but it's not under warranty any more. *pout*  My dear hubby tore it apart, figured out what was wrong, looked up the part on line & figured we didn't have the money to fix it.  *nother pout*  Friends of ours brought over a washing machine for us to use until mine was fixed.  I have a king size mega washer.  This was a little itty bitty washing machine.  Yes, it washed clothes, but 2 pairs of jeans and a couple shirts.  I have a family of 9.  Laundry was piling up.  And piling up.  I just could not get caught up.  I begged hubby.  He took me to the laundry mat.  LOVE the laundry mat!  Then another couple gave us their old washing machine, a commercial, heavy duty one!  Yeah!!!  So, now I had my wee little one & the heavy duty one.  2 washing machines!  Hubby fixed my old washer.  Another part broke on it in a week.  I was so mad I could've spit.  FINALLY, my beautiful king size washing machine that I dearly love was fixed.  Somewhere in the midst of all that, the dryer broke & I started hanging clothes on the line.  (in February!)  Now, I have two, king size, heavy duty, beautiful washing machines & an eight line clothes line.  I can have 4 loads of laundry done by 10 am if I'm on the ball in the morning.
     The point of my little story is not, "look how great my laundry system is" or anything like that at all.  As I'm in my sanctuary a.k.a laundry room, I am so thankful for the trials of this past winter.  God is faithful & blessed me far beyond all I could ever ask or imagine!

     If you are in the midst of a trial right now, I pray you will continue to lean on Him & praise Him for the ways He is working in your life right now.

In His Grip,

Daniel & Laura

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