Words of Affirmation
Today Barb came to talk to me as I was getting ready to go out for the day. Her words really blessed me. She told me that I was doing a really good job with Eli. She said I am a great mom and that she was very proud of me. She said that over the past few days that she had really been wanting to share that with me but just never got around to saying it so she knew that she could not let another day go bye with out sharing those words with me.
I have been in Barb's shoes before and I know it is sometimes awkward to share a compliment with someone. It is even harder when you know it will make them and you emotional. I have, like her, put it off- sometimes to the point of never telling them what I really wanted to say. Now, being on the flipside of the situation and receiving the compliment it makes me realize how important it is to share my thoughts with others- especially if I know it will encourage them. It is selfish of me to want to avoid being emotional and uncomfortable around someone else.
I was very touched by what Barb said. We both were crying, here I am getting emotional now just thinking about how much her words meant to me. I respect Barb so much as a mother, as a wife and as a women of God. I respect her opinion of me. The part that made her words have the most weight was when she said she new that AJ would be feeling the same way about me too. She knew he would be proud of me. That really got me... and is still getting me now.
I guess why I am writing all this is to say to you and to myself that life is too short to be reserved. If we put off sharing feelings with someone- we might never get the chance to tell them, or it might be beyond the point when they needed to hear those words. But if we are obedient to the leadings of God on our heart, our words can be used in mighty ways.
What Barb didn't know is that God used her to answer my prayers. For the past 3 days I have been having a lot of doubt. I have been doubting my ability to be a good mom, doubting my strength to do this alone- without my husband and Eli's father, and doubting the decisions I was making as I was leading Eli. I know that I do not always know what is right- but I am trying my best.
I seek God every morning and ask Him for grace and wisdom with Eli. I pray that I am faithful to Him with the precious gift and task He has given me of being Eli's mother. I know very well that apart from Him I can do nothing and that includes being Eli's mom; being a good mom. I want to honor God with every moment that I have with Eli.
So as I have doubts- which I know are not from God, I have been trying to be diligent to take them to the Cross of Christ. I have been washing and renewing my mind in His word. I have been asking God for direction and encouragement. I have been asking God to affirm me as a mother. I often ask God if I make Him proud.
In Hosea 11:4 it says, "I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them."
This scripture is a beautiful image of God and how He works to supply all of our needs. One profound thing to me in this verse is that it shows that God works through humans. He leads us with cords of human kindness. That implies that we as humans need to be obedient to Him to be used. God can only do so much with out our cooperation- for the rest, He needs us to obey and then He will use us.
He desires to use us; He needs to use us to accomplish His work. Think of the people you know that could be lead by God's kindness and love if you allow God to use your voice and your words to encourage them.
I think so often we cry out to God and we ask Him to answer us and speak to us but we look in the wrong places to hear His voice. He can always be heard through His word. His word is alive and He is always speaking through it to us. But most often His voice is not some great cosmic mystical happening. His voice often comes in the form of a friend, a relative or even a stranger. He uses those around us to speak to us and share His heart with us.
This realization is very convicting to me. I want to be obedient to God and ready to be used by Him. I want to encourage those that God has put in my life and be used by Him to share His heart with them. I want to be obedient just as Barb was obedient today- I know what a blessing that can be. Through Barb's obedience God answered my prayer and encouraged me. I know it was Barb's voice- but behind that was an even greater voice; a voice I was longing to hear.
Don't pass up the opportunities that God sets before you to speak to others. Life is just too short. We should not leave for tomorrow what can be accomplished today because we don't know what will happen tomorrow and what is needed today.
posted by Kellie # 4:42 PM
