“Submit yourselves,
then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and
purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to
gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will
lift you up.” (James
4:7-10)
I drive past parks
and see mothers exiting vehicles with a little hand holding tightly, excited to
embark on the adventure of playing on the equipment. I recall the times I experienced this
scenario. I park and prepare to enter a
store when across the way I see a woman hopping out of the vehicle with a
boisterous little girl by her side. I
take a look at my back seat and it is empty.
Let us take a moment and shed a few tears at this pity party I invited
you to!
Then, I think of
how much growth each child of mine accomplished thus far. The years fly by as children enter the
picture. Each milestone creates an
indelible mark in my heart. Each tear
cried builds strength. Each step taken
produces learning and requires faith.
Each day spent with my children fills with blessings (even the times
when they are at each other’s throats and want to disown the whole
family). Neither child could do anything
that will lessen or increase the love my heart holds. Though it saddens me to see their
independence, growth and maturity; I also fill with joy as I stand back and
watch them make the right decision, take that leap in faith and lean on God for
guidance or comfort. They still need me.
. .but in different ways.
I realized, while
watching my daughter at swim lessons the other night, she no longer uses her
thumb for comfort. Before the first day
of Kindergarten, her thumb instantly popped in her mouth at any sign of fear,
sadness or frustration. That first step
into the unknown of school matured her in various ways, one being loss of the
need to suck her thumb. I believe she
understood a different way to comfort herself.
Her prayer life deepened over the summer. Her father and I continually pointed her to
our One True Comforter and reminded her that His Promises say He will see us
through anywhere He takes us. He will
never leave nor forsake His children. I
smiled as I realized this change in my daughter and thanked God for all He has
brought her through thus far. And though
I don’t get to hold her hand tightly while approaching a playground adventure
or keep her by my side through each day; I know she is in great Hands and now
clings tightly to His Hand while approaching the adventure of life and stays by
His side through each day.
Maturing in Christ
can happen in a similar way. Before that
fist day as a believer and follower, we instantly turned to this world at any
sign of fear, sadness or frustration. We
picked up the bottle, opened up the cabinets, cranked up the speed of a treadmill,
rolled another, threw money on the table, scanned through dangerous sites on
the internet, etc. Our comfort came from
this world. Then, one day, it clicked. Either we hit rock bottom in the pit we
created or a situation opened our eyes.
We took that first step into the unknown, leaving the temporary comforts
behind. We discovered the Way to receive
everlasting comfort. Prayer life
deepened and mentors surrounded that continually pointed us toward our One True
God. We explored His Word and found
Promises that stood true every day.
Never left alone, comforted through any situation, overflowing with joy,
loved, worth it, created for a plan and a purpose. . .the list is endless. We discovered our One True Father – we
understood that we are His child, not the world’s.
The years fly by as
followers of God. He takes you places
beyond imagination and always sees you through them. Every tear cried builds strength. Each step taken down His path produces
learning and requires faith. Every day
brings blessings. As we look to Him,
believe in Him and trust Him – we cannot do anything that will lessen or
increase the love He has for us. We need
Him at all times. He is a proud ‘Poppa’
as He watches us mature, grow and believe in Him.
This life is FREE
to anyone who chooses. He created each
of us with a desire for Him. In order to
feel complete and fulfill the plan placed in our lives, we need Him. Without Him, temporary comfort exists,
decisions lead down destructive paths and the devil holds your hand tightly
(producing all kinds of playground for him to enjoy in your life). Let go of the enemy, put away the instant
gratification, say no to the addictions and say YES to the One who comforts at
all times and leads you to a life everlasting.
Keep praying harder
than the devil can work.
Sheree Craig
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