Believe Him-The 11th Day of Christmas

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a word about prophecy (Joel 2:28-29).

Sometimes we just don’t believe God’s word. Oh, I know this because we have too much doubt. At least I know I do and saw this last night when talking to Casey’s mom in the church nursery. Casey is a busy boy who was playing with two of my busy boys and he almost fell on my youngest busy boy quite a few times. She kept correcting and redirecting him, as well she should, but I was hardly fazed and said, “I have three of them just like him.” “Wow. Three boys. I’m done. I took care of that.” I lingered on her wow and wowed with her, wondering, “How do I deal with them from day to day?”

Slowly her other words seeped in and I realized that she was telling me that she wasn’t having anymore children because she exercised her choice to take birth control. And I remembered that I had no choice to exercise my choice but had followed God’s choice to use my womb to bear His blessings for the world. All of that came out like “When you have boys you need a lot of grace and God gives me a lot of grace.” And she gave me five and said children are a blessing and together we chuckled and blessed the Lord for them. Our exchange had me thinking about the prophetess Anna and how she believed God’s word, not seen in my every day grace, but in her spirit and she acted like it.

And she [was] a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem (Acts 2:37-38).

At 84 years old, Anna’s regular routine was to serve God “with fastings and prayers night and day.” She made this her job so when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple she knew exactly who He was, thanked God the Father for Jesus, and told people about Jesus. Yes she had the word that salvation would come through Jesus, and surely she recognized Him through prophecy, but I wonder if another prophecy sustained her:

And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit (Joel 2:28-29).

Between Jesus’ first and second comings, He said He would send His Spirit (John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8). Joel tells us that Jesus’ Spirit would be spread among Jews and Gentiles, and all groups—young and old and male and female—would have people who would speak forth divine words from God. I don’t know if Anna saw this partial fulfillment, but she knew that Jesus’ initial arrival was the first step to usher in His Spirit being poured onto all flesh. His Spirit would cause there to be pervasive prophesying among women, so much so that there wouldn’t be room for them to only speak in certain parts of the temple. Anna had seen God’s grace—first in her spirit and then with her eyes. She didn’t seem to shy away from her calling because she was a woman. Instead, she prophesied to everyone who wanted that redemption.

And I tell you, who want redemption to help you with busy boys, brutal bosses, an unkind husband or backbiting friends: you have God’s Spirit, and He may not have you prophesy to others but He has given you a word of deliverance:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Trust this word and believe that God will show up and show you exactly what He would have you to do to walk out your deliverance.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

Plans of Mice & Men

Today I was set to tell you the plans I have to keep my children occupied. I was going to share my daily agenda and the “astray” agenda for when those plans of mice and men go that way. But I decided to keep my list of songs and dance and ways to combat those frenzied days after having an awry astray day today.

The kids woke up before the break of dawn, me still yawning, sleep still calling me hard. They are still awake as I write, with worried whines of itchy arms, runny noses and batting eyes trying hard to stay awake. Today there were no songs or dances, just prayers and plates of food filling our souls and bodies with what we need. They are playing now and I’m still praying that I recognize that God’s grace is always sufficient, that God’s intents trump my God-blessed plans when He has a higher order for the day for me. Then is when I can breathe and be okay when my kids’ agenda-filled day goes by the wayside, tumbling away from me.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

Have Compassion

Daniel, my child in Burkina Faso

For the past week I followed the Compassion bloggers on their trip to Guatemala. Their messages, beautiful and haunting about children and their families whose home life forces us Americans to rename our poverty, made my body gush tears, wrung me out, stripped me apart and made me think about what part I play in ending this poverty. Continue reading

Reclaiming Me

I got a chance to go to the library and pick books without colorful pictures and rhyming words.
I ate fancy food at an organic restaurant with my favorite organic friend.
I heard some poetry and some jazz apart from nursery rhymes and children whining in the background.
I thought about riding my bike but decided to take a stroll even with the children in tow and it was all right.

I got to reclaim myself on break Continue reading

The Kids’ Break

They whined.
They begged.
They hollered and screamed.
They threw fruit.
They hit and wouldn’t share.
They called to mom to referee though dad was there too.
And the littlest one laughed at their antics.

I shushed, made them ask and say please and thank you.
I spoke and spanked and made them share
And all became clear: Having no routine for a 2 and 7 year old doesn’t work unless you want MORE work.

So, on my blogging break I learned a break for me can’t be a break for the kids, at least not in the same way. They need an organized schedule that includes plenty of energy-burning activities to keep them focused and calm, kind even, and keeps the mommy feeling like she’s still having some sort of break, even as a part-time referee.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith