I was sitting at my table this morning, enjoying a delicious, giant mug of coffee. Thinking back I couldn’t help but revel a bit in the success of my week. I enjoyed a piece of buttermilk whole wheat toast, made by my very own hands. Our school week had gone so well. I saw significant improvement with one of my piano students yesterday. It was enough to make my head swell, just a bit.
The biggest triumph : math. Emily can now borrow and carry… its a big step for her and she is doing amazingly well! It was a lot of work and review, but she can do it on her own now. I’m so proud of her.
As I read a bit of Scripture this morning and talked with the Lord, I had to rethink my position, just a bit…
“Look at all I accomplished with Emily this week… isn’t it great? I think its really huge!”
“You?”
*pause*
“Okay look at all we accomplished with Emily?”
“We?”
*longer pause*
“Okay, okay – You accomplished it…. I know… I forgot…”
“so soon?”
*really really long pause*
He was wanting me to think deeper about the verse that He gave me this morning:
“Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us.” Isaiah 26:12
Ah yes! It is a significant, but gentle reminder. When it comes to my house work, school work, teaching piano lessons, child rearing or anything else that He gives me to do, I am not the one who can claim the victory. In every situation, He is to be praised because the work is His and the result is His as well.
No matter what is going on in my life – the outcome does not belong to me.
If there is a mantle of success to wear, it is only borrowed from Him. But, if there is a burden to carry when the world sees failure in progress, that is also His. He can claim ownership of it all because He planned it and He is in charge. It is not mine. Not any of it.
And this is where I find peace for my life. Acknowledging that it all belongs to Him means I can relax a bit more. Smile and laugh a lot more. Worry a lot less. Frown over math problems much much less.
Thank you, Lord, for your mercy. I am especially grateful for even the smallest of successes that come from your hand. Knowing that You are in charge is the best gift you could have given me today.
amen.
(originally written October 8, 2010)
daily portion 
Thank you, Melody for this reminder!! So true!! So often we struggle and work so hard thinking the outcome depends on us, when what we really need to do is depend on Him! I love your posts!! You have a gift of sharing your heart and it reaches ours!! Praying for you – that God continues to use you to encourage and touch our hearts!!