(photo : Mackenzie, last trip to the pool, summer of 2012)
The sun was shining this afternoon while I stood by the side of the “baby” pool watching my baby girl splash. My other two, Em and Isaac, were just to my right swimming in the “big” pool, jumping in and diving for their water toys.
Mackenzie had decided she would attempt to empty the baby pool, one pail of water at a time. She scooped and dumped. scooped and dumped. scooped and dumped. However, it did not seem remarkable to me that the pool’s water was not receding at all. There were so many gallons, even in the Signal Mountain baby pool, that it was impossible for her to empty it with her little pail.
impossible.
As I stood by, looking on, I couldn’t help but think back to just an hour earlier.
Just before we arrived at the pool I had a few not so proud mommy moments, where Mackenzie reached in to my soul and drained me of every ounce of patience that I had. If my heart were a sponge, she would have squeezed every last drop right out of me. My proverbial buttons were pushed and I exploded! While it is true that there is an unlimited supply of patience available to me, I’m not always full of patience. There are way too many days where I end up running dry long before my kids are tucked into bed and my head hits the pillow. I wish it weren’t possible but it is.
very possible, in fact.
And just when I think I’m about to win Mom of the year… After all, we’re doing so much cool summer stuff together, I’m savoring the chilled-out summer time with my kiddos… and bam! I forget and I become too independent. I think I’ve got the bases covered, and I don’t need to fill up with all those things the Holy Spirit offers – you know, love, kindness, goodness, patience… and all of the fruits that are listed in Scripture for survival…
But the truth is: I need help to survive as a Mom. I just do. I need Jesus, everything that He is, and everything that He has promised me for living a fruitful and joyful life.
In Colossians 1 Paul writes a letter where he says, – (this is kind of my own version,) “Hey listen, we just heard y’all are loving God and loving each other – and we’re really excited about it and we hope you are able to keep it up!” But then Paul, who knows first hand just how difficult it is, tells them he’s praying for them, and this is what he says he is praying for (well, this is the beginning of his prayer):
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
I like verse 11 so much because he is reminding them it is going to require all of the strength and might offered by the power of Christ to live patiently and faithfully with joy! This same strength, this unlimited amount of power, the patience and joy that He is talking about, because of Christ’s redeeming work on the cross, is also mine! I can live the life of a patiently joyful Mom when I appropriate the grace Paul describes.
Patience, joy, love,- all by His power. I can’t drain it to the bottom. I can’t squeeze Him empty. I can’t run Him dry and use it all up! Praise God, it is a complete, full and never ending supply! amen.
daily portion 