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LauraMThomas

Writer/Editor

Laura M. Thomas is writer and editor at This Eternal Moment. A homeschooling mom to three little girls, she loves writing, reading, the great outdoors, and afternoon nap times.

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Entrusting Our Children to God

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During our family devotional time yesterday, we read the story of the birth of Moses:

A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it.

Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile.The baby’s older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it. She opened it and saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him.

She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.” Then his sister was before her: “Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Yes. Go.” The girl went and called the child’s mother.Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me. I’ll pay you.” The woman took the child and nursed him. ~ Exodus 2:1-9

Something Special

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Moses really was “something special.” The Bible tells us so! His mom saw his beauty and hid him so that he wouldn’t be killed.

When she couldn’t hide him any longer (I’m picturing the awesome, really noisy sounds that older babies make when they are learning to talk) she had a decision to make.

She could grieve the loss of a son once someone discovered him. Or, she could get creative and pray. I find it interesting that she technically did what Pharoah had asked – she put her boy in the Nile. But instead of leaving him to drown, she sets him up to survive.

She creates a special little “boat” for him to ride in down the river and his sister runs after him to try to make sure he’ll be okay along his journey.

It’s a good thing she’s there, because once Moses is found, his sister is ready. “Aw, he’s a cute baby, right?,” I can picture her asking Pharoah’s daughter. “I know you want to keep him, but should I get a nursing mother to take care of him for you?”

BRILLIANT, child. JUST BRILLIANT. Think about it: Just moments before, a mother let go of her child, not knowing if and when she would ever see him again.

Not a day had passed and here he was, back in her arms again, her milk still warm and ready for him in her breast.

Oh, and by the way, she got PAID to nurse him!!! It’s truly unbelievable.

Entrusting Our Children to God

As a mother, there will be many times I have to let my children go and entrust them totally to God. I’ll never forget when my first daughter was a little over a year old and my husband and I left for a trip to Haiti to help the victims of the severe earthquake there.

I left her with my parents for 8 days. It was only eight days, but it seemed like eternity to me when I held her in my arms for the last time before leaving.

We had never been apart for more than a few hours until then and I will admit I was anxious and afraid. Here I was going to another country that was in the midst of disaster, rioting, and large-scale unrest and handing over my baby girl to my parents for safekeeping.

I held her tightly in the dark nursery room, rocking her and crying. I felt the gentle whisper of God’s Spirit comforting me, “Trust Me. I will take care of her. Don’t be afraid. Learn to entrust her to me now when she is a child. Don’t wait until she’s older and leaving your home. Put her life in my hands.”

God Cares for Our Children

God is so faithful. God took care of Moses. God took care of my baby girl, too. I remind myself regularly that my children do not belong to me- I have dedicated them to the Lord and they are ultimately His.

We as parents are stewards of these beautiful little people. Our words and thoughts, our training and actions have a lasting impact on their minds and hearts. But we cannot control their choices or their future.

Let’s take a moment today to thank God for our precious children and to dedicate them afresh to the Lord.

To open up our hands before God and say like Hannah, “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

 

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First World Problems

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Last Sunday I completed a 1,000 mile, cross-country road trip with my husband and four children to spend time with my family of origin. We planned to start our trip on Friday morning, but due to the huge snow storm coming, we decided to leave Thursday instead.

Just a few hours into the trip, the whining began. No, no. It wasn’t my kids (although they did have their fair share of it as well). It was me. Shocker, I know.

I whined about the type of hot beverage my husband bought me (it was different than what I wanted).

I complained about the size of water he bought at the gas station (I needed a larger one. I am a nursing mom, for goodness sakes!) He turned this into a joke by buying me an entire gallon of water, by the way, which made us both laugh. (He’s not a whiner).

When we got to the hotel, I sighed that there wasn’t a “perfect” set up for our baby’s pack n play and inwardly lamented that we would (all six of us) have to sleep in the same room for three nights.

I was just plain grumbly.

That night, I slept on a pull out bed that was basically all springs sticking in my back. I made sure my husband knew how badly I had slept. He sighed.

A Wake Up Call

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The events that had brought us across the country were sobering and thought-provoking. We were there to be with my family in the midst of a tragedy.

And here I was whining about little inconveniences and preferences. It was eye-opening and convicting.

I decided to make a choice. No more whining.

The next night, my baby woke up several times crying. Each of my girls took turns coughing and the daughter I slept with kicked me all night. But I woke up that morning, asked my husband if I could take a short nap (instead of more whining) and chose to thank God for my many blessings.

I chose to focus on the fact that I was here with my amazing family.

I chose to rejoice that I had a roof over my head and that my children were warm and well-fed in the midst of a snow storm.

I chose to thank God that we had traveled safely and had been having a meaningful time with our relatives.

As a result, my spirit was flooded with joy that no “perfect circumstance” could ever replicate.

First World Problems

It’s been proven that our sense of satisfaction with life doesn’t tend to improve much after our basic needs are met. Meaning, when I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear, and food to eat, I am pretty much just as happy as when I have way more than I need.

More stuff, more circumstances going my way, more this or that doesn’t make us happier people.

Choosing to give thanks does. It actually releases joy in our spirits and into the lives of others.

“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

When we give thanks for what God has given us and the moment that is before us right now, we choose to unwrap the gift of the present.

It no longer matters if our latte is cold, if our refrigerator broke, if there is construction going on outside our window, or if someone took our parking place.

These are all first-world problems anyways.

We give thanks because we know that life is a gift and right now we are breathing, we have food, water, and shelter.

Complaining digs a pit which hides us from the beauty that surrounds us. Praise lifts us above our circumstances so that we can see the gifts that we have been given.

Thankfulness also allows us to emerge from our own pre-occupation with self and enter into the needs and joys of those around us.

Since we are capable of either encouraging or discouraging the eternal souls of the people around us, let’s choose thankfulness today.

The present awaits your unwrapping…

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Be A Namer

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Progo! You said we were Namers. I still don’t know; what is a Namer?

“I’ve told you. A Namer has to know who people are, and who they are meant to be. I don’t know why I should have been shocked at finding Echthroi on your planet.”

“Why are they here?”

“Echthroi are always about when there’s war. They start all war.”

“Progo, I saw all that awfulness you took me to see, that tearing of the sky, and all, but you still haven’t told me exactly what Echthroi are.”

Proginoskes probed into her mind, searching for words she could understand. “I think your mythology should call them fallen angels. War and hate are their business, and one of their chief weapons is un-Naming – making people not know who they are. If someone knows who he is, really knows, then he doesn’t need to hate. That’s why we still need Namers, because there are places throughout the universe like your planet Earth. When everyone is really and truly Named, then the Echthroi will be vanquished.”

~ Madeleine L’Engle, A Wind in the Door

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I read a book once by a man who told his children every night at bed time, “You are a beautiful, wonderful, child of God.” I thought it was a great idea. So, periodically, when I am putting my kids to bed, I will just look them in the eyes and say, “You are a beautiful, wonderful child of God.”

I say things like this to my kids (and even to myself) because we all hear other voices that whisper in our ears. That say, “You – just you- aren’t enough.” Those voices may make us feel worthless. Insignificant. That we need to do something great to earn the approval of God and others. That if we were really just smarter, more successful, more this or more that – our lives would matter more.

Made in God’s Image

But those voices lie. And I agree with L’Engle’s cherubim, Proginoskes. We need more Namers. People who know their purpose and significance and will help others discover theirs as well.

I want to be a Namer. I want to encourage you, not with fluffy statements to temporarily boost your self-esteem, but with words of truth that will last forever.

I want to tell you today that you are of great value to God.

You have been created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27)

You are greatly loved by God (Romans 1:7, Ephesians 2:4, Colossians 3:12)

You are so loved that He sent His only Son on your behalf (John 3:16-17).

You are His workmanship, created in Him for good works which He has prepared beforehand for you to walk in (Ephesians 2:10).

God is the ultimate “Namer.” He calls us by name and speaks the truth to us of our created purpose: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1).

I’m praying for no more rips in the sky today. I’m praying that I will live as one who has been truly Named and that so will you. That we will take our place as light-shiners, as image-bearers of the Most High God and that slowly we will watch the darkness be vanquished forever.

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