Sowing and Reaping

“Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5-6

Recently I have been thinking about this idea of sowing and reaping. One of my children was very discouraged after not seeing progress in an area that is a great passion for this child. This child is diligent and self-disciplined; This child is a super student and has a heart for spiritual things. I was shocked by my child’s pain and frustration, and what’s worse, I had no words of encouragement, as this child is talented in a sport in which I have no expertise. After  listening to the hurt and being there for the tears, I continued to pray for my child to have success in this area of life that is so dear. I continued to meditate on the reason why my child wasn’t seeing success despite the practice and dedication.

God brought to mind Charles Stanley’s teaching on sowing and reaping.  His devotional in the One-year Bible reminds me that we reap What we sow, Later than we sow, and More than what we sow.

“A man reaps what he sows.” Galatians 6:7 My child is seeking to perfect a sports skill. That is going to pay off. When I read my Bible and pray, when I fellowship with unbelievers, when I cultivate my relationship with God, that is sowing to the spirit, and God’s Word promises that when we “Draw near to God, he will draw near to you.” (James 5:8)  When we persevere and discipline ourselves in any area of our lives, we know that we will reap positive benefits from that discipline.

We have to remember that success doesn’t come instantly. God makes all things beautiful in his time, in light of his eternal plan. God promised Abraham a son, but in his impatience, Abraham took matters into his own hands and created a lot of problems for his family.  Despite his sin, God was faithful to give him the gift of a son. Right now I am seeking God for his will regarding my time this summer. I hope to finish my Master’s Degree and write a book proposal. My son needs to get his license and a job; my daughter plans to attend a residential summer program for six weeks. My husband still seeks better pay and work hours as he works nights and weekends, causing our family time to suffer. As I pray about these plans, I want God to answer right now, but he keeps telling me, “Be still before the Lord and waiting patiently for Him.” Psalm 46:10.

Finally, God is so faithful that he promises we will reap even more than what we sow. The key is perseverance. If you are discouraged, do not give up. God is faithful! “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Gal. 6:9

Ask, Seek, Knock

This year I have meditated on Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” In January, a friend had told me about Debbie Macomber’s book One Perfect Word. It was a great inspiration to me, so I decided to select a word or phrase.  My REACH philosophy is still a guide, but I feel I’m at a turning point in my life. I’m wondering what is next. I feel like something new is ahead. As I look to the future, particularly this summer as I have a few months off from teaching, I am diligently asking, seeking and knocking about various opportunities. My daughter is attending an educational program for six weeks, and it is a valuable, enriching experience in which I participated at her age, but it is a considerable expense. I need to take two more courses to complete my master’s degree which will get me a substantial raise in the fall. I am really interested in a writer’s conference, but that again is an expense.  My son needs to get a job and get his license. My husband still works nights and weekends, which is tough on family life. All these situations are  items that I am bringing to the Lord, awaiting his response, and actively exploring some options and opportunities.  I can’t wait to see how it all turns out!

DULOPA trip

I returned on Sunday from a 10-day, 4-country trip to Europe. I visited Dublin, Wales, London, and Paris. I was able to attend the trip as a chaperone for the high school English department. We had 28 students and 5 chaperones from our school. We were joined by two other small groups as we toured each city. While I was gone, the bombing of the Boston Marathon occurred as well as the explosion in Texas.  I was in London on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral shortly after the funeral for Margaret Thatcher.  Wherever I am, it is a comfort to know that the Lord is with me wherever I go, and he’s got the whole world in his hands! I am so grateful to friends and family that helped out while I was away and my husband was home holding down the fort. I loved the trip! Here are some pictures of some the highlights:

Walking by Faith, Not by Sight

February was a very challenging month. On Friday, February 1, my son had an away basketball game.   During the first quarter, my son got poked in the eye.  He went to the bench, and the medic  was very attentive. After repeatedly checking my son’s eye with a flashlight, the medic told us that he recommended that we go to the emergency room because he thought Jeremy’s pupil was bleeding. We are grateful that he took the injury seriously and gave us good medical advice. We went to Boston to a specialist. He was  put on bed rest for two weeks. We had to go to an eye specialist regularly to check the pressure and bleeding in his eye. We are so grateful for the great treatment we got from all of the doctors! Our friends  and family were very gracious to bring us meals. The following week,  a blizzard hit our area, and we lost power for about 12 hours.  We said a family prayer the next morning as our house was so cold, and immediately the power was restored! However, we soon learned the reason that God restored our power was so that we could host my sister and her family as they also lost power for several days and needed a warm place to sleep. During the same blizzard, a friend from church had a fire in her home, and she is still displaced.  Then, we heard my grandma fell and got hip replacement surgery. She lives in Arkansas, and we miss her and wish we could be closer to visit and give her encouragement. This month has certainly been an adventure, and we are so grateful for God’s provision of healing and safety during this difficult time.

Report card from Jesus

It is the stressful season of ending a semester and beginning a new one at the school where I work.  I know most people think that teachers sit around with red pens, drinking coffee, cackling with delight as they write large “F’s” on report cards.  However, that is not the case; it is so heartbreaking when my students fail.  Since I have always loved school, I am tempted to use this time to reflect on my own life and my  many resolutions and issue myself a report card.

The old me would have rushed to analyze yet another busy day of jugglemama, rushing from one activity to the next, striving for perfection that is unattainable. I already get a red slash for my eating habits today. I made Toaster Strudel for myself and the kids for breakfast; then when I dropped off my son I realized he never ate! I thought I had forgotten the pastries at home, but when I got to work I discovered I had put them in my lunch bag. So, I ate BOTH of them.  Then, during lunch, I ate a brownie that someone had brought in. However, I did got to the gym today, so does that even things out with a “C” ?

I blew my budget as well; I knew I was cutting things close,but  over the weekend I bought my daughter some earrings WITH A COUPON to thank her for helping me scrub the kitchen floor. I bought my son a $10 CD to even things out. However, I forgot that the health club payment hits at the end of the month, so I have a $2 overdraft. Another failure. I try to compensate for that by something else, like vacuuming the living room. I constantly check off items on my to-do list; keeping myself on such a tight leash!

But I am learning to walk in grace. I have been listening to Chuck Swindoll on my way to work in the morning. He is preaching his “Grace Awakening” series. He shared a very encouraging story.  When he was in seminary, he and his fellow students would rush to check their grades on their blue book exams at the end of the term. One student in particular struggled academically, so before he opened his book, he wrote “GRACE” across the cover.

So, today, I’m going to let Jesus grade my busy day of juggling my health, my budget, my work responsibilities, my parenting, my marriage, my heart. And I’m so grateful that the letters I find are G. R. A. C. E.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” Romans 8:1

 

On My Bookshelf

I have been reading some very good books lately!

• Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks–This is a fascinating story about a Puritan settlement in Martha’s VIneyard in the 1660′s. The heroine is a pastor’s daughter who has secretly befriended a Wampanoag boy. The novel is based on a true story of the first native American to graduate from Harvard College. Go out and get this book!
• Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman–This is a  book that I have returned to several times to soak in each chapter. It really fits the season of my life as I am trying to see what living in Grace looks like for me. I can identify with many of the “masks” that “good girls” wear. I even wrote the author to continue the discussion. I am wondering what role the church has played in this, and then I am curious to see what living out this grace looks like. This would be a great book for a women’s group to study and discuss.
• The Charles Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible–This year I read my daily Bible in bed before sleep.  It has been a great blessing to end my day with God. I think I even sleep better! I am enjoying the familiar Genesis stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. If you haven’t tried reading through the Bible, it is a great resolution for 2013.
• The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley is on deck as recommended to me by my colleague and fellow bibliophile Becky.

Manic Monday

Today was a busy day of back to work, and is a great example of how I have to juggle the activities of my busy life. I got up around 5 and made coffee, fed and walked the dog, read my devotional, then woke up my daughter before I took a shower. 5 or 6 wakeups later, the princess got into the shower and I continued with the morning routine of making lunches, warming up the car, making breakfast, and rushing out of the house to get to work on time. I dropped off my son, then rushed to get to work. This morning I had a coverage, which means I use part of my planning period to substitute in a class for an absent colleague. It’s a great way to make extra money,  but I didn’t get much work done. During my first class, thirteen students were out, and in my second class, only four showed up! After lunch a fifth student showed up. After school, I had a fundraising meeting for a trip to Dublin, London, and Paris in April. I am coordinating a calendar raffle. After the meeting, I stayed to do some more correcting, then it was time to pick up my daughter and her friend from school; they had a meeting about the school musical. At home, I picked up my son to drop him off to practice. When I returned home, the girls had a healthy snack of strawberries and pretzels and I took them to the gym. ON my way home I stopped at the store to pick up a few things for dinner.  When I returned, I walked the dog, emptied the dishwasher, filled it with dirty dishes and then finally tackled the silverware drawer. I took everything out, washed the plastic sorting tray, threw away all the junk, and then washed the inside of the drawer and put everything back. Then it was time to pick up the girls and I brought my daughter’s friend to her house. When my daughter got home, she had a mini breakdown because this is a super busy week for her with lots of deadlines, including tryouts for the musical, an English diorama project due, an essay and payment due for her summer program, and twirling tonight.  I prayed with her, then she had some cereal and it was time to drop her off at twirling practice and then pick up my son from basketball. During practice, my son got hit in the face and his contacts came out, so he had to throw them away. I hope he has a new pair for tomorrow! Now I am typing while eating dinner, and at 730 it will be time to pick up my daughter. Then she has to type up her ELA homework so I can print it out tomorrow. Somewhere in there I have to throw in a load of laundry and bake a cake because I promised a birthday cake for one of my students tomorrow. I know we women and moms can identify with the many demands on our time. Make sure to take time out of your busy day to pray and be strengthened in the Lord.