preschoolers and bees

I bought a pretty bracelet the other day. I was drawn to the blue and green shades. It has 2 bees on it. I don't own anything with bees on it but something about this bracelet was so appealing, and it matched a dress I picked up to wear to a wedding, so I bought it. It was a couple weeks later, as I wore it, not to the wedding but on a regular day just because, that I looked at the bracelet dangling there on my wrist and immediately I remembered a drive a few years ago on the way to my youngest son's preschool. He and his sweet little friend Abbi were in the back seat having one of their conversations.  I always turned down the radio when Abbi got in the van because their 4 year old conversations were priceless and I never wanted to miss a single word.  This time they were talking about bees. Samuel asked Abbi ,  "You know how to tell which one is the queen bee?"  She didn't know.  He promptly replied,  "She's the one who sits in the chair."   Love. I've thought about that conversation more than a couple times with a chuckle over the past few years but as I recalled it this time, it meant something different to me.  She's the one who sits in the chair reminded me of the fact that I am seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.  You see I've been studying lately about the believer's authority and as soon as we confess that Jesus is Lord of our lives the Bible says we are immediately seated with Him in heavenly places.  He's seated there with all power and authority, God having placed all things under His feet, which simply means He's got dominion over it all.  He's seated there and God has made us to sit there with Him...there with His power and authority and all things under our feet, which simply means He's given us dominion.  So that means all sickness, lack, strife, divorce, and every evil work, we sit above it all in our chair with Christ, all His power and authority given to us to do His will on earth as it is in heaven.  His will is for us to bind the works of the devil and loose the blessing of God wherever we go.  So as I've been reading the Bible and learning the truth of God's word and His promises to all believers, this believer is reminded, as I look down at my pretty bee-wrapped wrist, that she's the one who sits in the chair.  No matter what it looks like in my situation here in my daily life, in the spirit I am seated in heavenly places with Jesus and He expects me to look from that perspective and use that authority to speak His will over my life and watch to see what He'll do.  That's the perspective I want, so,  I'm getting in my chair.

For Such a Time As This

When I hear sermons about the end times and listen to talk about how things are getting worse and that the future for our country is bleak, I’m not going to lie, it has sparked fear in me and leaves me feeling unsettled.  I mean I realize that the world’s political and economic climates are not good.  There are wars and rumors of wars, there’s famine, there’s unusual and catastrophic weather patterns...all things that are mentioned in the Bible as signs of the end of the age.

  We live in a time where there’s a complete disregard for God’s word; what is evil is said to be good and what is good is said to be evil.  God, and all things related to Him, is made to be mocked in entertainment in the name of freedom.  Laws are in place to aid a woman in killing her unborn child in the name of choice.  Of course why shouldn’t God just allow us all to suffer through the worst of tribulation right now?


  Some people in the church say that we are in the end and it’s only going to get worse, Prepare, get your affairs in order, stockpile food, build an underground shelter, stow away cash.  I find this talk to be heavy and grim and it just doesn't sit well in my spirit.  Is the church supposed to just hunker down?

A few days ago I read this post from global worship leader Sean Feucht.  In his excitement he shares about what God’s doing in manifesting his dreams of worship and using him and many others to usher in the Presence of the Lord around the globe.  He is encouraged in these times, seeing God moving and touching so many hearts and bringing forth miracles and salvations in so many parts of the world.

  What a juxtaposition of outlooks on the exact same times.  I thought on all of this and I felt the Lord whisper in my spirit, 

“Find your place in it.” 

  Aren’t we, as lovers of the Most High, supposed to keep our eyes on Him believing and contending for His Kingdom while making a difference with our lives on this earth?  We are to change atmospheres and ignite passion for the Lord.  Now I’m not saying that getting prepared for bad times is wrong, we are to be aware of the times and the seasons.  But sometimes I feel that there can be this spirit of hunkering down and doom and gloom and plans for fleeing that bother me.  God help me to find a balance between wisdom and preparation and being completely focused on You, sold out and on fire and believing the best because you can do anything....help me to find my place in this.

Queen Esther comes to mind and how she was used to save the lives of thousands.

 A young Jewish girl, Esther went to the palace of the Persian king by force, one of up to 1400 young women taken from their homes and all that they knew so the king could find a new wife.  Hiding her true identity as a Jew, Esther found herself in a situation where she could have just been someone who the king slept with once and forgot about, left to live life as a lonely concubine, but God’s hand was on Esther and she was made queen, placing her in a position of influence before trouble came so she could be used of God to save her people from an evil plot of annihilation.  When the plot to destroy the Jews was set into motion, her uncle sent her word from outside the palace walls imploring her to use her influence with the king to beg mercy for the Jews, reminding her that she may have come into her royal position for such a time as this.

 Esther found that her place in the situation was one of influence in the king's court and she was used mightily.

  I believe that we have the very same position of influence.  Although our influence is not with an earthly king, but in the courts of heaven with the King of Kings.  We can come boldly before His throne and intercede on behalf of our nation and beg mercy for those who live outside the King's chambers.  We can see relief and deliverance come to a nation if we choose not to remain silent.  


Esther got herself focused and trusted God in prayer.  She stepped out, used her gifts, and the way God made her...special and fitted for that time and place.  The Bible says that God decides the times and places of our days.  God gave her favor, wisdom and protection.  She came into her destiny in the worst of times.  Although it wasn't easy and took amazing courage, especially in revealing that she herself was a Jew, Esther was willing to even give up her own life to fulfill her purpose in the palace.  She found her place in it and changed the destiny of her people.
  

  So I look to Esther's example, a regular girl placed in a position of influence during volatile times, given extraordinary favor to fulfill God's purpose and bring deliverance to a nation.

  My prayer today is, Lord help me to find my place in these times.  Help me to be myself, using the gifts you've given me, grant me extraordinary favor to fulfill your purpose in this earth, and even bring deliverance to a nation.
Help me to take up my position of influence for such a time as this.

Is this your first visit to Freedom Friday?
We're embracing freedom each Friday here in 2012.

Click here for a list of the other posts in the series.

  

Who's Bearing Your Burdens?

A few months ago I was on my way to meet a mentor for breakfast.  It was a rainy, dreary day which mimicked the way I felt.  I had just gotten all the boys off to school and was driving to meet her as I wrestled with my thoughts. 
She had been encouraging me during monthly breakfasts as my husband and I walked through a tough time financially.  Normally I looked forward to those breakfasts, but this day I didn't.  I knew she would ask me how things were and I just didn't want to go and report that we still hadn't seen much change in our situation; that we were still struggling.
I had been praying for things to change, but it was taking so long and it was so uncomfortable.


  I had grown weary.


My mind was filled with fear over the "what-if's" of the situation.  All the worst case scenarios were replaying over in my mind and as they filled my mind, they eventually came out of my mouth.  And for the last 2 weeks I had pain in my shoulders, down both my arms, and into both hands.  The pain was so severe at times that it made me nauseous.


At first I thought I may have slept in an odd position which caused the discomfort, but the pain grew worse over the next few days.  I considered calling the doctor, but I'm not really a doctor person.  Deep down I knew it wasn't something the doctor could heal anyway.  I knew it was stress and that my negative thoughts and words had opened me up to this pain.  I felt ashamed.  So, I really didn't want to go to the breakfast.


But I did.


I told her what was going on...
Things still the same.
No money.
Lots of stress.
Now lots of pain.


  She asked,
Maureen, are you taking on burdens that you weren't meant to bear?

  What?


Are you bearing a load that is not your responsibility?


I hadn't thought of it that way, but something clicked in me and I knew she was right.  So we left the restaurant and prayed together in her car.  I asked the Lord to forgive me for taking on a burden that wasn't mine.  To forgive me for my unbelief in His ability to provide for us.  By faith I took that burden off and gave it to Him.  And that was it.  But that was not all.  The pain in my body started to go.  It wasn't as severe.  A few hours later it was completely gone!  This was pain I had all day everyday for 2 weeks.  It kept me awake at night.  It had me constantly rubbing my hands thinking I could rub it away.  It had me nauseous.


  Now it was all gone!


So what happened?


Somewhere during the year of lack and stress I picked up the burden of provision for our family instead of giving it to the Lord.  I was praying and asking for God to help us, even quoting scripture here and there, but yet my mind was stuck in trying-to-figure-it-all-out mode.  My negative thoughts, which turned into words as I gave voice to them, negated my prayers and God's ability to work in my life.  My words stopped His answers from coming.


  I picture it like this...
I'd pray, quote scripture, and ask for His help.
He'd hear my words and start to answer.
Then I'd go through doubt and fear.
I'd voice that doubt and fear.
He'd hear my words and His answer halted at those words because they were in direct opposition to what I had originally prayed.


My prayers and scriptures were calling for blessing to come into my life, yet my words, spoken out of doubt and fear, called for cursing.


This became clear to me that day that I asked forgiveness for my fear words and my burden bearing.  Asking for His forgiveness opened me up to receive His blessing and I was healed.


The next day I woke up and those negative thoughts started to come back in and my hands began to ache slightly.  Those thoughts were just waiting for me to grab ahold and give them a voice like I had done before.  But, instead I reminded them that I gave that burden of provision to Jesus yesterday and that I give it to Him again today.  The burden isn't mine to bear and those thoughts have to go.  They went and so did the pain.
  I haven't had pain since. 

So, today, if you're plagued with stressful thoughts, and maybe even pain in your body, take some time to see if you're shouldering burdens you weren't meant to bear.  Ask God to forgive you for not trusting Him.  He's a merciful God who longs to see His children free and healed.  Then give that burden to Jesus.  It's His shoulders the burden was meant to rest upon.
Be at peace and be healed.  

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
    who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 68:19

Is this your first visit to Freedom Friday?
We're embracing freedom each Friday here in 2012.
Click here for a list of the other posts in the series.

Living It

It's near noon on a Tuesday and he's in the playground.  Ethan, my nine-year-old, in the middle of the school day is walking around amongst the third grade class recess and praying.


  A classmate comes over and asks what he's doing and Ethan tells him he's praying.  What's that?, the child asks.  Ethan says, Well, you talk to God, the one and only true God who has a Son named Jesus, and you start out like, Dear God, and you ask him to help you with something or you tell him stuff.  But the main thing is you have to believe in your heart that He hears you and that He'll do it and after a few times of praying to Him about it, you'll have an answer. 

This I listen to on our drive home after we've left the car-line at the end of the school day . 

What a pleasant surprise!  I love these moments!  Moments when I discover the fruit of seeds I planted in my children during times that left me wondering if they really heard me.  This fruit discovered in the midst of the mindless routine, right smack between pushing brothers to get the much sought after way-back back seat and the wrestling match that takes place in the driveway daily as we pile out of the van and "walk" (with 3 boys, I use that term loosely) to the front door.

Keys to prayer as told by a child (of God):

1. Make sure you're praying to the right guy, aka the one and only true God who has a Son named Jesus. 

2. Believe that He hears you and that He'll do it.

3.  Keep it up.

4.  Do it no matter where you are.

5.  Don't be afraid to be seen and heard. 


Such a great reminder to me to talk the walk and keep pouring into these boys what it means to live being a Jesus-follower.  Although they may not always look as though they're getting it...they are.  Children are sponges and will soak up whatever you give them.  This is a reminder to me to continue to create opportunities with them to soak in more of God.


They soak up enough and recess time could look a whole lot different! 


*sharing this at MOB Society's Let's Hear it for the Boys link-up
 {reaching the hearts of boys for the gospel & preparing a generation of men to love the Lord}