The Blessing In Bearing Burdens Together

I just got back from the gym. Working harder, longer and maybe a little more frequently -- am I supermodel-skinny yet? Hmph.

Oftentimes while on the eliptical I'll surf the blog rings. Today though, I read Bible Gateway. I've been walking with the Lord for over 9 years now and I still haven't read the Word, cover to cover. This just can't be! How arrogant of me to think that the study I have done is enough, or that there isn't anything more for me to understand outside my favorite New Testament books. I found myself coming under conviction by the very words I was using to exhort a friend this week. Years ago in BSF, I learned that when Jesus remarked to the devil in the wilderness that, "man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God," He was making a direct reference to the manna in the wilderness with which the Lord fed the Isrealites. And the directions for gathering the manna were very specific -- they were to gather only enough to sustain them for that day. When they tried to hoard the manna for tomorrow, it was not edible.

Likewise, I need to read, to study and to hide His Word in my heart daily. The model and the reference tell me that He will not honor the hoarding of His Word. I need to help my children do the same. Sometimes they do not think like Jesus, or love what He loves, or hate what He hates. And sometimes it's painfully obvious that foolishness is bound up in their hearts. They cannot eradicate it themselves -- that's why they have parents.

I witnessed some really strong parenting this week. The child of a friend sinned against one of my girls, but the sin was left undetected for a time. When discovered, my friend and her husband dealt swiftly and completely with the sin -- asking for a meeting and commanding that the child confess, apologize and seek the forgiveness of my child as well as of me. We were glad to do our part in bearing this burden with them; to offer our forgiveness, share some scripture that the Lord put on our hearts and assure the child that we believe in second chances. I also said that my daughter would try to be a good friend by being more careful to not place a stumbling block before this offender.

But those were my words, not her's -- and before the family left our house, my friend bore my burden with me, catching my girl heaving a stumbling block into her child's path. It does not escape me that my daughter's sin was not unlike that of a Bible character that continues to this day to delight in tempting others toward their demise. Oh, how grievous. And yet, what a blessing that it happened and was caught under the cover of our care, that we might be able to address the sin today, rather than 10 years or 20 years down the line after it's matured and grown fangs.

So, this evening I am prompted to pray more fervently for the spiritual condition of both children. They are very young, and while this behavior is no suprise to their maker, it does not give me room to let down my guard; to grow weary of doing good; to become lax in my intercessory supplication or to be merely satisfied with behavior that tows the line.

I want to know my girls' hearts, and teach them to look to the Lord to perceive their own. I want them to love His Law, revel in His grace, be grateful for His mercy and truly love others as He has loved us. I want them to be strong and humble and meek while walking in the desire to help others succeed in pursuing holiness. I want to be His instrument -- instilling in them, Kingdom thinking. And I want the Holy Spirit to seal them unto that day.

In a time when all seems hopeless, I have high hopes for children -- because the Lord is at work.