Friday, November 30, 2012

PEACE BE WITH YOU!

I remember times when I would literally lay the weight of my body over my son's raging little form-- praying that he would know that he was safe, desiring that my embrace would keep him from hurting me or himself, hoping that maybe the strong physical presence of his loving mother would somehow communicate to him that no anger need ever overcome him, that peace would replace fear. In times like this one it becomes clear that there is an orphan legacy--things handed down to a child from a past marred by relinquishment, fear and lack. But in those long moments of struggle with my son, and all through the years when the legacy of fear would burst to the surface despite the weight of our love, I have known that when God's peace rules, that orphan legacy is nullified. It must make way for life-giving peace.

For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10


This covenant of peace is my child's legacy now. Indeed, it is mine and yours as followers of Jesus. And my, how we parents need this peace! God promises that His Peace is ours, part of our inheritance as His beloved sons and daughters. As parents we are only able to impart to our children the things that are ours. When I do not have peace, I do not have it to give my child. So I pursue peace because I see that I need it and that my child needs it. And how thankful I am that this peace is mine by inheritance, not based on my performance and not according to what I deserve! 



And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live].
Colossians 3:15

Peace: the Umpire of the Heart
In the moment I described above, and in countless other times, I have had great need of a peace that could not be found in my current situation. The Rule of Peace is so often what my child needs, and what I need as a mother who can so easily fear for her child's future. I love the Amplified's definition of "rule." The Peace of Christ acts as an umpire in my heart. It gets to decide what is a fair or foul thought and what is allowed in "the game." Fear, anxiety, deadness of spirit-- none of these is ruled a "fair ball." Also, note that it is the Peace of Christ that rules, not some mere absence of conflict or anxiety. If we are waiting for a time in our families where there is no trouble, no strife, no difficulties to face, then we are in trouble!  No, this is a peace that belongs to you and to me, to each of our children, regardless of season and regardless of past hurt. This Peace is our inheritance as a child of God.

Philippians 4:7 describes Peace as a military guard:
And God's peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Peace:  A Guard over your Heart
Can you just see that? Your heart and mind being protected day and night by the military presence of a trained guard. This guard of PEACE allowing entry to some thoughts, hopes and dreams but raising His weapon against other thoughts, fears and deceptions, forbidding access. Ever present, greater in power than any circumstance, full of hope.

So Lord Jesus, you yourself are our Peace. (Ephesians 2:14) THE PRINCE OF PEACE! You stand guard, you occupy my heart and mind with military troops, and you call the shots as to what is allowed in my inner life, in my heart, in my mind. May it be so Jesus. May your Peace Rule over each one of us and each one of our children, despite of and in the midst of difficult times. Your peace is greater than an orphan legacy, with it's accompanying fears, anger, hopelessness.... Beautiful Powerful Peace--- RULE TODAY IN OUR CHILDREN AND IN EACH ONE OF US this wonderful Christmas Season! 

Reposted from October, 2011.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

THANKSGIVING MENU: TENOR WITH TASTE


From Susan Hillis:
I have come to believe that tenor of a feast is definitely a much higher priority than its taste.  By tenor, I mean the loving, joyful, and peaceful atmosphere of the gathering and by taste I mean the succulent flavors of the dishes being prepared.  Either without the other leaves the partakers with a sense of disappointment.  I pray for each of you dear readers that this Thanksgiving you may enjoy both tenor and taste!

Taste without Tenor
I remember how nervous and afraid I felt.  It was my boyfriend Brian's first time visiting my family all those many years ago, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, for Thanksgiving.  The tastes of the meal were absolutely superb -- creamy, steamy mashed potatoes, warm juicy turkey carved to perfection, the traditional cranberry-almond jello salad, the scrumptious made-from-scratch macaroni and cheese.  But the tenor was so tense it could be cut with a knife.  You see, my mom and dad had struggled for years in their marriage, and this particular day they were in the middle of a huge fight.  My siblings and I were so tense we had no idea what to say.  My mama was so tense that she got up and spent the entire meal in the kitchen which adjoined our dining room, washing the mountain of pots and throwing the clean ones onto the cabinet.  Crash. Thunk.  Those were the sounds.  No conversation.  None of us knew what to say.  I do know what I thought, "Oh my goodness, Brian Hillis is never gonna want to date me again after this!  I am sure he will think that if he sticks with me, we will end up with a family like THIS!"  The tastes were perfect, but the tenor of the atmosphere was destructive and hurtful.  Anger prevailed, not love.  It is what the verse in Proverbs 17:1 talks about when it says, 
Better a dry crust eaten in peace than a house filled with feasting--and conflict.   
(By the way, for the early years of our marriage I did throw pots pretty often when I was fuming, but never on Thanksgiving!)

Tenor without Taste
Another memorable Thanksgiving was our first one spent  on the mission field, in Colombia.  I answered the knock on the door to see our friend Lucho standing there holding a huge dead turkey by the neck he had just wrung, feathers still all fluffed out, saying, "Aqui te traigo el pavo para el dia de accion de gracias!" (here I am bringing you your turkey for the Day of Giving Thanks).  
You see, I had sadly told our friends that I was going to feel lonely on Thanksgiving, my first away from home.  As they tried to figure out how to give me a Thanksgiving experience in Colombia, they determined we would have a feast together at our home that day and that they would provide the traditional ingredients for the customary dishes.  Since turkey could not be purchased in the grocery store, they decided to buy a live one and kill it, then bring me the gift!  The plucking of the turkey and its preparation took hours, and in the end it left a rather wild gamey aftertaste that felt like a disappointment.  But the peace and joy and laughter around our table shared by a number of fellow believers who had come to be our family in Christ there, remain a treasured fond memory in my heart.

Tenor with Taste
So now what we are after is BOTH-- tenor and taste!  Just as we spend time preparing for the taste part (picking the menu, going to the grocery store, and preparing each of the dishes), there are some preparations we can make for the tenor part.  With younger kids, they love having some type of Thanksgiving activity to make their memory.  Maybe taping white butcher block paper on the table as the table cloth and letting them decorate it with finger paint or watercolors while the food is on the stove.  Or maybe its letting each of them trace their hands on a piece of white poster board, then cut it out and paint the fingers as the turkey-feathers and their thumbs as the turkey head and using this as placards to mark their place on the table.  Or for older kids maybe its playing a family game of kickball or basketball outside after the meal.  And as the teens and young adults come along, it may be board games or sports. But definitely it is play and fun that makes the tenor part for kids.  After the meal we have a tradition of passing out two popcorn kernels (in memory of the corn grown by the early settlers) to each person, and then each of us plops his or her kernel in the "Thankfulness Cup" that is passed around, saying two things they are thanking God for, from the previous year.

Along with the play and thankfulness parts, for all ages, comes the real heart of the tenor - it is the building up part.  And that is REALLY what is on my heart for you and yours this Thanksgiving.  I want to set my mind and heart to ask the Lord to open my eyes to the wonders of His nature inside of each of those who will be at my home this holiday, and to speak to them about THAT...about who they are in Him!  This past week the importance of building each other up has just jumped off the pages of the Scriptures as I have watched the light of day replace the darkness of night.  What we really want to do for every person who shares Thanksgiving with us is to LOVE them well.  And it is becoming so much more clear that loving people well means we speak out to them words that build them up.  Here are some of the highlights from the Scriptures about that:
  • "LOVE builds up!"  I Cor 8:1  So...do you want to love well on Thanksgiving???  Then build up those who you spend it with!!!  Even if they are not doing the same with you!
  • "Pursue LOVE....SPEAK to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation....SPEAK to build up the church....strive to EXCEL in building up the church.....let ALL things be done for building up."  I Cor 14.  Note that chasing after love means we speak with exceptional quality -- we EXCEL -- and with universal quantity - ALL things can be done with building up....even the games and crafts and playing parts. 
  • "So then let us pursue peace and what makes for mutual upbuilding." (Rom 14:19)
Thanksgiving Every Day
And so I end, dear one, with an exciting reminder!  We can eat a Thanksgiving Feast every day, the kind of feast where the Lord builds you up and says to you the same kinds of things you say to your kids...the "I am so proud of you" kind of things.  No kidding - by just remembering who we are and whose we are.  We are our Heavenly Father's dearly beloved children and He prepares a daily feast ("give us this day our daily bread!") at the King's table, according to our need, every day, as long as we live - read the last verse of Jeremiah to prove it:

"Every day of [your life], dine regularly at the King's table,  And for [your] allowance, a regular allowance is given [you] by the King, according to [your] daily needs, until the day of [your] death, as long as [you] live."  NOW, IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT!  YOUR THANKSGIVING FEAST, FRIEND! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Monday, November 12, 2012

DOOMED TO SUCCESS

I want to share what I think will be an encouraging word for all of us who are in the thick middle of raising children. The thing about being in the thick of it all is that it can be hard to see the big picture. You've got the day-to-day realities of raising children right in front of your face, so close you go cross-eyed sometimes! It is hard to focus on the big picture when your eyes are completely focused on the moment at hand, isn't it? If this is sounding familiar, you may want to check out a previous post on the importance of being transfixed by the answer rather than by the problem, "Parenting in Grace: Identity." 


So today I am wanting to pull us all back to take a quick look at the bird's eye view, allowing us to see the proverbial forest for a moment, and not just the few trees right in front of our eyes.



Doomed to Success
There have been times over the years of parenting that Stephen and I have been, I confess, overwhelmed by the needs and issues of our children. Raising and loving children who have had to deal with hardships and pain beyond anything either of us have even come close to dealing with has meant that as a family we have faced some pretty difficult times. In one of those times where I was choosing to be transfixed by the problem rather than the answer-- that is, rehearsing in my mind all the issues we were facing with multiple children and practically inviting fear to come make a home in my mind and emotions-- I remember thinking something like, "well, this looks pretty bad and if God doesn't come through, then we are in serious trouble!" 
And almost simultaneously, I heard in my spirit this phrase, loud and clear:
"DOOMED TO SUCCESS." 

It was like the Holy Spirit was saying, "in the world's eyes this list of issues would lead us to think that a child is doomed to failure, but I am telling you this day that because of My love, which is powerful, your children are, in fact, doomed to success." 
It was such a jarring moment, a jarring phrase, and I knew it was the Lord. 

And it is true, my fellow parents. All of our children who have been brought into the love of believing families, are doomed in that upside down way that is the Good News. A dear sister in the Lord shared on our Hope at Home facebook wall recently (if you haven't stopped by, be sure to check us out and "like" us!) how the Lord encouraged her to remember that He did not bring her children home and to this point in the journey to leave her now without help and power. How many of you have heard that same word from the Lord? I know I have-- many times. He hasn't taken us this far to leave us on our own.

We Win!
I am reminded that God has promised us to work everything-- do you hear that?!-- EVERY THING-- together for good for those who love Him who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) That would be you and me, dear believer. That is His promise to us.

And on top of that, God assures us that these precious children whom He has called into our homes and into His kingdom are predestined to be conformed to be like Jesus-- talk about doomed to success!

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. (Romans 8:29)

And, as if that is not enough, take this in:

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. (Jeremiah 29:11)

And, He doesn't stop there! Would you say that the adoption of your son or daughter into your family was a Good Work begun by the Lord? So, how about this promise for giving the birds-eye-view:

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. (Philippians 1:6)

I like what I heard in the sermon at our church from Rob Rufus this past Sunday-- 
We are Victims of Victory! 
Heads we win; Tails...... WE WIN!

Do you love that as much as I do?! How filled with thanks and praise I am for our God, who would never set us up to fail, and who promises us that He will complete this amazing and beautiful good work that is the adoption of our children. 






Thursday, November 8, 2012

H@HKIDS!: DISCERNING THE VOICE OF GOD- SIGNS, COLORS, NUMBERS


If you are like us, you are passionate about training your children to hear from their Father God. Scripture is full of the ways God speaks to His children. This post is 5th in our H@HKids! series. They are written for your older children to be able to read on their own and for you to read and discuss, maybe one section at a time, together as a family. You may want to go back and copy off the others (just click on the numbers below) in the series on Hearing God as a resource for your family devotionals:
One,  Two, Three, Four

To find out more about Colleen Coombs and her wonderful ministry to children, check out No More Crumbs Ministry.

From Colleen Coombs:

SONGS 
Have you ever heard a song in your mind when you were thinking about God? God loves to sing over us and give us songs! We see several people in the bible that God spoke to through songs. God told Moses to write down the song he gave him and to teach it to the Israelites! 

Deuteronomy 31:19-22
Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them....So Moses wrote down this song that day and taught it to the Israelites.
Another person God spoke to through songs was Job. He talks about how God gives songs in the night!
Job 35:10-11
But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than he teaches the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?’
The best known person who God gave songs to was David! He gave him lots of songs. The book of Psalms is full of songs God gave to David. In fact Psalms means Songs!
Psalm 32:7
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

Psalm 40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

  Psalm 42:8
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.

 Psalm 65:8 
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.
In the book of Zephaniah, he tells us that God sings and rejoices over us! How cool is that?
  Zephaniah 3:17 
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.

In the New Testament, Paul talks about making music in our heart to the Lord and how we are to speak and teach each other through songs from the Spirit!

Eph. 5:18b-20
Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I love that God uses songs to encourage us and also that He gives ‘new songs’ that we can praise and worship Him with. What a beautiful language songs is! What are two of your favorite songs to sing to God? Have you ever sung a new song to Him?

COLORS
God loves colors!! It is something we see every time we look at God’s creation. Just think of all the amazing colors of birds, flowers, trees, and animals! God loves to show us things with colors. 

What do you think of when you see the color yellow? Perhaps light or the sun comes to mind. What about the color purple? We often think of royalty when we see this color. What do you think of when you see the color black? Sometimes is reminds us of sin or death.

Colors can have meaning to us - they remind us of certain things. God also likes to use color to show us things – it is another of His languages.

Rainbows may be one of the best examples of this language. When God painted a rainbow in the sky  he did this as a promise to Noah that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. We can still see rainbows today to remind us of this promise. (Genesis 9:12-17)
In both the Old and New Testament we read about rainbows seen in visions of heaven. Both Ezekiel and John saw rainbows in their visions of heaven. So we know God loves to speak through colors.
Ezekiel 1:28
The glow around him looked like a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day. That's what the glory of the Lord looked like. When I saw it, I fell with my face toward the ground. Then I heard the voice of someone speaking.

Revelation 4:3
The One who sat there shone like jewels. Around the throne was a rainbow that looked like an emerald.
The meaning for each color is not always the same. Colors can mean something different to each person.  We have favorite colors and God knows this already, so He may show us this color to let us know He loves us and knows our favorite things.
Let’s look at some colors and what they mean in scripture. Look up the verses for each of these colors and talk about what God was saying through each. 


COLOR MEANING 
SCRIPTURE
RED
Blood, Redemption. Love
Joshua 2:17-19; Isa. 1:18
GREEN Plants, Growth Gen. 1:11-13, 30, 2:8-9; Ps. 23:2; Prov. 11:28
PURPLE
Royalty  
Ex. 27:16; Esth. 8:15; Matt. 21:5-11; Isa. 14:14; Ezek. 28:2, 6, 9
WHITE Washing, Purity
Ps. 51:7; Isa. 1:18; Daniel 7:9; Matt. 28:1-3, I Cor. 6:11, Eph. 5:25-27
BLACK
Judgment, Sin, World
Amos 5:20; Job 3: 3-6; 2 Pet. 2:17; Jude 1:13; Job 28:3; John1:5


NUMBERS
Because God is a God of order, we see numbers all through the Bible! Each one can mean something different. When we see the same number over and over again in the Bible, we can begin to understand the meaning of that number! 

Numbers are important to God! He gave Noah exact measurements to build the ark. And even told him the exact number of animals to put on the ark! What if Noah didn’t have these instructions and built the ark too small to house all the animals? What if he brought only one of each animal? So it was VERY important that Noah listen to the numbers God was giving him!
  Genesis 6:14, 19
  So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind) of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.

Numbers, like colors, can mean different things to different people. For instance, God might show someone the number 12 and it might have a specific meaning to that person, such as a special date in their life or it may have a biblical meaning or could be related to a verse in the bible. Often, God gives numbers related to a scripture verse! 

Here are some common number definitions found in scripture.

ONE - THE NUMBER OF UNITY. Father. 
Deuteronomy 6:4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one."
Ephesians 4:5 "one Lord, one faith, one baptism."

THREE - THE NUMBER OF DIVINE PERFECTION. The Trinity consists of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
FOUR - THE NUMBER OF CREATION - North, South, East, West; 4 Seasons.

SEVEN - THE NUMBER OF SPIRITUAL PERFECTION. Seven days in a week. There are 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 parables in Matthew, and 7 promises to the churches. There are 7 "eternals" in Hebrews which are: (1:6); (1:9); (6:2); (9:12); (9:14); (9:15); (13:20).

TWELVE - THE NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTAL PERFECTION. There were 12 tribes of Israel; 12 Apostles, 12 foundations in the heavenly Jerusalem; 12 gates; 12 pearls; 12 angels. The measurements of New Jerusalem are 12,000 furlongs or stadia, while the wall will be 144 (12 x 12) cubits (Rev. 21:16-17).

Did you know that both the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in Jerusalem were built to God’s exact size, based on the measurements He gave his people? (Exodus 26 & I Kings 6) So we can know by these things that God cares a lot about numbers!

I think it is so amazing that God uses numbers to speak to us!!

Take some time to wait on God and see if He speaks to you in one of these languages – songs, colors or numbers. Write down the things you hear through these languages and thank God for being so creative!

Monday, November 5, 2012

JUST ASK

From Susan Hillis:

Do you ever say to yourself, "I didn't sign up for THIS!!!!"?  Often when I feel that way, if I stop to reflect, I realize that I am trusting myself to find a solution to whatever the 'THIS!' is at the moment.  Maybe an angry child.  Maybe distance in a relationship that I expect to be close.  Maybe someone asking for help that is way beyond what I am able to offer.  Well, I am probably more known than I wish I were for making this statement at home and work and church, "I didn't sign up for THIS!" And it's funny that the things I feel that way towards are often flipped inside out and upside down to become the biggest testimonies of all!  So I have been relearning some lessons about the immense generosity that God wants to pour out on His own this week.  

I Couldn't Get Her Picture Out of My Mind!

I couldn't get her picture out of my mind.  The cute little 9 year old girl who lives in an orphanage in Russia, and who has no real hands.  At the end of her left fist are 2 apparently misplaced fingers on one hand, and 3 sticking out rather oddly, almost like broken popsicle sticks, on the other.  And somehow someone had found me and sent me the pictures about two months ago, asking me to find a hand surgeon who wanted to make her two hands.  I had tried to ignore the picture, having no idea how to help.  But I couldn't.  It was just stuck there in my mind and wouldn't seem to move or even fade away.  So I wondered if perhaps God was going to show me a way to help her.  
"I don't have much time to give to this," I thought. "Lord, I wonder who could help her?" 
Immediately the name of a very capable children's physical therapist whose email address I had, came to mind.  I decided to send her a note at 11:00 pm last Wednesday night - "Well, I tried," I thought, wondering if she would have any ideas.  Before 7:00  the next morning, she had replied to my note, giving me the name of a hand surgeon in Atlanta who she expected would be thrilled about helping this little girl, and with whom she is connecting me.  I feel like a small little bead in a hugely long necklace that God is designing to reflect the intentional beauty of its Creator.  

I Couldn't Get "Just Ask" Out of My Mind

As is my custom in the mornings, I was enjoying having time with the Lord as I watched the light of day replace the darkness of night.  As I was quiet, in a listening frame of heart and mind, I had these two words strongly impressed on my mind:  
JUST ASK  
It is what I had done the night before with the physical therapist.  JUST ASK. 
And it was how I needed to live more fully with our Lord.
JUST ASK.  
I had an insurmountable challenge at work that day and it occurred to me, 
JUST ASK.  
So I did - and was immediately assured of help I did not expect.  And somehow, now these two words,
JUST ASK 
seem to have replaced the spot occupied by those two misshapen hands that had sat immovable in their place.  And along with them, the reminder from the words we know so well, "You have not because you ask not." (James 4:2)

So this week, dear one, 
JUST ASK.  
Ask God for what you need.  
Is it wisdom?  
JUST ASK.  
Let's just ask for Daniel's type of wisdom - 10 times that of the most knowledgeable in the kingdom.  
Is it healing in a relationship?  
JUST ASK.  
Let's ask the One who makes all things new, and who broke down the barrier of the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles.
Is it provision that extends way beyond your own capabilities?  JUST ASK.  
Our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills.  It is so easy for Him to sell a few!

We have a Father who DELIGHTS to give good gifts to His children!

Dial the Heavenly Phone Number

My roommate in college, Jane Adams, would often giggle and say, "Susie, just dial the heavenly phone number....ISA-6524."  And that number is indeed an irresistible invitation:  "BEFORE THEY CALL I WILL ANSWER AND WHILE THEY ARE STILL SPEAKING I WILL HEAR." (Isaiah 65:24)

Let's Just Ask

Many of you know the Riders, who have been praying for their little daughter in Kyrgystan for 5 years.  They met her expecting to shortly bring her home on the subsequent visit, only to have the laws stop all international adoptions before they could return.  That dear little girl needs her parents, and these dear parents long for their little girl. A number of folks are praying and fasting for doors to miraculously be opened.  Will you join and JUST ASK now for her to be miraculously united with her family? 
Together we are, dear friends, participating in changing the world.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

THE GOOSE THAT PRODUCES

There is such wisdom for us parents in this post from Greg Haswell, pastor of Northlands Church. Now, we are in no means calling you a goose dear parent, but we think you will appreciate the analogy! 

At What Point Can I Stop?

One of the most difficult aspects of ministry is to know when you have done enough for others and to know when it is legitimate to take some time for yourself. When surrounded by obvious need, while still having something to share, we tend to feel guilty if we don’t give what we have. For most people who start out in ministry, it takes getting to the point of sheer exhaustion or zero resources, to be able to say no without guilt. 

As we mature, we learn to say no a little easier, and we tend to draw boundaries a little further from the edge of personal destruction. We learn to manage other peoples' expectations and our own inner drivers that push us ever onward towards depletion. Saying no while we still have something left is not selfish, but rather an act in the best interest of the people we serve. They are not best served if we function at the point of emotional and spiritual depletion. 

The Geese that Lay the Golden Eggs

Recently at the Hope At Home conference, part of my message was adapted from the fable attributed to Aesop. He told the story about the goose that laid the golden egg. Simply stated he said a man and his wife owned a very special goose. Every day the goose would lay a golden egg, which made the couple very rich. "Just think," said the man's wife, "If we could have all the golden eggs that are inside the goose, we could be richer much faster." 
"You're right," said her husband, "We wouldn't have to wait for the goose to lay her egg every day." 
So, the couple killed the goose and cut her open, only to find that she was just like every other goose. She had no golden eggs inside of her at all, and they had no more golden eggs.

The moral Aesop intended spoke to the dangers of greed and impatience, but let's consider an additional moral. To the people who depend on you for supply, your children primarily, you are the goose that lays the golden egg. You supply peace, hope, courage, love, security, a health-inducing and safe environment, often on a daily basis. For this to work you need to maintain a certain amount of personal health and replenishment. Everyone can sprint in short bursts, but to sustain peak performance for the long haul, rest and rejuvenation are imperative. 

If You Want to Produce, Take Care of the Goose

So this is a plea to the geese that lay the golden eggs. Take care of yourselves,  because what you deliver is life to those who depend on you. Build into your schedule time to replenish yourself emotionally and spiritually. Make it of first importance to recharge yourself because it is not in the nature of the needy to consider your needs. Their own needs are their focus and they will assume that you exist to meet them. So take care of yourself because if you let them "kill" you, they will be hurt in the exchange. Take guilt-free time for yourself, and settle it in your mind, that a happy, replenished and energized you is the best gift you have to give your children and others who look to you for supply. 

Children, as with every other ministry, make constant demands on your emotional, spiritual, mental and physical resources. Serve  them by taking care of the goose that produces.

Want to hear more from Greg? Check out "The God Who Moves on Your Behalf" and "Happy Baking" and "Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind," all by Greg Haswell.