From where I now stand.....
This Blog is written by Shirley, a humble hero to many.
Wife for 50 years, mumma to three, grandmother to nine
& spiritual prayer warrior for many.
"I will say to the Lord, “You are my safe and strong place, my God, in Whom I trust.”
He will cover you with His wings. And under His wings you will be safe.
For He will tell His angels to care for you and keep you in all your ways.
They will hold you up in their hands
PSALM 91 (selected verses)
I’m going to be honest - over the years, I have struggled with many aspects of my spiritual life as well as my life in general. Like everyone I have made mistakes in life, but from where I now stand, I don’t regret anything because I have learnt from my mistakes and grown from these experiences. I believe we will never stop learning in-fact, the more I learn, the more I discover I do not know.
So like you I am still learning and growing and I now realise that there will never be a time when I will “have it all together”. Life is a constant adventure of growth, but as I look back now there are a few things I think I could tell my younger self. So I if was able to tell my younger self anything from where I now stand, this is what I would say.....
#1. Trust in who God is and what He is doing.
Lean on Him, remember to thank Him for all the blessings He has given to you everyday.
Bring Him into all of your world – not just what you think are the ‘big things in life’ but the everyday small ones as well. Instead of trying to solve them yourself, hand them over to Him. He is waiting for you, urging you to trust in Him.
Spend time with Him and remember you can talk to Him anywhere, anytime, anyplace. They do not have to be eloquently spoken words. He loves you just the way you are. He knows your heart and wants to be involved in every part of your life.
A good relationship is one where we not only talk but listen also. Listen for His voice. There are many ways the Lord will speak to you. Be on the look out for His voice even in the simple things. He is all around you – Be on the lookout for Him in every simple moment. He will speak to you in everyday moments if you have the ears to hear and the eyes to see, even in the most simple things as clouds in the sky. He will use anything and everything to speak to you if you have ears to hear.
#2 As a young mum – be brave and be you!
Be the best example for your children by simply being YOU!
You are the parent He has given to them. God has blessed us with them to love them, but also remember that you are to raise them. Be intentional to raise them with kindness, love and teach them who they are created to be.
Build your home on the absolute of LOVE.
Your children need to know how loved and how proud you are of them, no matter what. We need to tell them repeatedly that they are loved.
Your children will all make mistakes, some big some not so big. But you need to let them know you love them regardless and that it is their actions that need to be addressed and to help them learn from their mistakes. Never give them cause to doubt your absolute love for them.
No one is perfect so you should not expect them to be perfect. Teach them about love and kindness but also about discipline and old school manners and courtesy. Teach them to respect themselves and start when they are little to teach them to respect everyone around them. Don't be afraid to set boundaries - your job is to prepare them to be an adult- start from day one!
Encourage them to give of their very best and aim high to achieve their goals. But always remember that their goals may not necessarily be the same as you might have chosen for them.
Be there and be present for them always and in all ways even if, at the time you think you have a long to-do list and more important things to do. Nothing is more important that raising your babies – what you do everyday is incredible and legacy making!
Your toddlers and babies may need you in their early years but as your kids get older and become teenagers, they will need you so much more in these formative years. They need to know you are there to listen and guide them even though sometimes they will think you know nothing.
Fight the big things and try to let the little things slide. Encourage, respect and love them unconditionally. Model your life on the life of Christ and work to give your children the blessing of a rich Christian heritage to carry on and in turn they will instil Christ into their own family.
#3 KNOW AND RESPECT WHO YOU ARE!!!
You will wish you had done some things differently in your life but you need to learn from these moments and do not dwell on them. Move on!
You cannot change the past but you can look to the future. You did what you thought was the best at that time. When you knew better, you did better.
#4 TRUST THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
Be determined and passionate about what God is calling YOU to. For some this is very evident. It may hit them like a bullet or they may know very early on exactly what God is calling them to. They may have a special talent that God is calling them to use but for some of us nothing stands out. You may struggle with this at times and wonder how so many seemed to know their calling and yet you will feel so unsure.
God will give you different things to do in different seasons of your life.
How good is our Heavenly Father?
If I can tell you anything from where I now stand , know dear one that for you, maybe there is not one great calling but simply to be you in the thousand different places and seasons throughout all of your life. Your calling is to be who I’ve called you to be and what I ask you to do, in different ways and times throughout all of your life.
He reveals Himself in His timing, never stop waiting on Him.
Remember Isaiah 40:31
“But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
they walk and don’t lag behind
Whatever it is, wherever He places you - He needs you right there at that time, for His own reasons. You may not be able to see or understand the why but LEAN, TRUST & WAIT on Him in every season.
You will plant a seed but someone else will be called to water it. A plant cannot grow without a seed being sown and then watered to bear fruit.
God needs you to be a part of His body of people who work together to bear fruit.
#5 LEARN TO BE STILL
Learn “To be still and rest in Him.” You will be of no use to Him or to anyone else if you burn out.
Sometimes you will think you are the only one who can do something but it may surprise us to know that the world will not stop if you take time out. Learn to let go and be still. Christ himself took time out to recharge and He seeks to simply spend time with you first and before everything else.
AND LASTLY
In all things give honour and glory to your Lord who calls you and loves you unconditionally.
..............So, my prayer for you to you reading this, whoever you are, wherever you are and no matter the season of life you are in, is that you will lean on your Heavenly Father. Look to Him for guidance in all you undertake, that He will be your refuge and fortress, the God in whom you trust.
From where I now stand, I can see His faithfulness, protection, grace and wisdom have been outstretched over every season and every circumstance of my life. Even when it was hard, He was there.
Live with the wonderful vision of Him spreading His arms like wings over you and protecting you like a mother bird over her chicks and of His angels protecting and guarding you.
Oh, what joy- remember dear one, if God is for you who can be against you, and may you know our Lord’s happiness, love, hope, peace and joy now and for all your days!
With much love and prayers
Shirley xx