Simple Thoughts Sunday: The power of understanding our role(s)

“One of the very best things we can do as moms (fill in the blank here… dads, daughters, sons, wives, husbands, friends…) … is recognize only God is good at being God.”

Lysa Terkuerst

Her post goes on to say that although it is natural for us to be fearful and want to do whatever we can to prevent our kids from making choices that make our heart race and tears flow, we are better off if we recognize that there is a better way. She shares that we can only recapture hard moments and make it better by praying the POWER of God, the PROTECTION of God, the PROVISION of God, and the PERSPECTIVE of God’s wisdom into our children’s lives. What God is doing behind the scenes may not happen as soon as we’d like, and yet, over and over there are is tangible evidence of that truth.

I would add that not only might it not happen as soon as we’d like, but it may not happen HOW we would have liked it to be done. This message spoke to me because I oftentimes find myself with friends or family that are being challenged by what is happening with someone they care about; who are experiencing, either by choice or happenstance a really hard season. When someone you love is making bad choices that is often really hard to sit with – painful really. Most of us have had some life experience that leaves us believing we should not only share our advice and story, but that our lessons are going to be someone else’s as well. If we could only fall short of that, and instead shift to asking a few thoughtful questions and then leaving it to prayer.

This of course is not easy. It takes a constant self check to ask ourselves if we are trying to enforce our will or desires in these situations. Are we making it worse possibly by our constant worry and inability to listen and over”sell” our personal strategy or how to list? I’m not sure about you, but I know that even in my life’s bigger decision making, I easily create narratives of what makes sense or doesn’t. I have to hold myself accountable for ensuring that these decisions weren’t manifested in my mind, but instead are aligned with my core values and where God is taking me. (Also not easy, but another post on reading those proverbial tea leaves.)

All in all, we aren’t God (thankfully!), and it would do us good this week to remember that using the powerful weapon of prayer is what we need to get it off of our worry list and in the hands of someone who has proven over and over through time that they can handle it just fine! Have an incredible start to November!