When I was in Jr. High school my dog actually ate my homework. Seriously, not kidding! I had to take a note with me to school signed by my parents who witnessed the act because we knew that "the excuse" would not be believed.
As Mandy mentioned in an earlier post our church is currently in a series called "Lose It" We are covering various areas of our lives that have "baggage" that just needs to go and take a hike. This past Sunday's message was on losing excuses. This got me thinking of the hundreds if not thousands of times I relied on an excuse. As I looked back I began to see that the frequency at which I used excuses increased as I got older. I thought maturity came with age!
I know I can't tackle every area of my life all at once but God has really placed something on my heart that he wants me to hit; "Personal Sacrifice".
Over the years Mandy and I have always tried to strike balance in our lives between family and everything else. This balance is even one of our family's "Guiding Principles". What this balance is has always been left open for God to mold and change. I look at my boys, Parker and Sam, and want them to always know that they are priorities in our lives. But more importantly I want them to see a man, a father and a husband that loves God. How does "personal sacrifice" come into play here you ask?
I need to open up more areas of my life for God to use. This includes that guarded and protected time. I truly believe that God will bless our home with more time than we would know what to do with if I trust God with our time.
You are the most amazing husband ever :-)
ReplyDeleteYou are the most amazing husband ever :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is a test - because I lost my very long comment.....the first time....trying to select the right profile....
ReplyDeleteOkay, now I can retype my post...Reading your post brought tears to my eyes as I once again realized how blessed I am to call you son-in-law. I hope you know that you are far more to me than that. You are my son-in-love. Looking back on my journey as a parent, there were days that never seemed to end so I could put my feet up and rest. It's amazing how time can go by very slowly when our kids are sick or unhappy. But when on a really fun vacation or playday it goes by so fast. From my perspective you are already a very sacrificing man. You sacrifice in your profession to serve your Church Family, you sacrifice for your wife and sons continually. But I also know that God has great plans for you and your wife and family to be used to advance His kingdom. No doubt you will be given greater influence as you continue to deny yourself. It's so true that when we are raising young children we look so forward to bedtime and peace and quiet and rest. But from my perspective, once your kids are grown and gone from you house, you will have a lot of time for yourself. You can plan your day to do whatever you want. You can watch as many movies as you want without interruption. You can eat a meal while it's hot and not have to teach good manners. You can date your spouse and not have to pay babysitters. You can sleep through the night without being awakened by the cry of your child. You can even eat whatever you want and not have to share it with anyone begging for it. So many wonderful quiet times and rest. But somehow, we miss those little feet, sweet voices, and even their cries for help when they are no longer a part of our everyday lives. So I've never heard of a man on his deathbed regretting having spent too much time with their family or with God but usually the opposite. I felt your presence today in prayer in the hospitality room where we got to share and I prayed fervently for you. The words of Jesus came to mind when I read your post; Matthew 16:25 "Whoever shall save his life shall lose it:and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Losing our lives means gaining His! Now that's a Great Exchange! Paul said; "I am crucified with Christ, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life that I now live I live by faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me!" Promise not to comment so long next time. Blessings, Pink Bunny
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