An Epiphany

As I was starting my quiet time today with my lovely 365 daily devotional (thanks Steering girls!) I read about something I have read numerous times, Susan has taught us about and we have heard at church. The Good Samaritan and Who is your neighbor?

In it the writer for the day, Anne Graham Lotz wrote:

"This very day you will encounter someone who needs a word of encouragement or a pat on the back or a helping hand or a heartfelt prayer. And, if you don't reach out to that person, who will? If you don't take the time to understand the needs of your neighbors, who will? If you don't love your brothers and sisters, who will? So, today look for a neighbor in need...and then do something to help. Father's orders.

A person who really cares about his or her neighbor, a person who genuinely loves others, is a person who bears witness to the truth."

The little cherubs that fill our house are the very neighbors I will love on, pray for, pick up, put down (unfortunately) and all that today. I knew all this, this was just a good firm reminder.

When I was reading that, though, I felt like God said "There is a battle going on here but the victory is won"

THERE IS!

There is a battle over self. The times I am MOST frustrated with being home and being a mom and I lack love and patience is when I am trying to get something accomplished and THEY are interfering. It is a battle over my heart...which is divided at this moment between "Who do I serve?" Self or these two boys that divinely arrived (oh yeah, I prayed, begged, prepared and planned for them).

When I read this devotional, my heart knows and longs to be the one to pick them up, love them deeply, shape them, train them...and thankfully that is the bigger part of the divided heart. That self part is dying slowly in this season, but it is NOT going out without a fight. Hence the struggle over my role as stay at home momma!

So, please pray, for the victory to be won with haste and power. For that self to die and stay dead FOR ALL TIME! For a love of others BEYOND MEASURE! For victories in this home with my little knights.

Thanks for praying...it is changing me...little by little.

love to you
Sara