Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Twenty-Five Months Old

Time marches on.  And it seems like it's marching faster all the time.

"They grow up fast," everyone tells me.  "Enjoy every day."  And I do.  Though, of course, some are easier to enjoy than others.

We have had a lot of nice weather this month, and Cooper and I have tried to spend as much time as possible outside, whether in our yard, at the park, taking a walk, or wherever . . .
We've been to visit the neighbor's chickens,
"mowed" the lawn,
or just sat around.

He is putting words together more and more, learning his colors, letters, numbers and shapes.  He remembers and repeats pretty much everything he hears, so Don and I have to be careful not only of what we say, but also try to control what he sees on TV and hears in public.

We can't control everything, though, and that's why we spend a lot of time in prayer, for ourselves as parents and for God's protective hand on Cooper.
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for so many things, and high on my list is the privilege of being Cooper's mom.  I sure do love that little guy!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The Aftermath


“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “  Isaiah 55:8

I was shocked.  Stunned.  NO WAY could America have elected Obama AGAIN!  NO! WAY!  And how will we survive four more years?  What will become of this country??

Since then I have had a little time to mull it all over.  And I have talked to other well-informed Christians who are not depressed about it all.  And I have questioned why.

What am I putting my faith in?

Was I putting my faith in Mitt Romney, that he could undo the damage that I perceive Barack Obama has done and thus save our country? 

Or was it in the Republican party?  Even though I wasn’t thrilled with Romney as a choice, I was sure that any Republican could do a better job than Obama!  After all, Republicans know what’s right.

Maybe it was in the American people.  I can sort of see the logic people had in electing Obama four years ago.  They were ready for change, and he promised to bring it.  They were willing to give him a chance.  And indeed he has brought change, but it has all been negative, in my opinion.  We’re much further in debt, prices are rising, and the future of our healthcare is at stake.  Socialism threatens to rob us of our freedom.  I believed the American people would see all that and make the logical choice: to remove Obama from office before he does any more damage.  Just vote him out, like they have done with bad presidents in the past.

Guess what?  All of these people have failed me in what I thought they should do. 

So what do I have left?

Oh yeah.  God.  The One who never fails.  The One who others I know are putting their hope in, those people who have remarkable peace about all of this.

I didn’t forget Him altogether.  I did pray daily about this election for months, believing that He would answer my prayer by putting a good Republican in office, and that would be His means of saving our country.  Of course.  It was logical.

But my way of thinking is not always God’s way of thinking.  I don’t know what His way of thinking is.  I don’t know how He can be using all of this to work all things together “for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).  But He is.  He may be using this to discipline us as a country.  Can anybody claim we don’t need  or deserve that?  Or He may be using it to protect us from something worse that we may never even know about.  Maybe it is to teach us or bring us to revival.  Or maybe all of the above.

Thankfully, God IS in control.  Thankfully He has a plan.  But He does give us a role: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  II Chronicles 7:14.

Our vote has been cast.  And if you’re like me, you didn’t win.  Thank goodness God is in control.  Let’s bow before Him and plead with Him to heal our broken land.