My kids are God's Textbook on Life for me, filled with lessons and analogies. And I've heard other parents say the same. God is constantly prying my eyes open through them and saying, "See, that's you. That's how you're treating Me when you're bent on your own way. That's how I feel when you're ungrateful for My many blessings...for even giving you life. See, that's how my heart sings when you obey Me cheerfully."
My Textbook is chock full, but I want to try to capture more of these valuable lessons on "paper" (so I don't have to relearn them...again!). And because they are truly beautiful and precious to me.
Just now I was disciplining Cora for wrecking Annelise's block structure. Cora was fighting me and passionate about returning to the table because Annelise was going to take all her blocks. I told her, "Who can take care of that? Can Mommy make Annelise give you back the blocks you need?" Whimpery "yes."
Cora's goals were wrong, or rather, out of order. It was not wrong for her to be worried about her blocks, of course. But her primary goal should have been to make things right with Mommy and Annelise, and to make sure her heart was right with God.
But instead she was focused on justice for herself.
So, she could disobey Mommy, and run back to the table to wrest some kind of skewed justice for herself...which incidentally would result in further discord and injustice, with either Cora not actually getting all the blocks she needed to play with or Annelise having too many of hers grabbed away.
Or she could obey Mommy, make things right with Mommy, and then let Mommy go back with her to the table and exact true justice. (Well, or a close approximation in human terms. ; )) And actually, I would be far more motivated to take up her cause and fight for her, the more obedient and submissive she was to me, and the more she looked to me to do so.
God has been drawing me to Himself this year, as I emerge from the "baby cave." Motivating me to spend time with Him. Showing me the importance of obedience and making Him my first priority. "Martha, Martha, thou are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen the better part."
If I'm running around, busy with what I think is important, trying to effect justice or righteousness in this world, apart from Him, nay in disobedience to Him if He's told me to seek Him first, then it's only causing more problems and not solving anything. But if I "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all these things [that I think are so important] will be added unto" me. Because GOD is the Source of everything I think is important. Justice, rightness, goodness, health, help for people, truth, money and provision, even (and esp) the building up of the Body of Christ. He is the Source of beauty, rest, answers, peace, happiness, strength, and harmonious relationships.
Lord, help me to seek You first! And then direct and go with me as I get my orders from You and leave the sanctum (or "war room") to follow them.
"...for My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." Jeremiah 2.13
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