“The most important work you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes.” -Harold Lee

Do you ever feel like you’re just busy waiting for the next phase, the next season, the next step?

Once we arrive *here*”…life will be easier, slower, better.

But…

We are here. Now.

Life is where we are in this moment. Circumstances will most certainly change, seasons will wax and wane, but we can’t waste NOW by waiting on something else.

For me, I’m waiting on “normal.” I’m waiting for my house, my space, my routine. And I’ve made the mistake of waiting for my “life.” But in the waiting there’s living. And in the living there’s learning, loving and growing.

“I can wait and waste, or I can live and use these moments wisely.”

In a blink, our children will be grown and, at the risk of sounding terribly pessimistic, our lives will be too. (“What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”  James 4:14)

What are we doing in this moment that will last after us? What are we doing today to leave an impact on tomorrow?

Will it live on? Will our legacy be one of well-spent time and energy and conversations and relationships? Of smiles and pleasant days wherever we are? Of making our husbands better? Of making warrior-children and Kingdom-builders?

Or will we look back in a few short years and grieve over lost life while we waited?

Life is lived in the moment you’re in.

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We know all the verses, don’t we, about rejoicing in adversity and taking joy in trials? But on those very hard days when you have a thousand things coming at you without the mental strength to process or deal with them all, those verses can seem more like a distant fairy tale for people more spiritual than you.

So what do we do? When we’re beyond tired? When we’d rather cry than face the challenges of a difficult child or marriage? When we know we aren’t living an example of joy and overcoming in front of our children?

It’s time for a heart and mind renewal. 

I want you to go somewhere quiet–preferably outside. When the kids nap or are doing their schoolwork, or even if you have to put on a movie to make sure they’re safe–get somewhere quiet and take a Bible, a journal and a pen with you.

I want you to be still and if you feel like crying, cry. If you can’t pray, say, “Lord, I need you.”

Ask forgiveness for any sins that might hinder your prayers or be hindering your heart, and then pour your woes out to the Father.

THEN, open your Bible to Psalm 112. Read it through slowly and then start back through again. But the second time, underline these words:

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;

For the righteous will never be moved;

He is not afraid of bad news;

His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.

His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,

Then write those lines in your journal because you will need to read them over and over, memorize them over the next few days. You are resetting your thinking pattern.

What you need to remember…

See Mama, I’ve said before that discouragement is the number one enemy of a mother. A discouraged mother is handicapped and Satan knows it well. It is our battle to fight it with a full on attack and the BEST way to cause our enemy to retreat is Scripture. 

But not only that, we reprogram our thinking when we speak life to ourselves. It’s so easy for us to mutter those discouraging things that come to define us if we let it. “I can’t do this.” “Why does everyone make such a mess?” “This is too hard, too overwhelming, too…” And what we say/what we think eventually becomes who we are.

God has not given us his Word just to scroll beautiful verses on our walls for decoration! Good news–Our salvation is not just for eternal inheritance; we have an earthly inheritance that is LIGHT, COURAGE, and STEADFASTNESS. Here. now. No matter the circumstances.

Look at the verse that says, “Light dawns in the darkness…” There IS darkness in the life of a believer. It shouldn’t surprise us. But there is always light coming.

But we have to pay attention to the first part of that chapter to see what the catch is: “Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments!”

Say to your soul, “I will not be moved. I will not be afraid. My heart is firm and I trust the Lord. My heart is steady.” Say it as many times as you need to until you let the power of His Word go to battle with the defeating voices of the enemy in your head.

Your children will be mighty in the land because our Heavenly Father goes before us to bless the righteous and steadfast. He is a good and gracious Father and He never leaves us or forsakes us.  No matter where you are. No matter what part of our story is being written. There is a beautiful ending.

For a daily battle-engaging devotion just for moms, When Motherhood Feels Too Hard  is short and powerful, sure to change the way you view parenting so you can build your home and not tear it down.

(From a woman who woke up with both arms and legs amputated after contracting the flesh-eating bacteria, Strep A, after giving birth):

“I’m so grateful….I’m so grateful.”

It starts right here with the “Queen of Blame.”  I’m set like flint on a mission to root out attitudes of ungratefulness, victimization and blaming in myself and in my children.

I will do all I can to avoid raising children who complain because our swimming plans got canceled when there are children who are just grateful they made it through another round of chemo.

I will do all I can to avoid raising children who have a pity party because it’s too hot to weed the garden when there are children who would do anything for their next meal.

And I won’t be that woman anymore. I have complained and whined and thrown pity parties too.  I have griped about “how hard it is to clean these tile floors” when there’s a woman, somewhere, sweeping her dirt ones….probably smiling.

I’ve complained that my dishwasher has been broken for forever, but haven’t said much about the water I take for granted running through the spigot every time I want it to, here, in my air-conditioned kitchen.

I’ve complained (if only silently) that my husband doesn’t do this or that, when I have a hard-working, faithful, tender, gracious man that lives every minute of his life for us.

We have a hard time even making a list of things for which we are thankful because we’ve never been without them.  We assume the luxuries in our lives are entitlements.

And we are surrounded (just listen!) by a culture that whines, blames and screams “entitled” while there are suffering people everywhere who raise their eyes at the end of the day and praise God for breath.

I won’t join them and I won’t raise children who join them.

So many things have pressed in on my heart lately about the immeasurable quality of gratitude.  It continues to be one of life’s ironies:  the more we have, the more we are ungrateful.

I want to cultivate a habit of breathing gratitude. It must be deliberate.

No matter what trials the Lord takes you through, may I encourage you that a grateful spirit will sustain you more than anything else.