Treasured Moments

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWeXVnRm6R8

Light of the World ~ We the Kingdom

 

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ~ Luke 2:19 NIV

 

When Savannah was an infant – and our only child – we took tons of pictures, not wanting to miss a single moment. At her first Easter egg hunt, she did something cute – as all little kids do – and I missed getting a picture of it. That’s when her godfather said that I won’t be able to get a picture of everything and that somethings I’d just have to treasure.

 

In our morning devotion time, the girls and I talked about Luke 2:19 and why Mary treasured and pondered the events in her heart. Though we’re excited to celebrate Christmas with family and food, on December 26, Christmas will be over. Then what? Savannah said, “That’s when we play with our presents!” 😊 True, but presents get used up and worn out, and then what? Because Christmas is about more than just presents, there’s more to enjoy than just toys.

 

This year let’s be like Mary and not let the season fly by in a flash and then be gone. Instead, let’s store up special moments with friends and family and ponder the miracle of Jesus in our hearts.

©Heather Potts 2020

Disappointment

https://youtu.be/lpLrD1JaPKc Lean Back ~ Amanda Cooke & Chandler Moore | Maverick City Worship  When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ~ John 11:32 NIV We've all experienced disappointment at some point in our lives. During one of our virtual group meetings, our leader asked us to speak on a disappointment, if we were comfortable. I shared the story of finding out that our second baby – which we thought was a boy, the son God said we’d have – was a little girl. My disappointment cut deep that day. I’m certain this is similar to how Martha and Mary felt after their brother died. As Mary wept at Jesus’ feet, her disappointment and betrayal flooded to the surface. Mary believed Jesus was able to do the miracle of healing Lazarus when he was sick. But Jesus didn’t come through when and how she’d hoped. When God doesn’t come through for us as we’d like, we’re often left with feelings of disappointment and betrayal. It’s what we do with our feelings that matters. A friend encouraged me to share my raw and honest feelings with God. She said He was big enough to handle it. It was over six years ago when we learned our second baby was a girl. Taking my friend’s advice, I took my hurting heart to God and asked Him to tell me about our little girl and what to name her. He whispered, “Elizabeth.” I began to cry the tears of a daughter who’d been tenderly touched by her loving Father when I read the meaning of her name. Elizabeth means, “Fullness or abundance of God,” a true reflection of how He filled our lives with her. If you’re feeling disappointment or betrayal by God because He didn’t come through in the way or timing you hoped, don’t let it cause a rift between you. Instead, take your raw and honest feeling to Him. Not only is He big enough to handle it, He longs to keep those lines of communication open, so that you’ll hear and feel Him comforting you, the child He loves. ©Heather Potts 2020

Trust pt 2

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! ~ Psalm 40:4 ESV

REST is the result of a decision to believe God ~ Alex Anderson, Pastor and author. The emphasis isn’t believing in God, but believing Him, taking Him at His Word, and trusting it.

Numerous sermons have been given on being Mary (sitting at Jesus’ feet), and not Martha (working at His feet). We all long to be Mary, free to sit and rest in the blessing of His teaching, but too often we find ourselves working, instead. I will confess, as of late, I haven’t been doing such a good job of resting, or trusting. Instead, I’ve been struggling, striving, and stressing. When God told me to go back to work, the first thing I did was to pull out our budget and figure out how much I needed to earn. If I don’t have to pay for childcare, I only need X amount. But if I do, then I need to make Y amount. Understanding the budget is great, but it shifted the focus from God—how He was going to provide—and put all the emphasis on me—how was I going to do it.

Trust: to have confidence in another; to be secure, to fear nothing for yourself. Rest: to give permission for one to cease from labor in order to recover and collect her strength; to refresh. Jesus calls to us in our Martha-mentality and says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls,” (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV). Rest. Trust. Sitting. Freedom. Is it really that easy? YES! We can be Mary, even in Martha seasons. We can choose to shift the emphasis and focus from ourselves and put it back on Jesus, allowing Him to teach us.

Father, forgive me for working, for thinking I had to do it all, when You called me to trust and rest in You. Holy Spirit, remind me to rest, because it’s when I’m attentive to Jesus’ words and teachings that I’ll know what He wants me to do and how He wants me to do it. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

©Heather Potts 2017