Dear Parent Friend,
A day is coming when there will be no more effort required, only joy and peace and constant rejuvenation.
Until that day, our work is to hope in the One who works slowly, silently, steadily weaving the tapestry of our story.
We want to see the words He's sewing into our fabric - words that describe us. We want to see His affirming message calling us "faithful, steadfast, trustworthy, and a fruitful vine."
Those are the words we want to see God weaving about us as He connects the pieces of the story of our lives, but most of the time, we see the underside of our life tapestry. It looks kind of manic and nonsensical.
Occasionally, He turns the fabric over and lets us see how beautifully it is coming along. For brief moments we catch a glimpse of how all is miraculously fitting together.
We see after, not before.
My dear friend, now is the time for our faithfulness in the face of difficulty.
Now is the time for our trust in living out the Lord's Prayer - living His kingdom come, His will be done even if it is difficult, unpopular, or without immediate payoff.
Later it will make sense.
Today is one moment after another of choosing faithfulness and trust and remaining and hope.
We long for our children and their children to live under the warmth and comfort of our tapestry someday. We get discouraged and feel that our efforts are ugly and messy and full of error.
Hold steady. Let God weave.
We will see the final masterful tapestry of our life story later.
Today remain in the Vine, the source of our strength. Be like a tree planted by a stream of living water. Hope, remain, rest, be faithful, allow God to make you fruitful in season.
PARENTING APPLICATION: Do you find comfort in these words that remind you that, even if you feel you're making mistakes, that God is with you and that He is not thrown off by the messiness of your life? He even is arranging all the pieces into a masterpiece. If this post brings you comfort, try to give the same message to your children in the midst of their follies and failures. Let them hear the confidence in your voice, reminding them that God is weaving purpose into the difficult moments of their lives.
Lovingly reminding you,
Val
Meet Val's Family in the picture below. Well, it's missing the newest little one. You can also meet them by listening to Val's podcast where one or more of the family members often join her. Here's a few favs:
Want more from the Practically Speaking MOM? Her website is divided into the six rooms of your intentional home. This blog post is from the Front Porch section, which is all about encouraging your faith.
Val Harrison, The Practically Speaking MOM, is mom to seven, grandma to five, and wife to Rich for 32 years. This ministry is their gift to you, springing from a passion to strengthen families. You can get to know them on Val's podcast, The Practically Speaking MOM Podcast - "The place for intentional moms to build strong families."
