One Word Prompt ~ Five Minutes of Writing ~ No Editing
Today's Prompt: WEARY
Go!
From 1983 to about 2007 my middle name was Weary. God had
blessed us with three great kids and He’d also called us to educate them at
home. All around me my friends were happily dropping their kids off at school
and then pursing things like coffee dates and lunches and art classes. Me, well
I was just trying to get my youngest to sit still long enough to learn math.
During this period of my life 2 Thessalonians 3:13 became my
life verse. “Brothers (and sisters of course), do not grow weary in doing good.”
If you remember the context Paul was encouraging his fellow believers not to
grow weary when all around them others seemed to not be doing what they should.
I’m not saying that homeschooling is for everyone, but for us it was what God
had required.
Do you remember that old hymn that starts out, “O soul, are
you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see?” Yes that was me. At
times I would become so buried in the darkness that there felt like there was
no light. But the next line would remind me of something important. “There’s
light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free.” There’s
always light to look towards the Savior!
The chorus would point out the problem and point to the
solution as well. When I grew increasingly weary it was because I had turned my
eyes away from Jesus and put them on the things of this earth. Things like
coffee dates and art classes that were completely about me. Instead God was
calling me to be about Him and the work He would have me do.
Stop!
The rest of the story . . .
My middle name has mostly gone back to being Jo. Now my
daughter and daughter-in-law have taken up the moniker. Between those two
families they are raising eight of my grandbabies. I see the same weariness
overtake them at times. This time around God has called me to gently come along
side of them and sing into their ears.
O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace.
Beautiful. Sweet encouragement. It gets tired and weary, but I love your words of uplifting, which they did accomplish.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your sweet words Kelly! Glad you could stop by. Have a wonderful weekend!
DeleteI LOVE that worship song. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full into His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace" Thank you for reminding me of it...it's been so long since I've sung it. But really that's what it's all about. Such an encouragement and so beautiful to hear of you coming alongside the next generation in encouragement. God bless you richly today.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh . . . Anna! Thanks for your beautiful words! May the song get stuck in both of our heads for days to come.
DeleteHave a great weekend!
I love this! The mothering years are wearying years. And you were at it a LONG time. :) I love that you can come alongside your daughter and DIL and hum a different melody in their ears than what you had. With an 11 and almost 13 year old, I still have to be careful not to get too weary by doing. Sometimes what my boys want most is for me to just BE with them. And I think the same is true with God. He wants me to be with Him, not always doing for Him. I loved your post today!
ReplyDeleteWell said my friend! Sometimes it is hard to just BE . . . but it's so important. Hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead.
DeleteWhat fabulous encouragement and a reminder that it is all a season. And the season will help us come through and be able to be an encouragement to the next!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you read my post and gave me the chance to find yours! Yes, the life of a SAHM is definitely weary at times. I just made the transition this year to "full-time part-time". :) The blessing is that I am teaching at the same school my daughters attend. I've been a volunteer and substitute teacher there for the past couple of years, but we are all at the school all day even though I've only three classes I'm responsible for teaching.
ReplyDeleteSo thankful that our common song is to Turn Our Eyes Upon Jesus. He called those words to our minds, I think.
:)
Love,
Tammy
(tammysincerity)
#12 this week