Family
It’s funny how sometimes GOD can take two totally random thoughts and put them together to show me something new. That is what has happened this week. I’ve been studying for a new Bible study on Discerning the Voice of GOD and thinking about family (told you it was random) and GOD began speaking to me.
We all tend to pray about something with the mind set that we know just how and when GOD is suppose to answer and when the answer doesn’t come in our time or in our way we conclude that GOD didn’t answer or we didn’t hear HIM.
Twenty-three years ago I was a newly married thirty year old. My husband had two sons but as the years passed I decided I wanted a child of my own. I prayed. Nothing happened. I moved on thinking GOD either hadn’t heard my prayer or chose to answer in the negative. I was disappointed but believed that HE had another plan for my life that just didn’t involve me being a mother. In the past few days HE has revealed to me that HE not only heard that long ago prayer but had answered it with a resounding YES!
First, we must realize that we don’t always see things through GOD’s eyes. Wouldn’t it be great if we could? I had a picture in my mind of what a family looked like. Before going any further let me say that I was raised in a normal, biological family...(okay, for those of you who know Mama Charley, let’s change normal to wonderful and fun) with a mother and father and big brother and that’s what I thought a family was. In my eyes, if you didn’t give birth to a child you weren’t a mother. Oh, what a narrow vision that is!
GOD gave me a contentment and a peace before HE gave me an explanation but this week, right in the middle of my study on hearing and discerning GOD’s voice HE interrupted my study to give me the explanation. Wow, what an awesome GOD we serve.
First HE directed my eyes to my cousin Lesa. She not only is my forever friend, she’s also a hero of mine. If you look the word “mother” up in any dictionary you will probably find Lesa’s picture. She is one of the few women I know that was born to nurture children. From a teenage babysitter she went on to study to be a teacher. At 22 she was reaching out and loving street wise six graders who had probably seen more of the ugly side of life then most of us will ever see. She gave them acceptance and hope that they could be more. Then she went on to be a second grade teacher where she remained until being promoted to elementary school principal where she knows every child there by name and story. Always ready with a hug, a word of encouragement or when necessary, her “angry eyes” look! When I think about the lives she has touched and impacted I know it must number in the thousands. Has Lesa ever given birth to a child? No. Is she a mother? You bet she is! She has a grown (step)son and is expecting her fifth grandchild in August. She and her husband, John took a little one month old baby with no future into their home fifteen years ago and gave him the world. He is now a handsome, six foot tall young man with his mothers quick wit and sense of humor. A “real” mother? Let her (step)son tell you. With her permission I’m sharing just a portion of a note he had written her:
“You have worked hard to make sure that every moment in my life is the best that it could possibly be. I recall a stupid little boy, under a chair, sticking his tongue out at his evil step-mom. Honestly what more could I hope for in life, than to have a mother devote her life to making sure I have everything I need to happy. It is me that is blessed, you made sure that stupid little boy…grew up knowing what it was going to take to be a parent—a father.
Most importantly a loving father; and for that I, thank you. I would not be where I am today without you—”
What a beautiful testimony to a mothers love.
Then GOD reminded me of the two boys he gave me when I married their father. Thirteen and eighteen years old at the time. Challenging? For sure! Was it always smooth sailing? Nope, but seems I’ve heard “real” parents talk about ups and downs in the parenting business! Would I do it over again? In a heartbeat!! Those two boys are now grown men who I truly believe would move heaven and earth if I ask them to. They have filled our home and lives with joy and laughter. They are strong, faithful, loving men who have never made me feel I was any less a mother to them just because I didn’t give birth to them.
And lastly, GOD showed me the “children of the heart” HE had given me. There have been so many but in this particular season of my life I’m blessed with two. A young woman and a young man. They know who they are. I can’t tell you what it means to hug one and have them whisper in my ear “Mama, I just love you so much” or to receive an e-mail at 12:15am saying “I need prayer, would you call me?”. Having someone that my FATHER chose for me to mother is a blessing I can’t begin to understand or explain.The love that I have in my heart for them could only be placed there by my GOD. I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul when referring to Timothy as “my dearly loved son” (2nd Timothy 1:2) or Titus as “my true son” (Titus 1:4). Was he their biological father? No. Was he a “real” father? Wonder how Timothy and Titus would answer that question?
So, did GOD owe me an explanation? Yeah, right! Of course HE didn’t but HE loved me so much HE chose this time in my life, right in the middle of studying how to discern HIS voice to show me that HE does hear our prayers and HE does answer our prayers. We just need realize that HE isn’t limited to our finite minds and HIS answers can be so big and so wonderful that we might just miss seeing HIS hand in them if we aren’t waiting expectantly for the answer.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9
