Loving My Children

Accidentally knocked off the wall, an artistic rendering of this verse sits frameless in our dining room, waiting to be repaired, “The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). Until recently, these beautifully poetic, prophetic words hung in the kitchen, making me catch my breath every time I slowed down long enough to read them, every time I slowed down long enough to ask, do I really believe them? Do I really believe the Lord is in my midst, right here in the middle of my kitchen with its mess, its dishes in the sink and pot on the stove, the refrigerator covered with magnets and children’s artwork? As I help my teen with his homework and fold laundry at the table? When I stand wracking my brain and scrolling my phone for a recipe using the five ingredients collected on the counter? When my daughter bumps herself

"I used to think that one of the best things I could do for a friend in crisis was give her some space. Maybe I never actually put it into words, but that’s what my actions often communicated. I cared about her, but I didn’t know what to say; I didn’t know if she’d want me to infringe on her privacy; and honestly, if I were in her shoes, I wasn’t sure I’d want me around either. But after facing some hard situations myself and walking with close friends through their trials over the past few years, I’ve changed my mind. "When my children were diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, the friends who pressed in were the ones who helped me the most. Proverbs 17:17 says, 'A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity,' and it’s the friends who love me at 'all times,' especially the unexpectedly confusing, painful, and lonely times, who the Lord uses to communicate his nearness and compassion the loudest..." Visit Servants of G