To say I was "lead" to blog sounds totally wacko, even to me. But I believe I was. You see in sharing in this private yet public way, I have grown. I have been comfortable writing about conversations I have had with God that I would never have called up my friends to discuss. Wrong? Maybe. But true.
On this blog I feel free to be more transparent because I do not face any rejection. I can record my stories and you can read them or not. You can think I am nuts or you can be touched. I never know.
In the process of writing down many of the "God-instances" in my last year, I have been changed. Because I recorded them, I can not forget them. I can reread my own words and remember with total clarity the reason they were written, how God spoke to me, reassured me, comforted me, or challenged me.
The last year of sharing my faith on-line has also made me more comfortable sharing face to face. Comfortable, because I have practiced. Also comfortable, because I have discovered that the way I grow most is by hearing the way God is working in the lives of others. If their stories grow, encourage, and challenge me - mine just may do the same for someone else.
One thing I have been thinking about a lot lately is whether or not I share my "God stories" with my children frequently enough? That can be tricky. As parents we want to protect our kids from the tough stuff that is going on in our own lives. In the midst of the tough stuff is often where God is at. So sometimes because I do not want to burden my kids with the tough stuff, I neglect to share with them how God carries or instructs or encourages me.
I recently read this:
"We will not hide these truths from our children
but will tell the next generation about the
glorious deeds of the LORD.
We will tell of His power and the mighty miracles He did.
For He issued His decrees to Jacob; He gave His law to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,
so the next generation might know them -
even the children not yet born -
that they in turn might teach their children.
So each generation can set its hope anew on God,
remembering His glorious miracles and obeying His commands.
Then they will not be like their ancestors -
stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,
refusing to give their hearts to God."
Psalm 78:4-8
Those verses inspire me. I do not just want my kids to know about all the amazing stories of God through the Bible. Of course I want them to memorize scripture and to be familiar with Bible stories, but I also want them to KNOW that God is still alive and working today. I believe if I want them to have a person relationship with Jesus they need to know about mine!
I want them to know how God speaks to me. I want them to know that I pray for them and what I pray. I want them to know about the miracles that happen in our family. I want them to know that it is hard for me to follow at times. I want them to know my heart.
I also know that when I share my heart, they open their hearts to me and to God. Last week I told the kids that sometimes following the 10 Commandments is just not very convenient! Their ears perked up. I explained that I had been shopping that day and when I got home I discovered that the greeting cards I had meant to purchase got stuck under a case of diet coke. Since the cashier did not remove the case of soda to scan it, the cards were not noticed; thus I had not paid for them. I did not have time to return to the store that day, and quite frankly I did not ever want to -but to send a stolen card would just not be right! Sierra loved that story and immediately told me a story about having to make a tough choice during her day at school. By telling this simple story, Sierra was both reinforced for taking a stand and encouraged that it can even be hard for grown-ups to do what God would want them to do.
So, I encourage you (and me!) to "not hide the truths from our children" but to instead share the "glorious deeds of the LORD" that are happening in your life. I am sure that both our hearts and the hearts of our children will be changed in the process.
