“Heaviness is not of My Kingdom”

“Heaviness is not of My kingdom.”

by Young, Sarah (2004-10-12). Jesus Calling: Seeking Peace in His Presence (p. 9). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

 

I read these words today and thought about how much heaviness I allow in my life.  Raising children is hard, teenagers even harder, releasing them into the world, trusting in the One who has given them to you for a time.  Even harder.

Life has been on superdrive for our family lately.  Activities and holiday trips, weddings, travel – it has all added up to be busy.  Good busy but busy nonetheless.  It’s been wonderful to see family and to celebrate a wedding in our midst.  I was honored and privileged to shoot my niece’s wedding.  It was an exciting day for me, as a photographer, and for her, as a new bride.  She was beautiful.  Light-hearted, in love, and kingdom-minded.

Jesse, the pastor who married them, has known my new nephew-in-law for many years.  It was an honor to watch him tear up as they read the vows they had written to one another.  I clicked away through tears, capturing moments that will last forever!

Heaviness.

When does it enter our lives?  I believe it’s when I allow all that I’m dealing with to fall upon my shoulders and not the Lord’s.  I take up my mighty sack of stressors, problems and “big deals” and I tote them around wondering what to do about them all.  I pull one out every now and then and show it to someone.  We discuss it.  God shines.  Yes, I seek God’s wisdom in most of the issues, but do I lay them down at his feet and turn around and walk away, trusting Him to guide my mind, my path, my child?

Heaviness.

Weight.

Unhealthiness.

Depression.

Each of these words come to mind as I dwell on the word Heaviness..

“Heaviness is not of my kingdom.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  ROMANS 15:13

Somehow overflow and heaviness don’t fit together well.

I wish to choose the overflow, not the heaviness.  Will you join me?

Lightheartedness

 

 

 


Falling and Failing

Our kids…

Why is it so hard to love and let them fail?  The example God has set before us is so hard to follow.

Why do we feel the need to keep them from scraping their knees, getting hurt, or failing?  Aren’t life’s REAL consequences better teachers than any lectures from us?

And repeat a grade?  By all means, “NO”!

It is so hard when they won’t take the “wisdom” in the advice we have to offer.  It’s about the whole child, right?  Not just the grades…

I tell myself that and also wonder how to make him/her see the importance of grades in getting them closer to his goals.

What do you tell her to make her understand that who she is in Christ is more important than the cheer squad?  And why didn’t someone tell me hormones and teenagers is worse than the zombie apocalypse?

Breathe.  Just breathe.  In and out.  Light, not darkness.

Raising kids is hard,  teenagers harder.  Knowing when to let go?  The toughest thing ever.

It’s enough to make you squeeze blood from your tear ducts.  And that is the honest truth.

Breathe.

Just Breathe.


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