26 September 2011

Epic, part 2

I'm still thinking about epics.  They explain all of life really.  GOD versus Satan...EPIC battle from the beginning of time until the end---when GOD wins!!!  But I still have trouble looking into the face of evil.  I'm okay with the calm times, just floating along between battles, maybe even have some fun times along the way.  But evil always rises again, trying to take over.  Sometimes it is a sneaky evil, until it sucks you in, then it reveals itself in its full ugliness.  That is when it becomes too much for me.  That is the point at which I have to turn my head, sometimes even run.  I don't want to look evil in the face.  Perhaps, I fear that I am not strong enough to fight evil.  But in those times, I must remember that GOD is with me and HE can always defeat evil.  Will these thoughts and realizations help me to stand up to evil in the future?  I don't know for sure, but I certainly hope so!

Blessings to you today!

~Amy

19 September 2011

A Visit & A Chrysalis

Finally, we got to visit E!!!  What a joy it was!  She looked good---has put on a little weight which she needed to do.  She is seeing the LORD working all around her which I think is helping her to believe that HE will work on her behalf as well.  She rededicated her life to HIM on September 8th.  That's a praise.  She has struggled a lot with whether she is saved or not, but she finally realized that she is saved, but she has not been living that way.  She came to a place where she is ready for GOD to work in her and through her.  She told many stories of how the director of the facility protects the girls, which is an awesome thing for a mom to hear.  She smiled and laughed---things that have been missing for a while.  We are so thankful to have had this time with her.  Just her dad and I got to visit this time.  Next visit, her sisters can come also.

I've thought about a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis a lot over the last couple of weeks.  Have you ever witnessed the process?  I have and it is difficult to just sit by and watch.  That poor little butterfly struggles so hard to free itself from the chrysalis.  We are tempted to just gently rip open that protective shell and free the little butterfly to start its life outside the chrysalis.  And, unfortunately, I have done that, too...  It was NOT a success!  If you have ever done it, you know that those little wings stay curled up just like they were inside the chrysalis.  Once you "help" the butterfly out, it's life is basically over.  It will never fly with its deformed wings.  I have pictures somewhere of what that looks like, but they aren't digital so I cannot share those with you.  Trust me, you feel very bad when you see that butterfly walking around with useless curled wings....and you know that it is your fault....

Turns out good stuff happens as that butterfly struggles to get out of the chrysalis.  That process helps to strengthen the wings and get that butterfly ready to live life outside the chrysalis.  Gets it ready to live life on its own.

Makes me think of children...  Isn't it better to let them struggle on their own to get them ready to live outside our homes?  Although with children, we can do it in stages and over many years.  As my children were younger, I was very protective and sometimes tried to "fight their fights" for them. But gradually, I am to teach them how to do that on their own.  It's not always a "fight", maybe it's just learning how to approach a teacher when they have a problem.  Gradually, they will begin to handle those problems by themselves---at least they should.  And if they are not, I need to push them in that direction.  I know that it is definitely not my responsibility to be calling their college professors with questions about how their work was graded!!!  LOL

I am endeavoring to take these teaching steps with my girls now because the thought of them wandering around with curled up, unusable wings like that butterfly that I released from its chrysalis is not a thought that I can bear.  I want them to be whole and able to take care of what they will face in life.  Which leaves me watching them struggle sometimes....  Tough on a mommy, but I must keep my eyes focused on the end goal in order to stay strong.

Have a great day!!!  Keep watching your little butterflies struggle their way to wholeness.  We can always cheer them on from the sidelines though!!!

~Amy