Thursday, March 26, 2015

Life lessons

 Last month, Caleb, Micah and I were able to get out of the house, granted it was to the store and starbucks but hey, it was nice. As we were walking back to the car I noticed a sticker on someone's carDios es fiel
I wasn't sure what fiel meant but looked it up and it is one of my favorite attributes of God, Faithful.

In Spanish the word, "es" implies a characteristic or permanent general trait about a person.
Where the word "esta" implies temporary condition and a couple more things but...I don't understand that completely.
Anyways, after I looked up the word it hit me, God IS faithful. That will never change!
And oh how He has been teaching me that lately. It's a phrase that I keep repeating often.

He is faithful in the early mornings.
He is faithful with providing food to fill the stomachs that just finished eating 3 eggs for breakfast, even if they just ate.
He is faithful to bring naptime everyday, lately all of them have been going down at the same time 
He is faithful in getting us through the bewitching afternoons and dinner times.
He is faithful to bring giggles from being outside.
He is faithful even when I don't hear  "Mom, I love you!"
I could go on...but the point, He is faithful!
He doesn't change when my attitude wavers.
He doesn't change when my cup of coffee is cold for the third time.
He doesn't change when babies don't sleep, get sick or smack their head on the tile floor.
He doesn't change when it's fried eggs again for dinner and there's water all over the table because the boys decided to do "cheers!"  He is faithful in teaching and shaping me. 

We have been in Costa Rica for 8 months and I have no idea where the time went. My mom life is pretty much the same here with the basics; eat, clean, eat, sleep. I don't know if it's learning to be a mom of three busy boys, living in a new place or a mix of both, but God has been teaching me a lot.
The teaching time isn't easy and God never promised that it would be either. It reveals sin, it reveals what our hope is in, it reveals where change needs to happen.

I know I'm not alone.
I know that I will need to be reminded that God is Faithful often.
I know that God is working in my life.
I'm writing this out not to complain about where I am in life but to look back on and see God's faithfulness over time. It's easy to get in a funk. I hate being in a funk and yes, it happens, thanks sinful flesh.

So, preaching the Gospel back to myself, listening to scripture, listening to Christian CDs is what I do to remind myself that God is faithful.  
A great CD that has brought me a lot of encouragement is this http://www.seedsfamilyworship.com/release/seeds-of-courage-vol-1/. Mom friends, definitely check these out. A friend sent them down to us and what a blessing they have been already for us. The boys love it too!

So friends, push on. Focus on the Gospel. Focus on the joy.  Focus on the truth. We are sinners. He is faithful! 

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Thank you for your prayers. Please keep praying. We love it here, God is moving in many ways in our lives and within the ministry. We are adjusting well but there are many hard days. Pray that we would remember God's goodness and grace. 

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this. We don't know each other, but my family I attend church with Alyssa and Tim. So hello, fellow sister in Christ! �� Thank you for writing this. Though this was from months back, it has meaning for me today. We have 5 boys and we homeschool and there are so many hurdles throughout the day, with them being in 5 different places in development, that I am faced with. And off the top, I know that God is faithful but in the trenches, it can seem dim. But I am so thankful for the body of Christ, that we can encourage and exhort one another while today is today so that we won't be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. My sin is the very thing that will not allow me to see God rightly, to choose something more *seemingly* important over teaching my children. (Biblically and academically), cleaning the house, or cooking a meal to His glory. And with you being all the way in Costa Rica (which, by the way, a sister in Christ and I teach a Spanish course for people who desire to go live in Spanish speaking countries to give the Gospel through missions...so when you were talking about ser and estar I laughed out loud because we taught on that not too long ago...! Great breakdown by the way�� gets better with practice!) have said the very words I needed to hear for encouragement and admonishment. So again, thank you for this. Today, especially today, I needed to hear of God's faithfulness and be reminded (oh how we are in this great fight to just remember!) of His glorious Gospel. May the Lord bless you and you sweet family and maybe one day we can meet! Will pray for the paperwork you are currently submitting (yes, I have read another of your blog entries...the most recent, lol) and ask the Lord for peace and contentment. Grace and peace!

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    1. Thank you Candance! Sorry, it's taken me so long to reply. Life sometimes, right? Thank you for your words of encouragement and many prayers. I will continue to pray for you. You go momma! 👍🏼

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