When life is extra busy and demands for your time stack up like firewood against an expected long winter ...
When pressures from without and within build greater than you think you can bear ...
When it seems there's just not enough you to meet every need ...
What's your response? Do you retreat? Lash out? Do less, in a wild effort to retain some sort of energy for yourself?
Perhaps that's not the best way. All of those are my natural reactions, too. But something Sarah said one day gave me pause. As I wrote in The Mom Walk ...
"One day, during some heavy, depleting financial issues in our family's life, I decided to get up before everyone else. I made homemade pecan-apple pancakes, lit candles, put on soothing instrumental music, and had a lovely table set when the kids and Clay arose. We all enjoyed the breakfast surprise together. After we finished, Sarah was sitting next to me on the couch. She kissed my cheek and said, 'You know, Mom, when you act happy and bring joy to our life, I feel secure and that all is well. But when you are upset and down, I feel guilty, like we have done something wrong and it makes me feel like brooding. Thanks for making the effort. I feel happy this morning.'
I realized that one of the roles God wants me to play in my children's lives is a conductor of joy, happiness, and celebration. After all, God designed our need for these things into our very hearts. We were made to enjoy life and our Creator, and we were meant to choose to live in His beauty and provision.
This doesn't mean I won't have difficulties or times of depression. But I do have choices I can make as a mom that will determine the environment in my home. When I choose to notice, every day, the beauty of my children instead of the duties my children bring my way, I am worshiping God. When I choose to notice the gorgeous sunsets and the spring flowers in the midst of busy days, I am teaching my children to dance, so to speak, through their days. When I choose to believe in the goodness of God and verbalize my love for Him, and make an effort to provide delightful food, thoughtful cards, and moments of fun, I am showing my children a God they will be willing to serve-- a God who delights in filling their deep desires for intimacy, happiness, purpose, and beauty."
The Lord understands our weariness! And He is also able to give us the grace to deal with the stresses and personality conflicts and disappointments and burdens of life. He gives us puppies to laugh over and spicy foods to enjoy and beautiful music to delight our ears even in the midst of crazy days. Today, what loveliness can you find to share with your family, to show them the wooing grace of the Father?
On today's podcast, Kristen and I talk about the importance of beauty in our lives as a key to true rest.
Episode #124 Interludes of Beauty Change Our Perspective
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What we talk about:
-How embarking on new experiences requires new muscle to develop in us.
-What C.S. Lewis spoke of when he called earth "The Shadowlands"
-How to develop a vision and imagination for God that will sustain us throughout our lives.
-How do we develop a kingdom vision that will sustain us and our children in this place?
-What we believe about God and his story for our lives and his vision and story for the world and the part we play will be our foundation for the way we live each day.
-Stories of how each of us have shared the delight, enjoyment and mission of God with our children will shape their view of our family and of God.
-Trials we have faced and how they have helped to define our character and how we have seen the way they have prepared us for even greater things.
-How we have learned to have interludes of beauty and delight with God in the midst of all our difficult circumstances.
-A story of art that captured Kristen's heart and shifted her understanding of what God saw and was doing in her life.
-The way God’s song and beauty and art awaken our hearts to Him.
- How we can encourage others through the sharing beauty and the truth of God's word.
-The history of the Psalms and music in the church.
links
- Composer Studies at Cultivating Life With Sally
- Monet’s Regatta at Sainte Adresse
A free gift and a special offer just for Podcast Listeners!
DOWNLOAD THE CUSTOM ART PRINT BY CALLIGRAPHER RACHEL JACOBSON to accompany Kristen's new book,"Finding Selah"
