Knowing Your Friend By Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog 4/3/22

 Knowing Your Friend  By Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog 4/3/22

 

 

 

As you most likely know my house is filled with emptiness. Seriously, I'm living in the kid-free zone. Are you the one counting the days till you’re free from the parenting life? Spoiler alert, you’re never finished being a parent. A parenting chapter is closed. It takes all my courage to not call my kids every day! But I will not cease from praying for them every day. Despite the distance, I don’t want to lose touch with them. And as the days pass, I think back on my own departure from my parents. I feel their heavy sighs.

 

 

 

No matter where your children land, they’re still your children. We never give up on our kiddos. At times we must sit back and simply watch. I think about how the Lord looks at me. I’m his kid. He gives me direction and sometimes I push forward with my own way believing I’m out thinking the Almighty. You too? Yes, the only way to know the will of God is to get to know him. The only way to get to know him is to read his word. So, do you just read it and know it? Do you study it and become proficient? Do you get into His word every day? Relationships take time and effort.

 

 

 

It’s back to wanting to call my children everyday feelings. I know they know I love them; however, I want to hear about their day. I want to be a part of their daily lives. God, no matter how much we push him away, he never lets us go. Are you connecting with the Lord every day? Or just on Sundays…if that?

 

Suddenly my paradigm has shifted. Not that I’ve loved God less because my children were at home, but I’ve been filled with raising these 4 bundles of joy. Time has opened.  How now is time to be filled up? Retirement? Time to ferment. LOL. To change or charge up… I’m in the process.

 

 

 

 

 

From one form to the next I’m figuring it out. Yes, I’m still a mom, but for the past 32 years, I’ve been raising children. For over half my life I've been a hands-on mom. As I learn how to be a “hands-off” mom I lean stronger and stronger on the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

Are there ways we all can draw close to the Lord? What a silly question. Just as we put time into our children’s lives, we need to put time into our relationship with Jesus. He’s the author and perfector of our lives live by faith.  Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.-Hebrews 12:2 

 

 

 

 

I sound like a skipping record. Again and again, we agree to “get to know” Christ. Over and over things pop up to thwart our connections. Even church fellowship has become a “TV church” function. It’s so easy to “so call” connect with your church relaxed in your PJs.  Or here in Florida, you could even be relaxing in your pool watching the sermon. (We do have a TV by our pool for dive-in movies and football games.) “And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.  Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”- Hebrews 10:24-25

 

 

 

 

Every single day we should be in God’s word. If we have time for Netflix, News, and nonsense videos we have time to invest in daily reading. It’s super simple. Even if you have no idea where to start. Google a plan! Even in the back of some bible’s they have a reading plan. No excuses.  I understand families with little ones. I’ve been there. Therefore, tiny time with tiny ones still is time in the word.  Notecards with scripture have been my go to for many years. And even now I write on my back sliding glass doors the scripture I’m trying to memorize. So many ideas, so many excuses.

 

 

 

Never give up, God never does. “But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Psalm 86:15). How do you know your friend Jesus? Not very well. Extremely well. Just when you think you understand all there is about your Savior, you’re just beginning. Even at the end of The Book, it’s just the beginning…eternal life. Is your name in the Book of Life? If you say you love someone, show your love. Love is an action. God’s love brought his only son to save the world. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20).  As the old hymn states, what a friend we have in Jesus. Take it to the Lord in prayer.

 

 


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