The theme of my week has been to "receive".
Not only have I been in desperate need to receive, but I've noticed those around me talking about this same need. Evidently, as Americans, as women particularly, and as problem-solvers, from old to young, receiving is difficult for almost all of us.
My #Bible study is full of mature, older women who much wisdom to give (I'm going to miss the women of Galilee immensely). We talked just this morning of our need to receive and how each of us struggle with it. The study is going through a book by Andrew Murray that is teaching us to abide in Christ—receiving Himself and giving it out to others, just as fruit on a vine does.
One women is the sole care-giver for her aging husband, another is the mother of sons who are struggling with alcoholism, another has been the caregiver and is now a widow, another was an older mother, another is a mother of teens, many were military wives who are used to having to do it all on their own, and there's myself, older mother with toddlers. One thing we all had in common was the difficulty with receiving.
Whether it was difficulty receiving help or with something as simple as a compliment, all of us agreed—we needed to do better at receiving.
I spent two evenings this week in prayer about my temper. Let me explain: prior to having kids I may have lost my temper all of ten times in my life. Anger has NEVER been an issue for me. But it is now!
My son knows how to push my buttons. I'm sure it's because we're so similar. My mom laughs and I hear her saying in her head that it's a taste of my own medicine. It is. She's right. Sigh.
While I do all the right things (separate us, give him "time-out" and myself time to cool before reacting), my heart is not right. It's just not right. I'm off-kilter. And instead of letting it go on, I took time this week to hold my heart out to God. For several hours, I held my heart in my mind/hands out to God to receive. No words, just #held there.
I don't know that it's all "fixed", but He gave me more of Himself and I'm sure that's what I needed.
The ability to quiet the mind, hear the voice of God, and receive from Him combine to make the foundation of an effective prayer life. If our understanding of God is limited or warped in any way, the ability to receive from Him will be stunted. If we acknowledge that our role is to be forever receiving from a God who is forever giving, then we find ourselves in a right position.
Grace is received.
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