Changing it Up!

It has been 6 months of so much change. I consider myself a fairly flexible person, but there has been a lot going on. I am thankful that I have a lot of processing at home in my own space. However, new surroundings also influence my perspective.

I have been trying to change up my surroundings even though I am home, a lot. I have Zoomed and Skyped and FaceTimed with some precious people. I might ordinarily see them face-to-face but we aren’t living in ordinary times!

I am biking again and listening to podcasts. And now I can even claim my role as a podcaster, which is a big change for me but also not really. It really is just an extension of what I do for work, just in a different format.

My year+ of being a grandma has been full of so much fun. I love people of all ages and when I am in a good space, I can handle most stages too. But these babies — oh, these babies crack me up: their innocence, their trust, their demands, their antics — they hold nothing back at this point. Their emotions are straight out there.

I could learn a thing or two from these babies. They aren’t pretenders. When they are disappointed or sad or in pain, we all know it and we work to help them understand their feelings. I need to pretend less and share my disappointment and pain a little more. It’s not so important to share it with the world, but bringing it before God can do a lot for me as I process. Acknowledging my feelings is a healthy step. Whether I am in a high or low, God knows and He cares about my heart space and he can handle my big feelings!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:6-8 New International Version

Hello Friend! Day Fourteen

Hello Friend!

I am thrilled to have two grandbabies added to our family since May and so I have been extra introspective about a lot of things, particularly in how one is “wired”!

The fun (and sometimes frustration) in learning about a new person in your life is understanding them. What are their needs? What makes them tick? What is their communication style?

We all have a lot of people in our daily lives and some people fit with us so easily while others take some getting used to. When I am in the midst of figuring someone out, it helps me to remember that we are all knit together, created by God — even those people that take a lot of effort for me to connect with.

If you have tiny new people in your life, enjoy the process of getting to know them. Pray for them. Love them in the way you know how but don’t be afraid to learn new ways to love!

Love,
Liz

Generations

A new baby means a new generation: and an opportunity to intentionally pass along those things that are important. Some of those things you may have had in your family of origin. But parenting a new generation also means you have a chance to try parenting the way you wish you were parented. It isn’t always easy being parents and deciding what is important to pass along to the next generation. It is worthy of thought and conversation. When two people come together to have a child, they each come with a set of experiences that they would love to share as well as others they do not want repeated, ever.

God works with the long term in mind. “His faithfulness continues through all generations,” Psalm 100:5. I am so thankful for that truth. He always sees the bigger picture. He hears the prayers of His people.

Since the beginning of time parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents have prayed over future generations. I don’t know the prayer life of my grandparents of great-grandparents but I know they were people of faith. They knew God. And here I am. My life has had interesting paths and it feels like I have always known of and been confident in God’s love for me. And that love reached through to me in even my most unlovable moments.

I love praying for others. I have always prayed for my siblings, friends, children and their friends. But I don’t think I have thought too much about praying for the generations beyond them. I think I was too distracted by the immediate to think that far forward. But, here I am, awaiting a couple of precious grand babies to be born and my husband and I have been praying for them and their parents. The next generation is in the works. We are counting on God’s faithfulness!

¹Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
²    Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
³Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his^[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

⁴Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations. [Psalm 100:1-5, NIV]

May God give you His insight into generations!

Liz

PrayerPrompt: SHELTER