Families Where Grace Is In Place – Chapter 1

We’ve just started this book for my group, and I thought it’d be nice to share some of my thoughts.

I can definitely see how my actions fall into the “fallen” category (as in the way people act after the fall of Adam and Eve). I am prone to being the controlling type. Actually, I think everyone is, just some people are more passive-agressive about it, and others are more outwardly aggressive. I think I’m the latter.

I liked Mr. VanVonderen’s description of pre-fall relationships. Its only been in recent years that I’ve started to embrace the fact that the post-fall consequences are not what we need to be living in and accepting. Jesus showed us a new way to live. For some reason I was always taught that it was just how life is, and we had to accept that now, thanks to the fall, the sexes would be at war.

I like this quote. It made me laugh out loud

Pay close attention to Adam’s first response when he awoke and saw Eve: “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” (v. 23). He did not say, “Great, now I have someone to go get me my stuff, do the chores I don’t feel like doing, and cater to my every need.” And the Word of God goes on: “For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (v. 24). This was God’s plan for marriage: entering into the process of becoming one flesh. It is not to “subdue” or to “rule over” each other. Rather, the plan for marriage is a dependence upon God; two becoming one flesh, co-ruling, a relationship in the image of God.

I am happy to say that I do not have a demanding or demeaning husband. He is happy to serve right along side of me, but I still thought the quote was pretty funny.

I hope to have some deep thoughts about future chapters ) For now, I’m just amused. I’m wondering if the men in our group will take offense to VanVonderen’s strong egalitarian message… We shall see!

In his image

I really feel like God is speaking to me on the topic of spending time with him vs. spending time for him. For the first time in my adult life, I am really active in serving at church. I have been leading several groups, in extra Bible studies, making meals for pregnant women, helping out wherever I can, working on Christian websites, etc. I am so happy to have a place where I am serving.

Still, I feel that God is trying to impress on me that I have begun cutting out my time with God, either through prayer or Bible study, in order to have time in my life for these other things. I’m becoming a bit of a Martha.

Some verses that have really been impressed on me:

Luke 10:41b “‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’”

Luke 9:28-29 “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning”

and then as Christ’s experience relates to us

2 Corinthians 3:18 “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is Spirit.”

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

I realize that I have not been doing a good job of balancing my time in relationship with God. I am thankful that he has gently reminded me of it before I went any further. The way for me to be renewed is by spending time with God, not just doing things. I need a balance.

Interestingly, I also see that I do this in my earthly relationships. I think I needed a good reminder that gifts of time are more important than gifts of service. I’m such a task-oriented person that I need to be shaken up and reminded that its not bad to be people-oriented.

God is so good to me ) I so adore the way that He disciplines. I hope that I am able to achieve the same with my children. He did not punish me or cause me to feel bad. He gently showed me my mistakes and in love I want to respond to his correction. Its so nice )

I love being a wife and mother.

I really do. Its funny that I was voted by my friends to be the last to settle down, and instead I was a 19-year-old bride! Before Joe and I were married, I refused to cook for him. I had won the home ec student of the year (gag) in high school, but I didn’t want him to know that I could do anything domestic. I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t marrying me for my maid and food prep services, LOL.

Last night I made a coconut cream pie (Joe’s fave). As I was whipping the meringue, I started thinking about how much I love that I am able to do this kind of stuff for my family. I always knew that I’d want to do this one day, but I really thought that I wanted to have my career first. I was totally missing the mark. I don’t think its wrong to have that stuff first, but this is just the right thing for me right now, and I know that to the depths of my soul. I will still have plenty of time to be “grown up”, should I so choose! I mean, my kids will be out of high school by the time I’m 40!

The transition to being a SAHM was really tough for me. I had long placed my value in my education and my career. I started working at 14 and it was not uncommon for me to hold 3 jobs, even though I didn’t need the money. I just really liked to work and I liked the sense of accomplishment and the… outside praise, I guess? When I transitioned to being home, I had nothing impressive to tell my friends and family anymore. My life was so much simpler. I was told that I was “wasting” my gifts. Joe was proud of my mothering, but it just wasn’t the same as having an office with adults and interaction and feedback! I knew that I’d stick it out, but it was tough.

Now I’m so glad that I made it over that hump. Maybe it was more interesting when I shared to my friends about how I was about to get published, rather than sharing that I wiped yogurt off of faces, played with chalk on the patio, made some homemade bagels, and washed up some diapers. Still, I’d rather be able to look back on these kinds of experiences, rather than having publishings and awards and have missed these moments and opportunities.

I guess I’m just mushy again today, LOL.