Day 72: New Meaning

This past weekend and Monday,

• traveled to see our daughter and enjoyed time in her life. Listening to her life stories and seeing her enjoying teaching opportunities God has given her. Knowing in obedience she has not dated for a full year.
• We were able to encourage one son long distance in defeat and also rejoice in his individual athletic accomplishment.
• We were able to help the married kids a bit. Pray for our daughter-in-love as she takes big tests to finish her Master's degree.
• Enjoy a wonderful ministry day ...being able to visit the other campus and see the few children's teachers' hearts for the children, meeting new people excited about God's ministry at Coastal, be with friends in Bible study. See our son as a minister.
• Monday night having the joy of looking into 6 excited young people on the Water's Edge of exploring what God wants them to do for him with their lives.
• Today (Tuesday) I have the privilege to encourage 60 adults pursing God's calling on their lives through education as I grade papers.
• As a wife I walk alongside Lonnie as he prepares the ministry team and tunes his leadership skills.

What can get better than this? Then my mind reverts....

The bank account is grim....My mind easily goes to the woe is me....God are you really in this? Why? Why do I allow my mind to go there! Don't I see, recall all that God is doing through our family? The previous paragraph! God, why does my ability to rejoice in seeing and knowing how you are working in my life seem to boil down to financial prosperity? You are more concerned with my inside than outside.

Believing God

Today the Lord blessed me with an insight. My ministry calling verse is Genesis 6:18 "I will establish my covenant with you...." I always focused on the provision...safety...of that verse. God protected Noah and his family and he would protect ours.

Today in the study I learned Covenant meant a testament, or will, an arrangement, a disposition after death. And the word better....didn't mean financially better...it meant in relation to use, service excellence...not just quantity.

God, you will make our family a testament to you! You will make my life a testament to you after my death...through our children. Your desire is for our life to be better because of Christ's death and sacrifice...but that better doesn't mean more comfortable...it means better used by you according to your desires.

My final sense of what God is saying to me:
Debbie, your family will be a testimony of how I can best use you to serve me. Not just financial provision BUT service and use to me. I have established my covenant with you. You will be a testimony.....Your Abba God.

God, thank you! For our family's commitment to you and how you are shaping us to be a testament to you.

Amen