43 & Counting

No, I'm not having/adopting 39 more children. Don't get too excited. 

Today is my parents 43rd wedding anniversary, people. Forty-three years!!! How awesome is that?!?! Forty three years is definitely a longer time period than each of them were not married. 

I am so grateful for the legacy I have been given! Both sets of my grandparents were married to each other their whole lives. My dad's parent were married 60 years and my mom's parents were married for almost 56 years. Sidenote: Daniel's parents will have been married 49 years on July 30th (HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MOM AND DAD RAKE TOO!) and Daniel's grandparents were married almost 59 years and almost 57 years! 

In a day and age when marriage and the family unit is under attack; when there is little to no difference in the divorce rate among christians and non christians; I am grateful to be in a generational line that is bucking the trend. I am grateful for parents and grandparents who aren't afraid of committment for the long haul. I am grateful to know that when my own marriage gets in a hard place I have lots of examples to look back at and be encouraged by. I am grateful for people who have been through it before me and won't be afraid to call me up and say "Work it out. Fight for your marriage. What you are doing is worth it!" 

I know marriage isn't always easy. I know my parents marriage has hard times, some VERY hard times, including the death of a child. But I also know they are committed to each other and committed to The Lord. I know that in the hard times they aren't afraid to ask for help from the authorities and people God has placed in their life. I know they may not like each other at one moment or another but they are commited to choose to LOVE one another regardless of how they feel. 

And so, on this day, July 10, 2014, my parents 43rd wedding anniversary, I feel like I am the one who is receiving the gift. The gift of a Godly example, of stability, of a secure foundation in my life, and the gift of finding joy in the journey, whether its easy to find or not! Thank you, Mom & Dad! And Happy Anniversary to you two crazy and adventurous lovebirds! ;) Love you both!

Justice & Mercy: Hand in Hand

This morning I was reading Luke 17-18. There are a lot of short stories of things that Jesus did during His ministry time here on earth. Many stories of miracles that Jesus performed and many times when He confronted the inner issues in the hearts of the people around Him. I found it very interesting that there was no distinction in when He gave mercy and when He dispensed justice. It wasn't mercy to everyone here and go to another place and only justice to the people there. They were intermingled. Mercy to the 10 lepers; judgment to the rich young ruler.  Mercy to the widow; judgment to the pharisee. Mercy to the children; judgment to the disciples. Jesus knows what each person needs at the moment He is in. He knew those who needed healing whether physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional. He was also NEVER afraid to call out those who wouldn't repent, or who wouldn't sacrifice their whole life (like the rich young ruler), or to call out the disciples whether or not they would have complete understanding of what He meant. I guess Jesus was the perfect blend of justice and mercy. Justice and mercy walking together hand in hand, united and separate in one Man.

After that I saw how that is what I spend my days doing in raising my children; trying to balance discipling and training my children with mercifully loving them, caring for them (hurt bodies and hurt feelings), and serving my children and husband whether I feel like it or not. From my journal I wrote: "Shew, I could learn from Jesus when each one is needed the most!" I am sure there are times when my children need mercy when I don't give it and times when they need the justice of training or discipline and I'm too lazy to do my job. I need His wisdom and love to focus on what builds my children's relationship with me and more importantly with the Lord.

When I shared this with Daniel this morning, I said how neat it is to see how what Jesus does applies to my life. That even though He was never married and never had children, what he did in dealing with people can apply to what I do in raising our children. Daniel had a great response which was something like: "Sometimes people say "Jesus can never understand what I'm going through BECAUSE He wasn't married and never had kids. So it can't apply to what I'm doing." When actually they are looking at it incorrectly. It shouldn't be Jesus' life can't apply to mine. Instead we should be looking at how the situations in our lives can apply to the different things His life, the things Jesus said and did."  

How greatful I am that Jesus knows the perfect blend of justice and mercy and how to apply it. I hope to learn a little more of that now that I am more aware. Thank You, God!