"Can you tell us what it means?"
I knew when I heard her sweet voice asking that question through the phone that God wanted me to pay attention. Something about it resonated in my spirit and I made a mental note to think about it again later. That's how I often hear God's voice - like an echo of what I hear or read or even think deep in me. It's hard to describe with words but I can almost physically feel it. I'll go ahead and acknowledge that this probably makes me sound crazy, but I don't care. I spent a long time trying to figure out how to hear God, and I will tell it because I know plenty of people who are still working on that.
Anyway.
I have been in Missouri for the week at a training class for my new job. I have a new job; Dave has a new job. We don't work at the King's Home anymore so I've been again asking God to show me my purpose since I am no longer in full-time ministry. Our schedules have worked so that I was able to participate in our daily devotion via phone every morning and this morning after Luke read the Bible passage, Ella asked, "Can you tell us what it means?" I went through it verse by verse so I could explain it to them, and here I am 12 hours later, thinking about it again.
There are so many things I want to teach them:
- work is good
- it's okay to do hard things
- drinking water makes you feel better
- you don't have to be like everyone else
- what others say about you isn't your business
- reading makes you smart
- do things just because they're fun, even when you're grown
- don't take yourself too seriously
- you can learn anything
- kindness is so much more important than achievement
Basically, I just want them to know all the things it took me 37 years to figure out, and I want them to know it right.now. Completely realistic expectations. No pressure at all. See bullet number 8 above.
What I think I want to teach them most of all is how to have their own relationships with God.
"Can you tell us what it means?"
Just the asking of the question tells me that she is primed to learn. She could have skimmed over it or rushed through it so they could leave for school, but she genuinely wanted to know. The way the question stuck deep inside me tells me that this is my purpose right now - that it's okay that there are only two of them and that they have always been mine. I'm supposed to do my part to prepare them for whatever their purposes may be.
The Man-Cub didn't ask any questions today, but he asks plenty and he soaks up the stories and spouts them back at us at the most random times. On the drive to church Sunday morning we were discussing why we have appetizers when guests come for dinner and I explained that they are to hold us over when we are hungry until the meal is ready. He chimed in, "Yeah, like when you are starving and you are praying to God to send the ravens to bring the bread because you are too hungry - that's when you need appetizers." That's a reference to God hiding and providing for Elijah after he proclaims the drought in 1 Kings 17 plus a little dinner ettiquette. Biblically accurate with life application, just the way we like it.
