Good morning, DearHeart,

Our girl and her Pops are pretty thick. They both have certain uncommon drive. We can already sense her detailed attention to justice, right/wrong, black/white developing from her personality. A trait of obedience. Bent with a piece of stubborn.

Looking back, it’s funny to me that as a young parent I tried to rid my sons of that stubbornness (wooden spoon stories). Yet, as a grandparent my perspective is so different – I often find myself with an inner – cheering section yelling “YOU GO GIRL”! It’s a mostly silent inner-cheer squad, because two-year-old antics aren’t always to be cheered about! Lol

Within that stubborn is growing a stubborn-obedience. A heart that will one day accept Christ as her savior and that stubborn obedience to her Creator will be a constant. Having Him as a constant is the ultimate goal.

He is my constant. To love the Lord with all my heart, soul and might is to be able to say today, “Jesus, as an act of obedience and a response to Your love for me, I take Your way of doing life upon me.”

I will not fear man.

I will rest because it is You who I am made by and for and You and You only will I fear.

I will not go after other gods or the gods of the people around me.

I will rest because nothing satisfies my soul like You.

See, He knows my tendency to want to please man, to make plans without Him, to lean towards “doing” today to feel good about where I’m at. Praise Jesus, the beauty of the gospel is that I don’t have to pretend that I don’t struggle with things… Paul said “I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” That’s what I want and need today….Christ’s power resting on me. That’s true rest. Not my will, my way, my path, my strength…but His.

His.

I tell it to my children that they will tell it to theirs. When I lie down and when I rise, I want all of me to love the Lord my God above anything else in this life. To learn from Jesus, gentle and humble, as I take on the way HE does life today. So that when the chores of the day are done, then comes His rest.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

Wake up.

Uncommon drive.

Obedience.

Rest.

Go.