Saturday Surprises

From Beginning to End

 

I had to have Melody at the school by 6:45 am to board the bus to leave for Orlando. She is 14, a freshman in High School, and this is not the first, or even the tenth time that she has had to leave me for more than a few days. But for some reason I cried when she got on the bus and I sat in my car, watching them prepare to leave. For some reason my momma's heart was distressed over the idea of her being gone for the next four days. Surprise!

 

So what did I do, I prayed. Wiped the tears away and lifted up my daughter and all those going on this trip to the Lord who blessed me with her and them in this life we live together. He quickly flooded me with His affirmation and His love and grace by reminding me that of teachers/staff going ALL of them are Christian mommas I have talked with, prayed with, and know my daughter can receive strong God filled advice from. And of the other chaperone's I know at least two of them are also strong God loving Spirit filled women who love the Lord and are raising their children to love the Lord as well. So, really, why be upset when He has her surrounded with at least 6 women she can turn to for prayer? He has this covered. Surprise!

 

On the way home I prayed about the day. That God would lead me to take care of the things He wanted done for the day and that I would be able to check my human nature at the door and instead show His spirit filled nature to my husband and baby girl. I found my self cleaning the bathroom, scrubbing light switches and door knobs, taking care of laundry, and then my six year old decided she wanted to come and help me in what I can only assume looked like me moving from one random task to another.

 

"Momma, I want to help. What I can I do?" Me thinking quickly, not much your only six, what can I give you to do? Hmmm.... "I need to sweep this floor, can you hold the dust pan while I sweep?" With the excitement that only a young child who is still new to household chores can show, she grabbed the broom and dustpan and started helping me. I tell her thank you for offering to help and she tells me she wants to be good for us today. She says she wants to act like a Christian is supposed to act. I asked her what it meant to be a Christian and she gave me this answer "You love God, believe in His son Jesus, and you do the right thing. Oh, and you never die." I said "You mean, you live eternally?" To see if this is what she meant. She quickly jumps on the word and then starts asking me questions and our discussion goes round and round about what being a Christian really means, how one becomes a Christian, and if she is one. She understands she has to ask for Christ/the Holy Spirit, to come into her heart. She understands that becoming a Christian means living your life for GOD, and not yourself. She says she understands, and I believe her. She also said that she isn't ready to pray that prayer yet. I asked her to please let me know when she is, and she assures me she will. Surprise!

 

I grew up knowing that my Great Grandfather had prayed for me because my mom made sure to tell my brother and I that he would walk around the table and pray for the generations to come in our family. My mother prayed, still prays, for her Grandchildren on a daily basis. For their salvation, their future spouses salvation, and for the salvation of her great grandchildren. Is that what is wrong with our world today? God's people quit praying and thinking about the future generations of believers?

In this tradition of prayer for the future, I will stand. I will prayerfully, faithfully, and gracefully washed by His blood-stand in that gap for the family that is to come. Not just my sons and daughters, my nephews sons and daughters, but for each person God calls to mind and tells me to pray for. What surprises does The Lord Our God have in store for us if we would just pray for our future generations?