During my devotions this morning God revealed Truth to my heart in a way that helped release some of the mental struggles I have been dealing with lately.
In early January our family dynamics drastically changed when we opened our home to a young boy who has special needs. Going into this placement I felt pretty well prepared because of our past experiences and more recently our training through Empowered to Connect. All of which I will say has been very helpful. What I wasn't prepared for was the mental challenges I would face with trying to help this new child with all the struggles he has from past trauma and multiple placements. To be fair I will say that part of my mental challenges(exhaustion) is also from having other children in our home who have ongoing health issues who we see different doctors for. I will add in that even though it is exhausting at times I am thankful to have my children and be able to go to these appointments with them. Anyone who has several appointments every week can relate. Neurologists, sleep doctors, pediatricians, counselor, occupational therapist and now waiting to get into an endocrinologist for one of our kiddos. So when I add the new struggles our little guy is facing on top of all that my brain just wants to say, "hold up there, don't add anything else." One thing I have learned through the years that it is a very smart thing to ask for prayer and not feel like I need to face these challenges alone. Being vulnerable in putting myself out there for prayer or help is not always easy but it is necessary. It is also a beautiful picture of the body of Christ coming together and supporting each other. I have defiently felt the prayers of people praying. Just this morning I was reminded by a dear friend of her prayers through a text she sent me.
Back to what I was writing about earlier in God revealing Truth to my heart during my devotions this morning. In my Bible study this morning the passage was in John where Mary uses expensive oil to pour on Jesus' feet as an act of worship and in preparation for His burial.
John 12:3 "Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with fragrance of the perfume." I have heard and read this passage probably several times before but today it held a different meaning for me. Through this the Lord revealed to me that my role as a wife to Nick and as a mother to all our children(regardless of how they got here) is an act of worship to Him. Specifically right now in my role as a mother to our new little guy as we try to help him through his various challenges & struggles. You might be thinking you should've already known that. Well knowing that(which I already did) and really letting it sink into your heart are two completely different things. My prayer is that as I serve and love on these precious people in my home I will be reminded that my service and love is ultimately an act of worship to the Lord. So when the days of frustration come I can be reminded that I serve an audience of ONE!!!
What does God have in your life right now that He is using as an act of worship to Him? I would love to hear about how He is working in your life.
