Stories of Hope

There are days as a mother that are frightening. Days that feel hopeless. Days when the character training and disciplining and sharpening those arrows just seems overwhelming and you wonder if it does any good anyway. When you just want to throw in the towel because you don't see any change, at least in the direction you were hoping. You don't see any evidence of a redeemed life- in yourself or in your children.

I've had some of those days, and this is what God whispers to me over and over: Your story, your children's stories, your family's story, isn't over yet. I see it from beginning to end; I am the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8). Yes it is already written and guess what- the ending is awesome! (Psalm 139:16) But you can't see that yet. You are still in the middle parts of the story, the parts that get hairy and worrisome and downright scary at times. I am sovereign and good over those parts too. Look for Me in those parts of the story. I am weaving it all together and working all things together for good! (Romans 8:28) Those children of yours? I give them life and breath. In Me they live and move and have their being. (Acts 17:28)

This morning on my walk I heard "God of this City" by Chris Tomlin. I like that song as it is written, but this morning it had a new meaning for me. I changed the words a bit:

You're the God of this family,
You're the King of these children,
You're the Lord of the Rodgers,
You are.
You're the Light in this darkness,
You're the Hope to the hopeless,
You are Peace for the restless,
You are.
There is no one like our God! There is no one like our God!
Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this family!!
Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done with us!
Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in Allie! In Maggie! In Penelope! In Rosemary! In Samuel! In Brian! In Julie!

God has reminded me that as long as I wake up another day, my story isn't over. As long as each of my children wakes up another day, their story isn't over. We still have HOPE before us and GRACE surrounding us. He knows what comes next. "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path." -Psalm 142:3 His merciful kindness is great toward me- Psalm 117:2 He leads our family in triumph (2 Corinthians 2:14) and from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). He is the God of hope and He causes me to abound in hope (Romans 15:13) because He is Lord of tomorrow. Our stories will end in AWESOME.

Praise the Lord!