What Was I Thinking - Encouragement Café - November 4, 2015

What Was I Thinking?

Café Menu for Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Today’s Special is:  When I Asked For All This?

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Joan Walker Hahn

Main Ingredient:

Then I thought, “… I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.   I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”  Your ways, God, are holy.  What god is as great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. 

Psalm 77:10-14 NIV

Entrée:

After 30 years of marriage, things have settled down.  But I remember the days of laundry, dishes, cleaning house, job, kids, homework, husband, church and on and on.  In the middle of all the chaos I would find myself thinking,

This is not what I signed up for.

But then I remembered, I had.

I distinctly remember in my early teens dreaming of being married and having a family.  It was the beginning of a new decade and Christians began talking a lot about the Lord’s return. 

Being naïve, I would say to the Lord,

Can You wait until I have my first kiss?

Then it was,

Can You wait until I get married?

Next it was,

Can You wait until I have children?

When the chaos of juggling all those things was a reality, it was,

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Amid the busyness of life, those moments would come that made sense out of the madness. 

Growing children led to cleaning outgrown garments from closets to replace with new ones.  As the little dresses were removed, memories of special moments would come.  Preschool graduations and Christmas plays.  T-shirts brought back memories of ballgames and vacations.  Instead of thinking of the chore of cleaning, I would find myself smiling and taking time to reflect.

When school projects required childhood pictures, I would spend time looking through shoe boxes and drawers full of pictures.  As my girls and I searched for just the right ones, we would laugh and recall the moments when the pictures were taken.

On those rare date nights with my husband, we would slow down over dinner and talk about the girls and our plans for the future.  We would enjoy retelling stories of antics in which our children had been involved.  Slowing down to remember all of those things which, at the time they were happening, seemed hard and nerve-wracking, suddenly brought back fond memories and joy at the blessings God had given us.

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were continually being told to,

Remember how God…

Many times they were told to remember because they had turned their backs on God.  Sometimes they were told to remember because they were discouraged.  When they looked back and remembered how God had brought them out of bondage, how God had provided protection and supplied their needs, it caused them to repent and worship God.

Take Out:

We too, should look back at all of our blessings, even the ones that caused us headaches at the time, and humbly praise God for them.  We need to remember that everything we’ve got, everything we’ve gone through, even the bad times, were times when He was still in control and when He was giving us those things for our good.

Dessert:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the blessings You have so richly blessed me with, even the ones I don’t recognize in the moment as good.  When it seems my life is in chaos, help me to remember that You are working all things for my good.  Thank You for memories of wonderful times that You have allowed me to experience.  But most of all, Lord, help me to “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead.” (2 Tim. 2:8 NIV)  Amen.

© 2015 by Joan Walker Hahn.  All rights reserved.

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