My Gaps

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

The most important piece of parenting advise I ever got was from a fiction book I once read.  Crazy, I know.  It seemed like just a little nugget of truth in the midst of a unimportant story line.  It jumped off the page and made its way to the hurt, fear, and frustration of my mommy heart.  I remember just sitting there and letting it sink in. “Pray that God will bridge the gap between what your child needs and what you can give her.” ("Tristan's Gap", by Nancy Rue)

It's been a lot of years since I read that, but it often comes to mind.  Now that I'm on the other side of my parenting years, though I know I'll always be a parent, I still look on those times with some regret.  Wishing I had done some things different or thinking about failures, insecurities, and stupidities.  Only by the grace of God are my kids doing as well as they are.  I can see so many ways that God filled in the gaps...His power being made perfect in my weakness!

No matter how hard I tried, or continue to try, I will never be able to provide for all of my kid's needs. I cannot protect them from every hurt. I won’t be able to fulfill every desire. More now that ever, I can't be with them in every crisis and am unable to meet every need that they have physically, emotionally, and for sure spiritually. So, still, even now that they are young adults and not living at home, I am called to be on my knees, dependent and hopeful that God will take care of my sweet "babies".

I'm thankful for a God who forgives and always “bridges the gaps".  His grace is sufficient!

Lord, thank you for my kids and for the gift they are in my life.  I love them so much, and yet I feel like I failed at parenting so many times.  There were times that parenting was so hard, and yet you to guided me, strengthened me, and helped me when I was weak and tired. Thank you for filling in the gaps and being just what my kids needed.  I’m so glad that I didn’t have to parent alone. You have always been with me, and with them.  Please, Lord, continue to bridge the gaps between what my kids need, and what I can, or have, given them. Where I haven't been enough, fill in the blanks. I stand in faith, believing in your promise to satisfy our needs and strengthen our frames. Oh, how I pray you do that for my children today.  Continue your work in them that they might be who you've made them to be.  Draw them to you and speak to their hearts so that they may recognize their need for you.  Dear Jesus, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for loving my kids more than I do, and for continuing the pursue them, parent them, and fill in their gaps.

 

Long Time No See

It's been over two years since I posted anything on this blog.  I wasn't tired of praying for my kids, I was just burnt out on posting something on a daily basis.  I wish I had kept it up and hadn't dropped the ball.  I wish I had a record of God's faithfulness, and of life's big events, in the Redford household.  There has been so much:

• Our family marked 20 years being the pastors at our church. (July 2014)
• Lyssa got married. (August 2014)
• Ken and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. (August 2014)
• Kyle graduated from high school.  (June 2015) 
• Kyle received a scholarship to play baseball for Northwest Nazarene University, and finished his freshman year there, working on an engineering major.
• Lyssa, and her husband Jered, both graduated from George Fox University. (May 2016)
• And some hard milestones too: My mom was diagnosed with cancer shortly before Lyssa's wedding and Ken's brother passed away unexpectedly.

This last week, we took Kyle back to school and he has hit the ground running, facing his sophomore year of school head-on.  I'm not sure if it's because of the transition this last week, or because I'm stuck at home and can't drive (that's a whole other story) and have lots of time on my hands, or if it's God's prompting, but several times over the last week I have felt the urge to jump back on here and write a post praying for my kids. I don't know how often, I'll come back to post here, but I will always be praying for my kids even though they are all considered adults now! My heart will always long for God's best in their lives, and for their hearts to be fully devoted to Him.

So as I sat having my morning coffee and quiet time, God gave me a promise in His Word, that I'm going to hold onto for my sweet babies (cause they will always be my "babies"!).

For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
    and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
    and my blessing on your descendants.
They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
    like poplar trees by flowing streams. 
Some will say, ‘I belong to the Lord’;
    others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The Lord’s,’    and will take the name Israel. (Isaiah 44:3-5)

My greatest desire is that my children will say, "I belong to the Lord"! Or declare that they are "The Lord's!"

Oh, dear Jesus, may it be so! 


 

Twenty Years

Twenty years.  It's hard to believe.

Twenty years ago we pulled into southern Idaho with a trailer full of every belonging we owned, and our 8-week old daughter, ready to begin a new adventure in life. 

Twenty years ago we drove into the parking lot of a church, filled with people we didn't know, who fed us, unpacked our U-haul, and set us up for a good nights sleep.  It was just the beginning of the many, many ways our church has loved us as their pastors.  Even though, way back then, we were just young babies who probably didn't know what they were getting themselves into.

Twenty years.  Yes, we are little bit older, a whole lot wiser, and still enjoying where God brought us way back then!  Our 8-week old daughter is now twenty and getting married, and our son, who showed up along the way, is soon to begin his senior year in high school. Alyssa and Kyle know no other church and they've known no other pastor, and therefore intimately aware in their own way about ministry, but I would still love to tell them a few things I've learned in our twenty years.

1.  There is great joy in following God's calling in your life!  When you're doing what you've been made for, and where God leads, there's a peace and joy that cannot compare.  We've been here this long because we couldn't imagine being anywhere else or doing anything else.There's great joy in seeing someone come to know the Lord, get married to their best friend, find answers to life's problems through God's Word, or watching lives change. Oh the joy of being used by Him!  God's plan is the best, so find out where He wants you, and go there!

2.  Following God's calling won't always be easy.   In our twenty years, we've seen many hard things too...death, illness, divorce, affairs, conflict, abuse, anger, friends leaving the church, and people walking away from the Lord.  Some days, the hours are long, and the investment of time, heart, and energy is big.  There's sometimes criticisms, unhappy people, problems to solve, and can be kind of lonely.  But when you're doing what God has made you to do, the good things far outweigh the bad, and He always give the strength we need to handle the hard things.  Watching God at work, especially in difficult circumstances, is a fun sight to behold.  So, when you look for God's calling in your life, don't just go for what looks easy!  Be strong and courageous because God will make it all worth it!

Twenty years is just the beginning of what God has planned for our lives.  I don't know what the next twenty will look like, but if we continue to follow God's lead, I'm sure He will take us down many more beautiful paths. 

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.  Psalm 84:10

 

TGIF

 

Thankful Thursday

Thank God! He deserves your thanks.
    His love never quits.
Thank the God of all gods,
    His love never quits.
Thank the Lord of all lords.
    His love never quits.

Thank the miracle-working God,
    His love never quits.
The God whose skill formed the cosmos,
   His love never quits.
The God who laid out earth on ocean foundations,
    His love never quits.
The God who filled the skies with light,
    His love never quits.
The sun to watch over the day,
    His love never quits.
Moon and stars as guardians of the night,
    His love never quits.
The God who struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
    His love never quits.
And rescued Israel from Egypt’s oppression,
    His love never quits.
Took Israel in hand with his powerful hand,
   His love never quits..
Split the Red Sea right in half,
   His love never quits.
Led Israel right through the middle,
    His love never quits.
Dumped Pharaoh and his army in the sea,
   His love never quits.
The God who marched his people through the desert,
    His love never quits.
Smashed huge kingdoms right and left,
    His love never quits.
Struck down the famous kings,
    His love never quits.
Struck Sihon the Amorite king,
    His love never quits.
Struck Og the Bashanite king,
    His love never quits.
Then distributed their land as booty,
    His love never quits.
Handed the land over to Israel.
    His love never quits.

God remembered us when we were down,
    His love never quits.
Rescued us from the trampling boot,
    His love never quits.
Takes care of everyone in time of need.
    His love never quits.
Thank God, who did it all!
    His love never quits.

(Psalm 136 The Message)

Your love never quits, precious Savior.  Thank you for the many ways I see your loving hand at work in my little family.  Thank you for my beautiful daughter, Lyssa, and my handsome son, Kyle.  Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My heart is full of gratitude and awe knowing that you will love them always.  You will never quit loving them, no matter how far from you they may become.  I pray, Lord, that Alyssa and Kyle will always be near you and know the depths of your love for them.  You will be the One who will never quit on them.  Amen!
 

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credit

 

Loving Deeply

"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."  Colossians 3:14

I love watching my kids have fun together.

 

They live a part right at the moment, and maybe for the rest of their life,

but as we celebrated Mother's Day this weekend,

 I just missed having my two babies together.

Spring Break (2007)

I pray that they will always be friends!

Not just have fun together, but love one another deeply.

Lord, I love the children you have blessed our lives with.  They are both so fearfully and wonderfully made by your hand.  You knew that Alyssa and Kyle would be sister and brother, and you gave them each other as a gift to be cherished.  Help them to love one another deeply.  Bind them together in unity.  Always help them to give forgiveness easily, keep no record of wrong, and believe the best about the other person.  I pray that "putting on love" will be easy and the goal of their every interaction.  Oh what a mother's delight it is to watch her children laugh together and love one another.  Thank you, dear Jesus, for the gifts Alyssa and Kyle can find in their relationship together.