A few years ago, my word for the year was intentional. I didn't realize the number of things we'd have to be intentional about that year: finishing my recovery from knee surgery, starting our first international adoption, putting our house on the market, selling our house, buying another one, moving across town, finishing the adoption and bringing Zoe home, starting our first child in kindergarten, coping with Robbie's seizure and epilepsy diagnosis, and seeking help for myself when I realized I wasn't handling all the change well.
A year or so later, it was trust. Wow. I didn't expect to have to trust God so much with so many unknowns, and I certainly didn't expect to trust a plan to double our number of children... but God knew. And we stepped forward in trust.
And this year?
Receive…
mainly from God.
Receiving isn't easy for me.
I like serving.
Giving.
Doing.
Working.
I struggle with receiving.
The chaos in our lives in the past two years has taught me to receive from others: meals. help. friendship.
I'm still not great at it.
Receiving from God?
I struggle with that even more.
I tend to be more comfortable with a faith focused on what I have to do than with what I have to receive.
Me? I'm a Pharisee at heart. I like rules and boundaries and effort and work.
As I realize how much I have to pour out as I parent all six of our blessings, I know one thing: I can't do it without receiving abundantly from Him first.
So, this year, I will receive.
Wanna join me?
RECEIVE instruction from his mouth,
and lay up his words in your heart.
(Job 22:22)
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will RECEIVE, if you have faith.
(Matthew 21:22)
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “RECEIVE the Holy Spirit.”
(John 20:22)
For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who RECEIVE the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
(Romans 5:17)
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have RECEIVED the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
(Romans 8:15)
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might RECEIVE adoption as sons.
(Galatians 4:4-5)
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may RECEIVE mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
(Hebrews 4:16)
