Caught Not Taught

Let's just be real for a second.

This most magical time of year for the entire rest of the family is more like mandatory overtime for the mothers of young children.

The cooking and cleaning and surprise making.  The wrapping  and shopping and budget keeping.  It's a lot to juggle.

In the middle of it all, we are trying to show our kids that it's more than just the gifts.  And at the end of our well crafted, 20 minute, Holy Spirit,guilt-ridden lecture on how they should think about others and pray for those that are hurting and come to the aid of those in need they ask why they can't have an ipod for Christmas again this year.

Sigh.

It leaves me feeling a little deflated.  A little disappointed.  A little hopeless.

This time of year I get the deadly combination of lofty expectations and shortsightedness.  I want so much for my kids to 'get it' and to have a servant's heart.  I want them to start thinking less often of themselves.  I want them to move beyond the presents into His Presence.

But I forget they are 10..and 9...and 7....and 4.  And that slow and steady wins the race.  And that these valuable lessons are learned not through the lecture but by the lens of their own eyes.  Not only to pray for the poor, but to go out and actually meet some poor people.  Instead of remembering the hungry, to prepare some food for them.  To put some feet on this gospel-driven, life-changing love we have been shown.   Our spiritual heart is a kinesthetic learner.

And I am reminded that is what Christ's birth was for me.  Love came down.  He didn't just think about me.  He came to me....the poor, the hungry, the needy.  He didn't lecture me.  He wrapped himself in humanity for me.  To show me what His marvelous love was all about.

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Matthew 20:28

So moms, might I encourage you to breathe this week?  To take in His great grace.  To leave the lectures for the professors and roll up our sleeves instead.  To model for our kids the kind of servant's heart we desire for them.  And to do it diligently.  Year after year, day after day.  Because His promises are true.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
And my song shall ever be:
O how marvelous! O how wonderful!
Is my Savior's love for me!

That Moment You Show Up In Nothing But Your Underwear

So nothing says 'Ho, Ho, Ho!  Merry Christmas'  like a quick trip to the big city with six kids to see a Christmas play and then walking out to find your van has a flat tire.  Right at lunch time.  Did I mention six kids?

But let me just say this.  Things could have been worse.  Because I had these two AMAZING friends who volunteered to take said six kids to the park for lunch and to play while I got my tire fixed.

And then, there was the God moment.

Sometime God graces us with beauty that leaves us speechless, or with love so deep and rich it brings us to tears.  And then there are times he graces us with 3 construction workers.

There I stand with the flat tire and rumbling stomachs and all these Yahoos asking 'What are we going to do?'  'Is Dad going to be mad?'  'When are we going to eat?'  When these three wonderful men saw us and obviously felt pity for this poor unfortunate soul of a woman.  They come straight over and offer to change the tire.

Hallelujah and Amen.

I frantically get the jack and tools they'll need and act like I know what I'm doing.  Then I tell them where the spare is at. And how do you get to that?  Well you have to take out the middle passenger seat.

And there it is.  That moment.  You know the one.  Like in your dream where you show up to preach the sermon in nothing but your underwear.  Well, strangers and friends seeing the nooks and crannies of my 8 year old, child-infested, moldy french fry laden van is my underwear moment.  I shudder just thinking of it.  I  made excuses.  I apologized.  I threw up a little.  But these people.  These people were fantastic.  They were dads and moms too.  They showed kindness and grace.

This is probably not an accurate depiction of my van.  But it does help with affect.  

And within a few minutes my spare was on.  All I had to offer these guys were some chocolate chip cookies I had made for me the kids after lunch.  I mean, I'm not gonna lie.  They were good.  Toll House knows their cookie business.  But really?  Cookies in exchange for saving me 3 hours of work and all the sanity left in this wearied body?  Pitiful.

Two of the three saints from yesterday.  The other one you might be able to see wedged underneath the van getting the %@&#$ spare tire out.  It was hard.  So they said.  

So I took advantage of that humiliating teachable moment to clean out my van this morning.

And as I was cleaning I started thinking.

These people with me yesterday showed me so much grace and kindness.  No shame, no blame.  Just love. And that sweet act led my heart to give thanks and to clean out my van.  Without shame.  Without begrudging it.  Joyfully.

And so it is with God working in my life.  God graces and loves me.  He shows up in my humiliating underwear moments.   As he showers me with kindness, the spiritual mold on my heart shows up.   I apologize.  I make excuses.  But his kindness leads me to repentance.    He makes me want to dig down deep and clean out the nooks and crannies of my heart.

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

Romans 2:4  

So a big shout out to the construction workers on the top level of the Victorian Square Parking Garage.   And also to the 7 cars behind me as I left the parking garage and couldn't find my wallet in all the chaos that was my minivan so I had to get out and walk back to my friend who graciously let me use her credit card to get out of that place.  And to the guy that completely had the right of way at the light, but because it took me 27 minutes to get through the intersection with my spare tire on I might have cut off a little.  My apologies to you all.  It was an underwear moment kind of day.