Today I am thankful for all the surprises I have had this week.
My parents came into town for a few days… which meant Noah got spoiled.
A friend asked for some design advice with her new house…. I got Pinterest happy.
The most random item I’ve ever listed in my Etsy shop, Color Created Family, turned out to be a huge hit this week. Scarves for your Elf on the Shelf!
Esther found out yesterday that she is getting a mommy, daddy, and a sister. She’s pretty pumped about having Emma as her dog. It might take her a little bit longer to warm up to us…. maybe we weren’t as cute as Emma was in the video. Haha! All in all she took the news really well and seemed to be accepting her new family. (I’ll share more about her receiving the news on an upcoming Family Friday.)
We received new photos and video of Esther this morning and are allowed to go ahead and send her Christmas gifts.
ML and I completely forgot about our Broadway in Birmingham tickets for the Addams Family last weekend. Saturday night after leaving our friends’ house we realized what day it was. We went to the matinee Sunday to see if we could exchange our tickets. Not only did they exchange our tickets they upgraded them one section lower and center stage. Rockstar treatment for forgetting our show. How cool is that?What surprises have you had this week to be thankful for? Surprises are like God’s gentle reminding that we aren’t in control.
Just like last week when I shared about my thankfulness for biblical marriage, this week I am taking another break for Thankful Thursdays. It’s a little time for me to reflect and thank God for what I am thankful for in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
As Noah’s mom, and main sidekick day in and day out it is my job to teach, guide, and instruct her so that she continues to grow and develop in both her physical and spiritual life. In the midst of all this God uses Noah to teach me a thing or two.
She is a reflection of how I so often respond to God. For instance… when she repeatedly disobeys me. I know you’re shocked that she could even do such a thing! Ha! She’s a sinner just like the rest of us. Sometimes she just doesn’t want to obey Mommy. She doesn’t want to do what doesn’t seem fun or her first choice. Her way is better and she is bound and determined to have.
It’s in these moments when I become frustrated with her and wonder why she just won’t listen that God gently reminds me that this is how I treat Him sometimes. There have been countless times that I have responded to God, “Thanks but no thanks! I really don’t see how your way could be better so I’ll just do what I please.” “You want me to give more? To abandon the American dream? To leave my comfort zone for you? “No doubt this surely frustrates Him.
But you know what? Just like I know what is best for Noah God know what is best for me. Why should a resist His will for my life. What do I have to prove that my way is better? Nothing!
Other times though Noah tries desperately to mimic me. She wants to be just like Mommy. Can you blame her? Her speech has that souther drawl like mine. She smacks her lips together like I do after applying lipstick. And the cutest of all she wants to dress just like Mommy.
God loves it when I do this. When I want to love others like He does. When I serve selflessly looking for nothing in return. When I desire to bring honor to His name. I have no doubt these moments fill HIs heart with love for me. These are the moments that make all the bad times worth it.
God has revealed more about me than I could have ever imagined through Noah. I continually look for ways to parallel my relationship with her to my relationship with God.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. 1 John 3:1 (English Standard Version)
What do you find yourself most thankful for today?
For those of you who are new to Color Transformed Family, I like to take time each Thursday in November to share something I am thankful for. We really do have a lot to be thankful for… all of us. I don’t want to just offer up thanks though. Thanks to no one would be pointless, a waste of breath. I want to thank God, “giver of life” (Psalm 36.:9). The creator of everything (John 1:3)!
Thank you God for biblical marriage (Gen. 2:22-25). More specifically for my marriage to Michael Luke. Not just because I wanted a spouse because that would be selfish. Thank you for biblical marriage because it is such a beautiful picture of the church’s relationship with Christ. As Christ followers we are the bride of Christ.
Marriage is a blessing. Regardless of what prime time comedy shows try to tell you. Marriage is a gift from God and it holds a very important purpose. Marriage is not about getting to receive all the love you always wanted. To be pampered and spoiled. Marriage is not about having someone wait on you hand and foot. Marriage is nit a seasonal commitment. That is a distortion of marriage and of Jesus’ love for you.
Marriage is an earthly picture of Christ’s marriage to the church (Ephesians 5:22-33). This can all sound a little strange I know… especially if you don’t consider yourself a Christian. Let me explain.
Nobody has ever loved you as much as Christ does. It’s inconceivable how much He loves us. To begin with, even though we are sinners (Romans 5:8, 3:23), incapable of being perfect, and unworthy to even stand in the presence of God, Christ loved us anyway. He continues to love us. Amazing! Amazing grace! He loves us despite everything. He pursues us. He wants to have a covenant relationship with us… just like marriage. That’s why Jesus came to Earth and lived the perfect life (1 John 3:5). Perfect. Something I haven’t even come close to. It’s scary how far I continually fall short. He didn’t though. And when he was crucified he died for all our sins (1 Peter 2:24). All our unfaithfulness. Then… he conquered death (the eternal damnation we deserve and are destined to (Romans 6:23) and arose on the third day (Luke 24:4-7). What does this mean? It means Jesus offered his body as the perfect sacrifice before God, a covenant. He paid it all! His blood covers the sins of Christ followers. Allowing us to stand in the presence of God. Allowing us to appear perfect before God (Titus 2:11). That is love.
Because of that I choose to follow Christ (Romans 10:9). I choose to love him and serve him. To be wholly committed to him. To unite myself with him so that one day I will stand in the presence of God. I will spend eternity in Heaven as part of the church, the bride of Christ! But still I am only human and like a wife that has wronged her spouse (Hosea). Lied to him. Shamed him. Cheated on him. The worst relationship you can think of… that is how as Christ followers we have all treated our relationship with Christ (Romans 3:12). Disgusting right?
But you see. Even though in the world’s eyes Christ should leave us. He should have nothing to do with us. He should forget all about us. He should be calling the divorce attorney. Separating “his” from “hers”. Like its so common today. He doesn’t. He continues to love us. Amazing! Amazing grace! He loves us despite everything. He pursues us. Because he made a covenant with us. An eternal covenant that can never be broken.
As Christ followers there are two ways to depict our biblical marriages. We can show the world how unfaithful we are. What the church looks like to Christ at our worst moments. Or we can show the world how we love like Christ. How we sacrifice for our spouse. Lift the other up. Exalt them. Honor them despite all their shortcomings. Love them even when their actions might not be loving towards us. Love despite what we receive in return. Love like Christ. Which do you choose?
I’m thankful that Michael Luke chooses the second. He loves me despite all my wrongs. He loves me more than I deserve. He lifts me up (not literally… but with his speech) in front of others. He strives for our marriage to be a reflection of Christ’s relationship with the Church. That is marriage and how I hope to love him in return!
What are you thankful for today? How has God blessed you more than you could ever imagine? I would love for the comments to be filled with all the snippets of life we are thankful for! To see minute off this beautiful picture of marriage as it relates to Christ and the church check out Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It is my favorite book! And a wonderful love story. Has anyone else read it?
P.S. There is still time to enter the Lilla and Rose Flex Clip giveaway. Entries will be accepted through tomorrow and then a winner will be chosen and announced on Saturday.
