In the Midst of the Busy

The past few weeks have been incredibly busy for our family. The boys are smack dab in the middle of baseball season, which incidentally seems to last all year. We have some big plans this month starting this weekend at church with the Encounter. The Encounter is a retreat that our church hosts a couple times a year. It is a powerful weekend where people set aside their lives and really meet with God. The Encounter week takes a lot of preparation and all in all it makes for a busy week.

This week was no different. It has been stressful trying to figure out what to do with the kids all weekend while Matt and I help with the Encounter. I asked my mom to move down but she refused. Sometimes I feel like life would be easier with a third parent, an extra person that will be around when the kid’s plans outnumber the two of us. Cooper and Eli both have travel ball tournaments this weekend and Emery and Lilah Jane will need a sitter for the time we are gone. It has been difficult but we finally figured it all out thanks to some great uncles, aunts and friends.

Since the boys are playing travel ball this summer they will be missing some Sunday mornings at church. I thought it would be a good idea to have a mid week Bible study together as a family so that they can still be learning and growing outside of Church. I suppose we should do this anyway but I admit we never have.

Last night was our only night at home this week so after some back yard fun we all sat down in the girls room to have a Bible study. In my mind this looked like all four of my children sitting quietly while I read a story from the Bible and taught them about Jesus, then Matt would close in a powerful prayer time and they would all quietly think on what was said as they each went to their OWN rooms to sleep in their OWN beds. As you might imagine our first family Bible study didn’t exactly go as planned. There were tears, there was interrupting with silly questions, there was fighting and one little person refused to sit still.

All in all my family Bible study ended with something like me yelling “that’s it everyone go to bed!”

Today as I was thinking about our night last night I don’t feel bad that it didn’t go as planned. I am just glad we took the time to do it. I have high hopes for future Bible studies; I am not going to give up. The kids listened to the Word of God. They heard something in it. The verse that keeps coming to mind is one of my favorites from Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desire.”

What a great truth that is. The Word of God cuts through our lives and exposes us, not to flaunt our failures but to allow us to see our faults and let God change us. My children may not remember what I said last night, but God’s word is getting inside of them, little by little it will begin to change their lives just like it has changed mine.

My Bible study failure was no failure at all, it was a step in the process of allowing God to shape who my children will become. I would encourage anyone reading this not to be upset when things don’t go as planned; time spent in the presence of God is never wasted time. This includes our own time with God, the time interrupted when the phone rings or we fall asleep. Anytime we can spend with God is a step in the right direction.

Let your failures be the building blocks for your life.