Biscuits Are The Last Thing On My Mind

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So, we've docked the ship.  You've made it home, unloaded, and put away all the groceries.  You've braved the school supply aisle, and all it's disarray.  New school clothes hang in the closet.  The dishwasher is empty.  Your feet ache, and the dryer hums with the last load of towels.  Your body is screaming.....

"Enough Already!!!!!"

as you think of just one more thing that needs to be done before you call it a day.   If only you could sleep in tomorrow.....Then there's verses like this:

She rises also while it is still night
and gives food to her household
and portions to her maidens
Proverbs 31:15

I used to think that the Proverbs 31 woman never slept in because of this verse and I like to sleep in, therefore, I must be a sluggard, and being a Proverbs 31 woman seemed even farther from my reach.   

Can we put away the thought of getting up before dawn to whip up made from scratch biscuits for a minute?

I knew you wouldn't mind! 

She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household...

While it is still night.  Remember what we learned about the word "night" a few posts ago?  If you haven't seen those posts, and want to catch up, you can do that here:

• As If There Never Was  A Night
• Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
• Consider The Profit - (we touched on today's verse a little in this post as well)
  
  

This word for night is also the same word that means adversity, it also means "a twist away of the light".  Let's focus on the concept of the night in relation to adversity and this twisting away of the light.  She rises up while she is still in adversity and gives food to her household.

Can I ask you something?

When your home is in the midst of adversity, when the world is twisting the light away from the heart of your household, what is it that you want to feed your family?

I don't know about you, but when my family faces situations that seem to twist the Light away from us, biscuits are the last thing that are on my mind.  I want to feed them something to sustain them in the adversity.  I want to feed them hope. I want to feed them truth.  I want to feed them weapons.  I want to feed them full of God's love, so that they can crawl up and take a sleepy nap on the lap of the King and rest in Him.

This keyboard limits how I can communicate the urgency of this to you.  If you don't know me, let me just warn you, friend, I talk with ALL of me! Call me animated, over-dramatic, whatever, I just can't help it.  My passion on a subject comes out of more than my mouth. 

With that in mind, yes, if I were with you right now, my body language would be screaming.   I am stepping toward you as I say this.  I'm leaning in, bending closer as to keep the enemy from between us while I talk to you, my hands are tapping the top of my thighs in desperation. My eyes, filling with tears, are locking with yours.   Because I need you to know....

This is important. 

We have to feed our families.

We have to feed our kids.   Even in the middle of the night.

The enemy wants to take your child right off your hands. 

We have to be intentional about what we feed them.  I heard Dr. Dobson say on a Family Talk broadcast this week:

If you get too busy to care about your kids, too busy to let them know you love them, too busy to teach them the word of God, the culture will take them to Hell...You can't count on anyone else doing the job for you. --James Dobson

Please understand my heart as I say these things, especially as you read further.  I do not intend to heap condemnation on you as a momma.  Goodness knows, there's plenty of that to go around for all of us.  I just want to communicate the urgency of this because I know how many directions the world is pulling you in and I know how much you love your kids.  

I love you, therefore, I love your kids too.   I can't bear the thought of the enemy ripping one of your precious children right out of your care, so, will you hear me for a minute?

Are we too busy to care for our kids - God's way?  

Are we too busy to let them know we love them - God's way?  Loving them God's way looks different from the world's way.

Are we too busy to teach them the word of God?   Maybe it's because we don't think we know the word well enough ourselves.  Maybe it's because we think someday they will want to learn it themselves.  But what if they don't?

We don't mean to be this way.  We just get caught up in the whirlwind of life, but life is made up of single days strung together, and every single day, someone's child walks away from what we have called our faith.   They are deceived into the world's way of thinking.  They were starving and found something else to eat.

As I reflect on my upbringing and the influences upon my faith, I am fortunate to have a mom who involved me in the things of God.  She got 4 kids, kicking and screaming, ready for church on Sunday mornings pretty faithfully, and I know it wasn't easy for her.  I know how much she and others sacrificed to see my heart for God expand, but what if just one part of my heritage had been different?  Who knows where I would be.  As I look back on situations I allowed myself to be in, people I was around, etc, I see how close the enemy prowled around me at times, seeking to devour, and in the blink of an eye my life could have taken a completely different course. 

But what if Mom had been tired of the fight and decided to give in for something more comfortable or convenient?  What if she hadn't brought me to the table to be fed?

I guess what I'm trying to communicate is, the world in which we grew up was different.  Yes, it was hard, but the lures of the enemy are much more subtle now.  We are settling for less in our faith.  Where is our drive and passion to do whatever it takes to influence the souls of our children?  We believe the lie that there is plenty of time to get back in church, there is plenty of time to talk to them about salvation, there is plenty of time to make God a priority in our homes.  

Can I just tell you? There is not! 

The window of opportunity it so small and it is getting smaller every day. 

Please, my friends, let's not look back with regret and wish we had fed them something different.  

My girls need to see the relevance of my faith and the truth of His word, even in the darkest night.  They need to see truth when the world is twisting the Light away.  That truth has to light their path in the midst of adversity.

I gotta get in the kitchen while it's still night.  And while the moon still hangs in the sky, I've got to find something to feed them!  It's my job to teach them the truth of the word.  I can't rely on others to do the job for me.  I love them too much to let them starve.  How could I have food in my cabinets, yet offer them nothing to eat? 

Here's the good news,  Dr. Dobson's statement that I mentioned above was very strong.  True, but strong.  The response his guest, Joe White, gave,  encouraged me and I think it might help light the fire on your kitchen stove.  If we feed our kids the truth, I think this can be true of them:

But a well instructed kid, who, from his daddy, who's his hero, or his mom, who's his hero, can take this adolescent sort of rebellious attitude and rebel right into the secular classroom, right into that ungodly relationship and take it on like their taking on a passionate rebellious cause...this cause can be the cause of Christ.  -- Joe White

Key words in this quote are "well instructed".  Yes, they still have a free will and may choose to walk a different path, but it won't be from lack of food, we could be raising up some rebels with a Cause.
We have a cupboard full of truth we can feed them.

Sisters, we can do this.   We are Proverbs 31 Women.

How like God ?? - While I was planning this post, He arranged for Dr Dobson to air a 2 day broadcast on Raising Kids Who Love the Lord.  I firmly believe I heard it so that I could pass the information and tools on to you.   I've included the links to the broadcasts below and I encourage you to listen and glean from what was offered.  They also referenced a book written by the guest, Joe White, called Faith Training:  Raising Kids to Love the Lord.  I ordered a copy of it myself and am waiting anxiously for it to arrive!  The book is noted to have practical resources included to help you influence your kids for the Lord and also has ways to discuss current issues that are minefields for our children out in the world.     And, I'm all about something practical.

Listen to the broadcasts here:

• Raising Kids Who Love The Lord - Part 1
• Raising Kids Who Love The Lord - Part 2

The link for the book:
Faith Training:  Raising Kids to Love the Lord, by Joe White

I hope you have heard my heart, I in no way intended to come across preachy and critical, for I have as much to learn as anyone about Faith Training our girls.  Like I said earlier, I can't bear the thought of the enemy wreaking havoc on your home, sweet one.  If I could physically fight him off, I would, but I can't.  What we can do though, is defeat Him with the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

What are some ways you feed your household?  I would love to try some new ideas.

Be strong and courageous, dear ones, for God is with you wherever you go.

XOXO,
Amy