|
Listen to this devotional: |
Listen while you read: "Jesus Bids Us Shine"1 (Lyrics) |
I suddenly unleashed my terrifying side once more.
My kids heard that loud "rawr" not only from the dinosaur video that they were watching, but also from me!
I hate to do it, but lately, I've been screaming a lot, getting discouraged over menial things more often, and seeing myself getting worse each day. I easily give in to anger. After almost breaking down from freaking out, only then did I realize how monstrous to my kids I have become!
Is anyone else guilty of the same feelings?
The chaotic house, the take-home work, the seemingly endless responsibilities of being a mom, a wife, and a career woman all stretch me too thin.
There are mixed tasks from these roles that trigger me and transform me into that wild beast! The sad thing is that I burst it out on my kids.
Inhale, exhale …
In such situations, we need to remind ourselves not to see things the way that they appear. Instead, we should look at things the way that the Bible describes them. For example:
Psalm 127:3 – Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. (NLT)
The people and situations in our lives are God's gift to us. This truth will help us to shift from being ill-tempered to being grateful. We have something that God has entrusted to us. And it's not just something menial, otherwise it wouldn't have been important enough for Him to give it to us. As for me, He has entrusted me with lives to nurture, to train, and to lead to Him. Am I doing what I'm supposed to do? Am I training them in preparation for their future responsibilities? Are my actions leading them to knowing God? The monster in me is tamed. All I can mutter is, "Help me, God."
For each one, seeing life as a gift that has come from God helps us to see how blessed we are. Sometimes, what we try to get rid of in our lives is exactly what others desperately desire to have. Those gifts are something that we may not have asked for, but they were deliberately given to us. They are not just given by a random bystander but by God our Father, our Creator. He knows us well. He created our inmost being, and He knows what our purpose is. Therefore, He knows what we need to develop and change so that we can fulfill the mission that He has given us.
Prayer: Dear God, thank You for giving us countless gifts that we can't even name one by one. Forgive us for how we sometimes deal with the people and situations in our lives. Remind us that they are Your gifts to us and that we should handle them with utmost love and care because they are gifts from You. Help us to be faithful stewards of all Your gifts. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Forward this devotional Share this devotional on Facebook Like PresbyCan on Facebook
Although PresbyCan doesn't have a mobile app, you can still have a PresbyCan icon on your mobile phone home screen. 
Monday, May 29, 2023 – In Guelph, Onrtario — Give thanks for 10 years of ministry at Two Rivers Church in Guelph, Ontario. Pray that the congregation, meeting in living rooms, continues to grow in outreach to their community with the transforming love of Christ.
cancer: "May 27, 2023. Please pray fervently for my friend who has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer..." 
Pregnant daughter so very sick!: "May 26, 2023. Please pray for my daughter AD, who is having her first baby at 36 years old. She is..." 
Thanks for the encouraging words, Ivy.
Amen, sister!
(BC Canada)
Ivy, you spoke for many of us. Thank you and God bless you.
Thank you for a blessed devotional that all mothers will identify with.
Thank you, Ivy, for your beautiful perspective on God’s gifts to us, and your willingness to share. I hear you.
Thank you, Ivy, for your honesty! I remember those times well, and the guilt afterwards. May we all remember the gifts God has given us.
Thank you for sharing in your wonderful writing, the things that strikes us all at times. Thanks for the reminder that children are a gift of God.
Thank you, Ivy, for the devotional you wrote today…an important reminder to all no matter what our ages might be.
(Texas USA)
Thank you for your devotional today, Ivy. Very mindful advice and we need be ever grateful to our loving Lord for all the gifts He bestows upon us.
Blessings for writing.
Hi Ivy. Thanks for sharing in today’s devotional. It reminds me that we ought not to sweat the small stuff. Sometimes we make big things out of little things. We just have to decide which is which. Blessings on you and yours.
Thanks for this refreshingly honest devotional Ivy. We all have that monster within and learning to tame it by renewing our thoughts to God’s perspective is the only way to go. Thanks for the reminder.
Blessings.
Oh, Ivy, we all fail to reflect Christ in our lives from time to time.
Isn’t Jesus wonderful in how unconditional his forgiveness is when we flee to him for solace! Thanks for sharing this encouraging devotional with us.
Blessings.
Good morning Ivy,
I understand where you are coming from, oh for sure. My one prayer is, Help me Father to see people and things the way you do! I sometimes think the situations are for teaching me patience etc. I am sure I would faster! God is good.
God bless.
My dear Ivy, I am touched by your courage and honesty in sharing your trials as a mother. I am also touched by your resolve to keep your eyes fixed on the Lord. You insist that your children are a gift from God, and you turn to Him for help, mercy, and gratitude. You are willing to let your challenges be opportunities for growth. May He nourish you with the precise blessing you need to help you get through the day – one day at a time.
Good morning, Ivy,
How honest and refreshing your devotional is. Of course, I have been there as well. Now being retired, life is simpler and not so many demands. I love how you use the passage to remind us that God does give us many gifts which have challenges with them also. If we remember that God has a plan for us and is walking with us, we can change how we perceive his gifts.
I like the expression that if everyone threw their problems into a pile, we would be grabbing our own back because we realize that there are many more difficult ones out there.
They chose a good song to go with your uplifting devotional for us to honour God and His gifts. There is always a purpose, even if we don’t know it. Blessings.