Divine Nature

As I sit here in a few moments of semi-quiet (Caroline is sweetly making noises in the other room while she watches Curious George from her wheelchair and Zeke and Ava are playing in the basement) I am thankful for it.

The semi-quiet, I mean.

It does my soul some good to have moments, actual sequential moments, where I can hear myself think.

Just an hour ago I had all but lost my mind.

You moms will understand.
Former moms of little ones will nod in remembrance.
Future moms....be warned.

I found out earlier this afternoon that Zeke has chicken pox.  (He has already had the first booster but not the second one b/c he isn't 4 yet.  Mild case.  No fever.  No other symptoms. Just bumps and itching.)
Ava had picked a certain movie to watch that she loved.  The other two hated it.
Zeke spent his time bringing loud toys in the living room to annoy and interrupt. 
Caroline also kicked and pitched a fit because she didn't like the movie choice either.  While kicking her feet relentlessly, she managed to snag her toenail and pull a piece off.  That made her cry harder.  Only after I bandaged her up did I notice the streaks of red blood from her toenail on my carpet.  Nice.
 About that same time I  realize it is past time for Caroline's feed.  Meanwhile, Zeke and Ava have decided that they are about to die of starvation....

I did what any mother would do.

I removed them from my sight.

Ava went to her room.  Zeke went to his.

It was time to attack my afternoon one decision at a time.

I turned off the television.
I fed Caroline.
I cleaned the blood from the carpet.
I got dinner ready.

After the kids ate their dinner I gave them the option to go play in the basement.  They happily agreed...probably hoping that I wouldn't make them go back to their rooms.

Then I looked at Caroline and told her that I was gonna spend some time in God's Word.

Unfortunately, I had waited til late in the day to approach the throne of grace.  But He is always there.

The text was from 2 Peter 1:4  "...you may be partakers of the divine nature..." (NKJV)

The circumstances this afternoon have set up the perfect storm for me to focus inwardly.  When chaos swirls about me,  I cave in.  I become this little island unto myself.  I get bitter fast.  I start griping, complaining, and self-pity has won its cause.

God's Word spoke hope into this mother's afternoon.  It always does.

It powerfully reminded me that I get to partake of His divine nature.  Listen to the words in my devotion..

"We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, 'Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle.'  And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus!  And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him.  Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult?  Why shouldn't they be!  If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God's riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision.  No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests.  It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges~always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied.  The there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives."   -My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Just because my day proved difficult did not have to mean a defeat of my nature. 

His divine nature is mine for the taking.

Talk about a trade-off.

He is willing to take my foul attitude, self-pity, aggravation, and bitterness.  But He doesn't stop there y'all.  He gives back.  He lets us partake.  He lets us trade up.  In exchange for my crap...I get His glory.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of his who called us by his own glory and goodness."   2 Peter 1:3