Hidden

I have not wanted to blog since that last post.  My husband wrote that one and I wanted to leave it up for a while. I have read it and re-read it several times.  I guess it is similar to getting all of the flavor out of a piece of yummy gum.  Hopefully you enjoyed it too! 

He is an incredible communicator, storyteller, and writer.  I am glad you got to see the man I share my life with in words.  Pretty special is what he is...

So this week has been VBS week.  That means crazy, hectic, busy, fun, and tired all rolled into one.  I help lead the music at our church for the Kindergarten through 5th grade.  Our church has chosen to be "outside the norm" with our music and, frankly, I love that about us.  We do the VBS curriculum songs and then we throw in our own favorites just because we can.  There is never any down time.  We move constantly.  Hand motions and jumping always seem to accompany any song we do...so I feel like I have been doing Jazzersize all week long....only the Jesus version.  Smile.

Anyway to add to that craziness we have sufficiently celebrated Caroline's birthday and dealt with the hard blows of a tummy bug.  Poor Zeke and Ava have both been hit with it.  There is nothing like puke on carpet....in the middle of the night.  Sigh.

I wish I could say that I have been rising early and basking in God's glory first thing every morning.  But that would be a lie.  I have been waking up at the last possible moment with bags under my eyes and thinking ahead to how early I could possibly get to bed.  So, yes, I am really tired.

God has been so faithful to speak to me in the quick moments I have stolen with Him.  He doesn't even seem to be offended that He has been the leftovers of my time.  But I have.  I miss Him.  I am so ready for our ladies bible study to kick back off again next week.  We have taken over a month off and I am telling you that I am struggling.  I am one of those people who desperately need the discipline of structure.  Without it...I turn into this. I am a frazzled female reduced to giving Jesus snippets of time instead of savoring Him all the time. 

As I read my devotion for the day (at 9:45 at night) God talked to me about abiding in Him.  The scripture that I focused on was out of Colossians.  Verses 2 and 3 in chapter 3 say, "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."

First of all, we are to set our minds. This has to be active.  It won't just happen.  If your mind is left open to go where it wants to....then it will.  So it has to be set on something.  God is telling us to set our minds upon Him and things that are of eternal value.  Then He really gets into our face with it.  He reminds us, as believers, that we have died.  Our lives are not our own anymore.  Our lives are now hidden with Christ in God.

I can be a pretty visual person at times.  This is one of them.  I picture a mama kangaroo with her baby in her pouch.  That baby is truly abiding.  As long as it stays in her pouch it is nourished, protected, and hidden from things that would wish to harm it. 

I would like to think that I am hidden like that in Christ.  But, all too often, I jump out from the safety of the pouch.  I stop abiding.  I am no longer content with being hidden.  I want recognition.  I want to choose my own course.  Pride has won over peace from obedience.

O Lord, this was a good word of warning to me.  Even tonight I saw pride and arrogance raise its ugly head within me.  Areas that I have left untended have gained some momentum and not in a good way.  I must abide.  I must trade in the haughty for the hidden.  O God, keep me hidden in You!