THANKFUL FOR FAMILY

THANKFUL FOR FAMILY . . .

As I’ve grown older, I have learned to love and appreciate my family more and more.  I never really knew my father, but my mother was a strong force in our family.  She was the strength and the “doer of all the things”.  She was a remarkable woman!

One of the things I am grateful to her for is her strong, unyielding faith in God.  Now I’m not saying she had it all figured out, because I have learned so many things through the years since I’ve first believed.  But her faith is the first I witnessed, and it didn’t waver.

Through the many years I’ve been on the earth, I have thought of all the ways I wanted to be perceived by other people.  It made me wonder how my mother saw herself.  Did she think like me?  Did it matter to her how people saw her?   I looked at the Scriptures.

Proverbs 29:25 “It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe”. 

Psalm 139: 13 & 16  “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. . . Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book . . .”

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

Matthew 22: 37-40 “You must love the Lord your God with all you heart, all your soul, and all you mind …Love your neighbor as yourself ...The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments”.
Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven”.

I Cor 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God”.
It just doesn't take long to read through Scripture and realize that we are to do all things for the glory of God.  Throughout our daily lives we are to let Jesus shine through us so that people don’t see us, but Him.
God ordained the number of days we are to be on this earth and the work we are to do while here.  And the good works that we do are so others can see and give glory to the Father, not us.  

So, how do I want people to perceive me?  I want to shine the light of Jesus in this dark world and let others see the hope that only comes through Him.  I want to put feet to my faith.  I want to be a little like my mom.  When I think back, I don’t think she cared much for what others thought of her.  It seemed that the most important thing for her was to show God’s love to others.

I am thankful for my family, especially my mother who planted that seed of faith!

For His Glory,  Debbie