My sweet one, who's name means worshipful messenger, turns two in two hours. I am amazed. The past two years flew past us, quicker than a running toddler. Every day has been an adventure and I could not be more blessed to call him mine. Every day he is a reminder of God's good grace. The happy moments and the not so happy moments. We love you sweet Silas. Happy birthday baby boy.
5000. The number of page views blogger told me this blog has. Seems like a number I should mark somehow. Like if I were running a race I would remember where I was at the third mile. Or when your son's third tooth falls out you might remember what restaurant he bit into a corn cob that made that happen. 5000. I wish I had something more significant to note tonight than " the night I sat on my couch". But that is where I am, although so much more has happened. We've been in this house for three weeks now. It feels, thankfully, like many more. The pantry is finally neat and organized. The kids rooms have some art on the walls and homes for all their toys. My bathroom is a perfect sanctuary with the best ever giant tub for lounging. It helps that that room is almost completely soundproof and offers me the protection of THREE lockable doors between the kids and I when I need a moment to breathe. I've found uses for all our furniture, or have given away what we do not need. To sum it up, we are in. Unpacked completely. But settled? That might need some more time. We went to small group with our church from two years ago tonight. We also went last week. It is comfortable, safe, familiar, joyful, challenging, uplifting, peaceful, and encouraging.We are so blessed to be able to walk back into this body and be welcome and accepted. But, because God is never simple and never lets us settle, we are at the same time drawn towards a different church.. a different body. This might make sense if something about our first church was wrong- Or if they were teaching false teachings, or had offended us in any way. But they have not. They love the Gospel. They love the Lord. We are simply trying to see where God wants us to settle. To land. To dig in and grow deeper roots than he has ever allowed us before. I found myself choked up tonight when we broke off into pairs to pray. I want to serve where the Lord wants us, and we have to go where he has prepared. We have to go were we can serve, but also where we can be discipled. For me that means I need spiritual mamas who will guide me and encourage me as I raise my kids. Women who see the endgame. Women who have earned their wisdom by brilliantly beautiful failures and have only grace to hang as trophies on their walls. It is scary to walk into a new situation, a new community and trust that the Lord has guided you there. My beautiful sister announced tonight that they are moving from California across the country to a new job, a new state, a new everything. She will most certainly be unsettled. I pray I can encourage her as she struggles with the very same trials the Lord has helped us overcome over the past few months. 5000. People have viewed pages on my blog 5000 times. Feels kinda weighty. Important. Are these wasted pages or encouragement to other young Christian mamas. I struggle with insecurity. Am I enough? Do I say the right things? Is this blog too self righteous? To vapid? But the truth is, He is always enough. His word is truth. I am jut a sinner trying to share my love for my redeemer. 5000 pages of grace. 5000 page views of Meme, simply trying to clear up the fable. the myth. The lies. Motherhood is tough stuff. Life is tough stuff. Jesus knew that. 2000 years ago he knew I would be on this couch at 5000. and his words then apply still today.
John 16:33 (NIV)
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Do you believe that? And I'm not talking about "slavery" as our generation usually refers to it.. having a job. Or working. Or being held responsible. No- Slavery is real. Slavery as in children my kindergarteners age being taken into forced labor real. But there is hope. We serve a mighty redeemer. And these people have a plan. They gave me this post to share. Please PLEASE please take ten minutes to watch the video.
James 1:27
New International Version (NIV)
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
{Guest Post: Mercy Project}
There’s an estimated
7,000 children who work in the Ghana fishing industry. Some of
these children are as young as 5 and 6 years old.All of these children are slaves.
–Mercy Project
Today many in our country
will take a day off from our jobs to celebrate the social and economic
achievements of American workers.No
matter if we’re celebrating at home or at the beach, we’re entering into a
tradition that has largely been shaped by Labor Unions - organizations that are
dedicated to protecting workers’ interests and improving their wages, hours,
and working conditions.Today as we
lounge around or hang out with friends and family, we’re not only celebrating
hard work, we’re honoring fair, ethical working practices and the laws that
prevent discrimination, abuse, and child labor in our country.Without these laws in place (and enforced),
the most vulnerable members of society suffer.Who are the most vulnerable? Children.
Today as we’re celebrating
the systems in our own country that strive to prevent injustices like child
trafficking and child labor, we’re mindful of the many child slaves around the
world who are unprotected and the organizations, like Mercy Project, who are
working to free them.
As a mother, it’s
difficult for me to imagine my children working 14 hours a day, 7 days a
week.I’m unable to wrap my brain around
the thought of my children engaged in long, hard days of physical labor, eating
one meal a day, and then falling asleep at night on a dirt floor filled with
other slave children.Yet this is the
daily reality for kids who have been trafficked into the fishing industry in
Ghana, Africa.As with much of Africa,
there is a great deal of poverty in Ghana. Unfortunately, this leaves many
mothers in an unimaginable position: sell their children to someone who can
take better care of them or watch them starve to death. Most of the mothers are
told their children will be given food, housing, and an education. Instead, the
kids are often taken to Lake Volta where they become child slaves and their
mothers never see them again.Thankfully, Mercy Project is working to break the cycles of trafficking
around Lake Volta by providing alternate, more efficient, sustainable, fishing
methods for villagers – ultimately eliminating the need for child slaves.Because of the work Mercy Project is doing in
Ghana, the first group of children will be freed this month from Lake Volta.
We invite you to watch
this moving, 10 minute documentary about the issues surrounding child labor and
trafficking in Ghana and most importantly the hope Mercy Project is bringing to
children and entire communities in Africa.Mercy Project is the only NGO working on Lake Volta addressing the
injustice of child labor and child trafficking at its root - by strengthening
the Ghanaian economy and eliminating the structures that cause the demand for
trafficked children.
Whether
these ideas of child labor, child trafficking, and modern-day slavery are new
to you or you’re aware of these injustices, but need to hear some good news
every once in awhile, we invite you to become a part of what Mercy Project is
doing in Ghana.When Mercy Project frees
their first group of children this month, we can all celebrate together.
•
Sharing about Mercy Project’s work in Ghana with your friends.
Although
child trafficking, child labor, and the unstable economies that result in these
injustices are a tragedy, we’re grateful for what Mercy Project is doing to
protect the vulnerable and for allowing us to be a part of this story.While we’re commemorating labor laws and
ethical work in our own country today, we invite you to follow along on this
journey with Mercy Project to protect and free children in Ghana.
