From The Trenches Of Motherhood

It’s 8:57 as I type and I have already learned multiple things today.

Here they are…

That trying to work in the kitchen when the sun is shinning in the windows so brightly is wonderful…and also a major pain. Is baking with sunglasses even, you know, allowed?!
That letting the mixer alone to knead the bread dough while I snap pictures of my little boy playing with his cars on the kitchen floor is probably not a good idea.
That when you leave a tea towel around the mixing bowl to keep the flour from spraying all over because you’ve previously burned out your lower two speeds from making bread, and then leave the mixer alone…most likely the tea towel will get wrapped up in the bread dough.
That when the mixing bowl has too much in it – like bread dough and a towel – it will raise up the kneading tool and start whipping bread dough around the kitchen. And the floor. And my back because I was laying on the kitchen floor.
That it is important for me – the Mom – to know which car is the “pace car”, which one is “Sarge”, and so-on-and-so-on…which is what lead me to be on the floor with my three-year-old son in the first place!
That cleaning up the mess of bread dough all over is worth it for the memories with my son and the blogging post it gave me.

Oh…and if this is what I learned before 9am…

WHAT am I going to learn before 9pm?!

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This is linked to Toot Your Own Horn Tuesday because I’m having a good attitude about something that was rather frustrating (bread dough all over!).

I also am linking it to Tackle It Tuesday because I was tackled by bread dough!

I would encourage you to follow these links to join in the fun!

Do you ever feel like you are sinking?

No, I’m not talking to those who sleep in water beds!

I am talking about that feeling you get when life just seems to overwhelm you.

Just now, while reading my Bible, I came across a man whom I think would be the first to raise his hand in response to my question. In fact, I personally think he would probably jump up and down shouting: “Me! Me! I do!”

In the book of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, we find this man in chapter 14, verses 22 through 33, in his own “I feel like I’m sinking” story.

Let me quickly recap it for you:

The disciples where on a boat in the middle of a big body of water. (I can’t remember which one right now…and neither can I quickly find it because I’m still in the middle of my quiet time and want to get back to it but wanted to first share my thoughts on this story…you understand, right?! Thanks!) The water was pretty rough. In fact, the Bible actually says, “But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary.”

So anyway, in the 4th watch of the night – which would have been between 3:00 and 6:00 am – all of a sudden they see someone walking out to them on top of the water. When the disciples saw this, they being big, brave, and mature men thought “Cool Dude!”.

NOT!

They became terrified! They thought it was a ghost and again, referring to the Bible, it says: “they cried out in fear”. But then Jesus said to them (‘cause it was Jesus, not a ghost, walking on that water): “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

And here is where me meet our man, Peter, who knows all about that sinking feeling.

Peter asks Jesus that if it truly is Jesus, to command him to come to Him. In other words, Peter is asking to walk on water himself…as long as it’s Jesus and not a ghost!

Well, since it was Jesus – and not a ghost – He commands Peter to walk to Him. And so next thing you know, Peter is out of the boat and walking towards Jesus.

Okay, get ready, because this is where the whole sinking feeling comes into play…

The Bible says that Peter, seeing the wind, became frightened and began to sink. It was then that he cried out: “Lord, save me!”. Jesus reached His hand out and took a hold of Peter and asks him why he doubted.

Now, the Bible does not tell us how Peter responded – if he responded! – but it does say that he and Jesus climb in the boat, the wind stopped, and that those in the boat worshiped Jesus and said: “You are certainly God’s Son!”.

So…what’s my point? Well, my point is this…

Peter did not sink because He did not believe in God. He didn’t sink because He all of a sudden doubted that it was really Jesus in front of him calling him to walk on the water. If Peter didn’t believe all this, he would never have gotten out of the boat!

No, Peter began to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus and got distracted – and frightened! – by the wind. And I’m not here to say that I wouldn’t have if I had been in his shoes…’er, in his sandals…I don’t think I would have even gotten out of the boat!

What I’m trying to say is that Peter felt that sinking feeling – literally! – because he got distracted and frightened by “things” rather than staying focused on Jesus. And this, my friends, is something I can relate to.

So often I encounter a hard time in life and at first I’m going along just fine because I’m keeping my focus on Christ. But before I even realize it, I become weighed down with the details of the problem. I get scared by what people are saying, or what is happening, or even by what isn’t happening. I may not be sinking in water…but I am sinking in distractions and fears.

And just like Peter, it’s not until I am sinking that I cry out to God to save me – to help me through this trial in HIS strength, not my own.

By now you probably are in one of two groups. Either you agree with me or disagree with me on this.

If you disagree with me, well…that’s your choice.

If you DO agree with me, you probably are also wondering if this is just a hopeless observation that we have to deal with, or if there really is any hope for sinking in the distractions and fears of life.

Let me throw you a life preserver…’cause YES there is hope!

The hope is found later in the New Testament in – get this! – a book written by Peter himself.

In 1 Peter 5, we read what Peter (under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit) writes to pastors, and then to young men, and then in verse 5, “and all of you…”. So this is when ALL of us need to perk up and pay even more attention!

Here…read it for yourself…

“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him (the devil), firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 5:5-11 NASB (The bold highlights by me.)

I could try to “explain” this passage more, but honestly, Peter says it quite well. Go figure!

If you feel like you are sinking, let this passage sink into you.

How about you? Share your thoughts with me by leaving a comment or by starting/joining a discussion in my community forum. I would LOVE to hear from YOU!

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