By Gina Flood

May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb. For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God.

Deuteronomy 32:2-3

Do you ever experience one of those seasons where you know the Lord is revealing a theme in your life? You hear him speaking through a myriad of avenues: the Sunday message, the Scriptures you are studying, the blog entries you read, the worship songs you hear, a word from a friend (or a stranger), the book you’re reading, and so on.

I’m thankful for such graces . Thankful that our merciful God has not opened the earth and swallowed me up for my sin and slow sanctification.  I’m thankful for God’s kindness in providing those myriad of avenues to capture the attention of this very dim and easily distractible gal from Jersey. And I am thankful that he faithfully supplies the grace necessary for change.

Gentleness is a current theme under construction these days, particularly in relation to my children. Through the course of the busyness of the day, I am tempted to default towards expedience, railroading my agenda over the hearts of the little ones entrusted to me.

The passage from Deuteronomy inspires me with hope and vision for what God can do. It comes from a song intended for a group of people who had seen indescribable wonders, experienced miraculous provision, and had been spared time and again through divine protection. Yet even that was not enough to secure devoted hearts for God, strong against the worldliness and idolatry that was to surround them. Sadly, I am just like that.

I’ve seen God’s goodness again and again.  I’ve seen him bless, sustain, and deliver from temptation.  This song ought to be flowing from my lips as well.

How I desire for my speech to distill as the dew, to refine and purify, rather than muddy their souls with harsh words and tones. I want to burn the picture in my brain of gentle rain falling on tender grass. A gentle rain that soaks and permeates the ground, refreshing and nourishing a parched, tender grass that can so easily be destroyed by harsh rains that rebound, run off, and damage.

The tender souls of my children, souls we desperately want to fall at the foot of the cross, respond better to the gentle rain of Mom’s pleasant countenance and grace-filled words and tones than to the driving, pounding, damaging stare or word that has nothing of Christ in it.  Souls that need to hear recollections of what God has done, what he is doing, and what he will do.  Living Water that sees beyond the busyness of the day to eternity and refreshes weary souls with grace for today and hope for tomorrow.

In all of this, of course, I have to remind myself that it is all by grace alone. My best efforts to be a gentle rain will yield little more than a mess.  I need God’s grace… I am desperate for God’s grace! 

I am so powerless to accomplish biblical and lasting change on my own…I have proven it time and again. I must ruthlessly, in the power of the Holy Spirit, destroy every idol of my heart and renew my soul with Gospel truth. I must rely only and ever on the finished work of Christ on the cross and remember that he has lifted me out of the mire, placed my feet on a firm place, and filled my mouth with a new song.

Praise God, I am new and he has given me everything I need for life and godliness!  He will give me everything I need for today and make up everything I lack in my flesh. He has called me and His grace equips me to carry out His calling through wonder of the cross.

So, hallelujah, that, by the grace of God alone, this Jersey girl can speak like a gentle rain with words that distill as the dew. I am excited and hope-filled, knowing the One that is in me is greater than my most selfish, me-craving and he is eager to speak through me. He is eager to speak through you, too. May he be your dew, your gentle rain and may he use the words of your mouth to be gentle rain for others…by grace alone.

By Gina Flood

I love preparing for the Christmas season.  I love watching the same movies with family every year, pouring over cookbooks to glean ideas for tasty treats to share, decorating the house with homey yuletide comfort, driving the neighborhoods gazing at Christmas lights with yummy mugs of hot chocolate, visiting a live nativity, and celebrating the birth of the Savior with family and friends.

I don’t usually think about the Christmas season as an opportunity to grow, more just to enjoy and then to survive.  But the Lord taught me a great lesson last year that I’m looking forward to practicing this year. 

As I was planning the annual Christmas cookie bake-a-thon last year, I thought I was wisely considering my current season of life – 4 young children, home school, pregnancy, busy schedule, and so on.  So…in my wisdom, I thought making 10 different types of cookies was conservative.  After all, my truly wonderful mother-in-law makes 27 different kinds at Christmas and I feel almost certain that the amazing women in this church are able to make at least 15 different cookies, home school their children, make all new decorations from home-grown ingredients, host 3 parties, keep their home sparkling clean, build a new shed, and potty train their child all at the same time and without sinning.  Hmmm…that’s my wisdom.

Now, my husband, who has carefully studied his wife for many years, wisely asked, “So, how many kinds of cookies you planning to make, hon?”  I replied full of self-glorifying false humility, “Only 10.”  Can you just hear my wonderfully humble tone?  Oh, yuck!  Well, the negotiations began.  Rob lovingly reminded me that I am in a “One-thing Season”.  Adding more than what God has called me to do, especially when it is for my glory, was not going to bless anyone with the love of Christ in that season and most likely was going to add tension to our home and my face.

When all was said and done, I was to make only one more cookie (I had already made 2 kinds) and I had a heart full of thanks for a godly husband who sees my limitations better than me and cares for me abundantly.

I am thankful for my One-thing Season.  I love being a wife, mother, homemaker, home school mom, and member of this incredible church!  I would not want anything else.  Yet I can so easily be swept into the cares of this world - comparing my productivity to others, and striving to make myself look wonderful.  I can “temporarily” set aside what God has asked me to do in favor of what I want to do.  I can easily be tempted to trade my God-given One-thing Season for a three ring circus for the sake of my own vainglory.

I am looking forward to revisiting my One-thing Seasonal frame of mind this year, remembering God’s kindness, mercy, and grace and allowing that to inform my choices for each day.  I am truly and joyfully thankful for this One-thing Season and my desire is to glorify God in it – every day.

May God give us the grace to embrace our One-thing Seasons with undivided hearts and unwavering confidence that we are exactly where our sweet Savior wants us to be.  To God be the glory.

By Gina Flood

Editor’s note: Yesterday, Gina wrote on the first two of five ways a mother’s heart remains focused on Christ.  These characteristics provide a wonderful litmus test for the state of our hearts.  Before reading this post, you may want to read the beginning of the list, posted yesterday here.

As we saw yesterday, Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” [emphasis added] Whatever has residency in my heart determines what springs forth.

As God continues to conform and transform my heart, He seem to have revealed five areas for mothers to concentrate on.  Here are the last three.

3. The Heart of a Mother Loves Her Children

I suffer from a syndrome that my dear friend calls “Lemmejus.” Perhaps you suffer from it, too. Here’s the most striking symptom: Your child (or husband) approaches wanting to show you his latest invention, tell you about the story he’s read or something else requiring your attention. Your response sounds like this, “Okay. Lemmejus (let me just) [fill in the blank] and I’ll be right there.”

I am convinced that, in order to capture the hearts of my children, to help them from seeking worldly acceptance, and to point them to the cross, whatever I filled that blank with must wait (at least, under most circumstances).

Each time I say “lemmejus,” I am saying, “Child, you are not as important as fixing dinner, cleaning the toilet, finishing this project, writing this email, finishing this hour long phone conversation, etc.” I need to confess, repent, release my “lemmejus” to the Savior, renew my mind with the Word, and say, “Here I am, sweetie.”

4. The Heart of a Mother is Joyful

When I am filled with joy from God, our home atmosphere is typically joyful, fun, and a pleasing aroma to all. However, when I am sour, depressed, or frustrated, my oppressive, unsavory spirit smells like a leaky landfill. The day is harder, the children are unhappy or brought to tears (not to mention the affect on my husband). By the end of the day, their little spirits are crushed – all because I was too self-absorbed to confess my sin and rejoice in the Savior of my soul.

My loving Father has shown me that the heart of my joy lies in depending on Him, the Supplier of every need, to fill all, all, all of my supply. (Ephesians 1:22-23) I must look to God (not my children, my husband, my friends, my goals, my activities) to supply absolutely everything.  I must also reject every sinful, deceptively wicked desire to be served, admired, and worshipped. God has called me to serve; only He is to receive praise, admiration, and worship. Joy lies in the bosom of my Father.

5. The Heart of a Mother is Content

I can usually trace a sinful word, thought, emotion, attitude, desire, or action back to being discontent with something.  It’s usually because things are not going my way due to someone or something hindering my getting what I want.

Contentment brings peace.  Discontentment brings covetousness. I desire something that I do not have, something my Father, in His infinite wisdom and love has chosen for me not to have. Why?  Sometimes I don’t know why. But I do not need to know why – He is my heavenly Father and He never makes a mistake.

I must confess, repent, release it to Him, renew my mind with the Word, and rejoice in the Savior of my soul. Praise God, I’m heavenbound! If I never receive anything else – that’s scandalously more than enough for me to be content.

As wives and mothers, as Christians, the condition of our hearts is absolutely critical. The springs of life will indeed flow from within – in quantity there is no question. The question lies in quality. Is your spring producing muddied, polluted waters from the depths of unconfessed sin, resentment, envy, anger, discontent, or self-pity? Or is your spring gushing forth with sweet, life-giving, refreshing, clear, crisp, beautiful life that blesses your family and others? By God’s grace, through His Word, confession, prayer, and worship, clean water will bubble up and burst forth with much joy.

By Gina Flood

As much as I enjoy being a mother, without daily sustenance and supply from Christ, my children would dwell with a scowling, self-absorbed, selfish mommy whose main goals were immediate peace and ceaseless comfort using the chief means of convenience and behavior modification to reach those goals. How merciful is our God, that He does not deal with us in such ways!

His lovingkindness is everlasting! He is longsuffering! He is abundantly more interested in changing our hearts than He is in changing our behavior. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” [emphasis added] Whatever has residency in my heart determines what springs forth.

As God continues to conform and transform my heart, He seem to have revealed five areas for mothers to concentrate on. 

1. The Heart of a Mother Loves Jesus Christ

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

In the midst of the hectic busyness of a mother’s life, we are reminded that we are to be filled with “inexpressible and glorious joy.” Why? Because we are “receiving the goal of [my] faith, the salvation of [my] soul.” Our every day is to be characterized by joy in Him!

Are we grumbling, annoyed, frustrated, harried? If we are, it’s because we’re not focused on loving the One who saved us. Most likely, we’re focused on ourselves. How much easier, by the grace of God, it is to be filled with glorious joy inexpressible when I am dwelling on what I am already receiving – the goal of my faith – salvation!

2. The Heart of a Mother Loves Her Husband

Does your heart leap when your husband enters the room? Again, in the business of daily life, I can easily forget to focus my heart’s full attention on my blessed gift – my husband. I happily greet him with a pleasant salutation, hug and kiss because I am, indeed, very glad to see him…but that’s not a leap. I wanted a leaping heart, so I went to my Father for wisdom.

His answer came from His Word in Ephesians 5:33. “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”  I need to be dwelling on respecting the blessing God has given me in my husband and allow that gratitude to spill forth from my mouth in praise and thanksgiving for all to hear: my husband, my children, and others. And I must choose to be intentional in doing this daily.

These are just two of the five areas where we can be protected from mothering in our own strength, apart from the daily sustenance from Christ.  Tomorrow will bring the remaining three.  In the meantime, may we all be constantly aware that our call to motherhood comes from a loving God, whose power has been made available to us for the task.  He will never leave us nor forsake us…not even in motherhood.

By Gina Flood

I was in a doctor’s examining room recently and was skimming the magazine covers on the display rack while I waited for the doc. My gaze stopped on one title in particular – ”Reinvent Yourself at 40.” I noticed there was a lovely looking model sporting her reinvented self (I am assuming she was over 40; she was on the cover, it must be true). Now, I am approaching 40 and that’s okay, but it hadn’t really crossed my mind that I should be working on my self-reinvention. So I began to roll that one around in my head.

I recalled the days before I received Christ, The Inventor of my self. Each day was a new day to reinvent myself. I wrote endless lists and journal entries reflecting on what I thought was lacking in my character and my life and how I could achieve my goal of being the woman I thought I ought to be. Reinventing myself was a mission.

In the years following my conversion, Christ, The Inventor of my self, had drawn me out of the pit of destruction and the mire and placed my feet on a rock. He had put a new song in my mouth and I was so thankful. (Psalm 40:2-3) However, I was looking, ever looking, at the godly women around me, writing endless lists and journal entries about the wonderful, godly qualities these women possessed and what I should do to become like them. I was still reinventing myself, but now it was my ministry.

Then I thought about my life now. My life has gotten busier over the years. I don’t have as much time for lists and journal entries as I used to. But my life has gotten simpler, too. I love my God ordained calling as a Christian, wife, and mother. I love our church. I love my life. That has brought much focus to the lists and entries I take the time to write.

I realized, that by God’s amazing, wonderful, scandalous, unmerited grace, I am invented – by The Inventor! Through the life-changing power of His Word and the Holy Spirit, I am being reinvented into His image; I am a new creation. He has already prepared good works for me to do (Eph 2:10) and it is my Father in Heaven who works in me, to accomplish those works for His good pleasure. (Phil 2:13)

Have I arrived? By no means! Am I completed? Not until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6) I lack terribly in so many areas and I am thankful God has provided so many rich and wonderful examples in the saints.

But, I rejoice. I rejoice, because the Creator of the Universe, The Inventor of all things, invented me. There is nothing for me to reinvent, thank you Jesus. He has already invented and created and fashioned who I am. I press on because Christ has made me His own. (Phil 3:12) As I approach 40, I am thankful, I am refreshed, and I am overjoyed. Because now…now…instead of reinventing myself (in my own feeble strength and finite wisdom) into something I think I ought to be, my God, the Lover of my soul, is revealing who He has already made me to be.

May we all, as we humble ourselves before the throne of grace, walk in the good works he as prepared for us to do. May we rejoice in who He has made us to be already. May we press on toward holiness in faith and confidence that God knew what He was doing when He made us the way He made us. And may we stand amazed.