(In Everything Restful Increase)
By Josephine Lim Weston
A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones.
As we grow older and more "mature" we become more serious and complicated. Being happy and joyful seem to be so distant and rare to us that unless there's a good solid reason to be happy then we are happy. We easily forget and overlook the blessings (big or small) to the point that we have grown complacent and instead easily stirred and anxious by negativity or unhappy news or things we still lack.
Three weeks ago during our connect group we discussed about "child-like faith". God wants us to have a "child-like faith" toward Him. Believing and trusting Him like a child even though the world around us may think it doesn't make sense or within us still there's a struggle whether we can trust God to help us with our "impossibles". The good news is our God is the God who performs miracles over the impossibles. That's his specialty. That's why He's God. Trust Him with big and small things just like a child and I must add rejoice in Him like a child. Rejoice over the small even the tiny improvements you see and learn to be grateful for all that you've already been blessed with and not take anything for granted. A child also forgive easily. They do not harbour bitterness or resentment.
Philippians 4:4-6
4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice!
4 Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice!
5 Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.
If we observe babies, toddlers (no longer a baby from 1 year old onwards) and younger children how easily they can turn from sadness into joy (just within seconds). They cry one moment and become happy and smiling again the next. They rejoice over the simplest and little pleasures in life (that most of us take for granted). This is what we should be as well like a child. Rejoice and be grateful for all that God has given us, be it big or small. Count our blessings and name them one by one. Jean-Luc's favourite thing apart from his toys is apple. He is learning to speak hence he will call out for "paupau" that's apple to him. If he's not happy and being grumpy, just the sight of apple will soothe him and he'll forget that he's ever sad at all. He will run with his apple joyfully, move his mouth around the apple to get the perfect first, second, third bites and be so contented just him and his apple watching his favourite programme or playing with his toys. I believe whenever things in life cause us to be unhappy God wants us to remind ourselves of the things that make us happy and be grateful again just like a child.
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, [a]believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].
I have also learnt that in everything I do, God doesn't want me to go through a whole lot of trouble in making things happen. He wants me to look at what resources I have within my means, availability and ability and work on it no matter how small or little I might think I have. Last Friday was Jean-Luc's birthday and it was also our connect group summer party. Hence I decided to bake two cakes to celebrate with our connect group members without any of our CG members knowing about Jean-Luc's 2nd birthday at all. I have been baking olive yogurt grape cake and chocolate sponge for years now and they have always turn out nicely but last Thursday for the very first time as I flipped over the chocolate sponge cake to layer them the bottom layer almost completely broke into half while the top layer almost broke completely into 3 parts. It has never happened before as my sponge layers had always being very steady and easy to flip over for layering but not this time.I concluded it might be due to the summer heat we are experiencing right now that cakes need to have a cooler surrounding to firm up better. Anyway it's too late to bake another cake as Jean-Luc wanted me to put him to bed as it has passed his bedtime at 11pm already by the time I finished decorating his cake. So on the morning of that Friday I thought seriously of baking another chocolate sponge cake and will be enough to feed everyone at CG (we usually have 20-30 people including children) but inside my heart I knew I will be going through all the trouble and throughout the day I will not be enjoying Jean-Luc as much as I wanted being his day. Thank God also for my mum who also confirmed what's been lingering in my heart that she said to me don't bake another cake just bring whatever you've got. So I didn't bake another cake and just brought those two cakes and praise the Lord it was enough for everyone.
God wants us to be restful (in our hearts) when problem arises and not be too quick to act on impulse and go over tremendous hurdles with all the trouble trying to rectify and perfect things at the expense of our rest, health, peace, quality time with Him and our loved ones.
I have also learnt in motherhood when it comes to feeding Jean-Luc that if I take the trouble to purposely make certain food just for him he will not appreciate it but if I feed him exactly what I'm making for myself and my husband he enjoys it too. So I thank God by His grace Jean-Luc eats what we eat.
So motherhood has taught me a lot of being dependent on God more and be grateful and rejoice over all (big, small and simple things) that God has blessed me. Never take anything for granted. Motherhood has taught me also about patience, loving someone more than oneself, be grateful, be contented and helping me to look at life with a fresh new perspective and knowing what is of priority in life. My son has also reminded me of how important play time is and being yourself and be happy. Don't put emphasis on others' opinion of us but do what is right and good for us. My son is one determined boy who knows what he wants and gets it. Sometimes he puzzles me and my husband how he knows what is good for him and insists on wanting his way e.g. wanting to eat the apple whole by himself and not wanting it to be cut up, etc. (In fact dentist advise that biting apple builds stronger teeth.) I actually thank God for creating apples.
Also let us not disregard or belittle our "small" prayer requests to God. I've learnt that if we can trust God with our small everyday concerns we will build up our faith muscle to trust Him more and for bigger things. For example a week ago I finally decided to pray that God will remind me to wash my pink cap after my morning walk with Jean-Luc as I kept forgetting to put it in the washing machine. So finally after our walk, indeed I remembered to wash it. God answers prayers. Nothing is too big for our God to handle neither too small that he's too busy to answer.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always and delight in your faith; 17 be unceasing and persistent in prayer; 18 in every situation [no matter what the circumstances] be thankful and continually give thanks to God; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
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