"The Big Ask"
I am now a mother of nine whose children are older; I am past my childbearing years. It is a done deal.
When people meet me and hear about my situation they tend to make an automatic assumption: this was easy for her.
Their minds conjecture these kinds of thoughts:
"Surely someone with that many kids must have grown up dreaming of one day caring for a houseful of children. It must have been her lifelong ambition. But it is not mine."
"She must have a lot of patience. And she must not mind messy rooms - kitchens with crumbs and open cupboard doors, bedrooms with socks on the floor and wrinkled blankets draped in crooked fashion across the bed. But I do."
"Her pregnancies must have been easy and her deliveries practically pain-free. But mine were not so simple; certainly they were not worth doing again."
"She must have only desired the simple things with no ambition for career, money, and success. But I want something more."
Last Sunday I heard a message about "the big ask". Basically, it went like this: God is not afraid to ask us to do big things because He will go with us to accomplish them. In fact, He will always present "the big ask" if we draw near to Him to hear His heart and learn of His plan. Why? and How?
God can ask us to raise a passel of children because He will be with us to do it! It isn't because we have always had that same big dream, or that it is pain-free, or that we recognize how perfectly equipped we are to perform said task. Nor is it because in our pea-sized brains we already understood what was truly great and important.
That person just meeting me was off a bit. I did not match any of those lovely but entirely imagined paradigms of that perfect lady conjured by my new acquaintance (sorry to disappoint...)
But I had discovered His heart through the Word which He gave to us.
And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
Psalm 139:13
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.
I saw His plan, heard "the big ask", and followed. And just as He promised, He came with me.
Has it been easy? No! Did I ever wonder what in the world I was doing? Yes! Have I ever doubted my capacity to complete the task? Yes!!
My faith has been tested time and again. The mind is a continual battle front for the enemy. I have been pressed to the point of being crushed. Fear and guilt have been great temptations.
But I have never been alone in this great adventure. He has carried me through the hard times, comforted me when there was pain, equipped me when I was lacking, and taught me when the way was unknown.
So when people look at me and wonder why my life looks like this, I have a simple response: I point them to Him. He asked "the big ask", I responded.
And He did the rest.
When people meet me and hear about my situation they tend to make an automatic assumption: this was easy for her.
Their minds conjecture these kinds of thoughts:
"Surely someone with that many kids must have grown up dreaming of one day caring for a houseful of children. It must have been her lifelong ambition. But it is not mine."
"She must have a lot of patience. And she must not mind messy rooms - kitchens with crumbs and open cupboard doors, bedrooms with socks on the floor and wrinkled blankets draped in crooked fashion across the bed. But I do."
"Her pregnancies must have been easy and her deliveries practically pain-free. But mine were not so simple; certainly they were not worth doing again."
"She must have only desired the simple things with no ambition for career, money, and success. But I want something more."
Last Sunday I heard a message about "the big ask". Basically, it went like this: God is not afraid to ask us to do big things because He will go with us to accomplish them. In fact, He will always present "the big ask" if we draw near to Him to hear His heart and learn of His plan. Why? and How?
God can ask us to raise a passel of children because He will be with us to do it! It isn't because we have always had that same big dream, or that it is pain-free, or that we recognize how perfectly equipped we are to perform said task. Nor is it because in our pea-sized brains we already understood what was truly great and important.
That person just meeting me was off a bit. I did not match any of those lovely but entirely imagined paradigms of that perfect lady conjured by my new acquaintance (sorry to disappoint...)
But I had discovered His heart through the Word which He gave to us.
- Psalm 127:3
- Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, "Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
Psalm 139:13
For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.
I saw His plan, heard "the big ask", and followed. And just as He promised, He came with me.
Has it been easy? No! Did I ever wonder what in the world I was doing? Yes! Have I ever doubted my capacity to complete the task? Yes!!
My faith has been tested time and again. The mind is a continual battle front for the enemy. I have been pressed to the point of being crushed. Fear and guilt have been great temptations.
But I have never been alone in this great adventure. He has carried me through the hard times, comforted me when there was pain, equipped me when I was lacking, and taught me when the way was unknown.
So when people look at me and wonder why my life looks like this, I have a simple response: I point them to Him. He asked "the big ask", I responded.
And He did the rest.
posted by Darlene Sinclair at
7:09 AM
5 Comments:
great stuff!
Your faith stirs up mine, and I am so thankful you share from your life experiences. It is always such a help to me :).
This is a stirring and faith-building post!
I am grateful that I have had the opportunity to watch you mother your flock for the past 20+ years. You mean it wasn't a piece of cake?! :-)
I am even more grateful that I now have the opportunity to see you in a season of reaping. This is such an encouragement to me (and to others!)
Thank you for your faithfulness to Him.
Love you.
Judes
Amen, and what a testimony ... and so many others have such testimonies, too, of the "big ask" that they never dreamed for, but got anyway, because they were willing. I am so very glad we have such a Helper!
That was an awesome message, and while I didn't relate it in my life to a houseful of children, I did glean that God will always ask of us what He has already endowed within us to accomplish.
He will not, for example, ask us to walk before we crawl. He will be in front of us encouraging us to press on. We have to have that willing heart to complete each step of the Plan though.
He will be there for those first tentative steps that we do take ready to catch us but knowing that within us there lies the ability to walk.
Having watched you over the years, I have learned much--what a fruitful tree you have planted and nurtured!
I so enjoy your posts! (xanga)--catzndogz9
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