That said...I, along with many people, I'm sure...have been thinking about what the next 4 years may look like in our country under the new leadership of President Obama. I pray that he be led by our Lord....that his advisors also be guided by the Holy Spirit...and decisions are made prayerfully and biblically.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I seldom worry much. I used to worry about everything...but over the years, God has filled me with such a peace with His presence! I know WHO is in control...not just of my life, but of our country and the world...and I TRUST Him. All I can do is simply to live my life, minute by minute following in trust and obedience to what He is revealing for me and our family.
One of the things that the Lord has been continuously reminding me of recently is mercy. His great mercy towards me...and my obligation, again, out of love and gratitude to Him...to show mercy to others...whether that be my husband, my children....and our leaders. Last night, at our small group, a friend shared the following definition of mercy: "Mercy is the kind, sympathetic, and forgiving treatment of others that works to relieve their distress and cancel their debt."
How much mercy has the Lord shown me?! Oh, my goodness...it is immeasurable! How much more should I show it to others. Not because they deserve it or ask for it....because we are commanded to in scripture...and I WANT to obey... again,out of love and gratitude.
I am filled with peace....I do wonder what will happen with the economy... and how it will continue to effect us....but the Lord has been very, very clear that He will ALWAYS meet our needs...and we must not worry, but have a quiet reassurance of His care of us. He has been leading me, ( I feel) to quietly get prepared for some hardships....and I'm gratefully, quietly, preparing. What does that look like here? Well....we've always been fascinated by the time period of the Great Depression. We studied it extensively in history a few years ago...and have continued to study it out of interest. So....for us, it is getting some more clothes lines and clothes pins...for inside and outside. (I LOVE hanging clothes)....it is buying a few extra cans each week when we go shopping and filling up the pantry. It is learning to plan more meatless , whole grain meals....to fill bellies and be healthier. It is culturing more of our food, and buying less supplements. It's making our own laundry soap and cleaning products. It's planning on planting some veggies this year...and canning and dehydrating a lot this coming year...and planning for it. It is looking around at what we already have....and reusing it for something else. It's making homemade gifts as much as possible. It's making logs to burn in the fireplace out of old newspapers. ( will let you all know how that one works!) It's using a travel mug of our own coffee instead of stopping at Star Bucks. It's using more towels and rags instead of paper towels. It's always having an extra tank of propane for the grill filled...just in case. It's having people over instead of going out to dinner at a restaraunt. It's also reading about alternative ways of doing things....which, interestingly enough, usually are the 'old-fashioned' way of doing things. It's getting out in nature....walking, riding bikes, playing in the snow...instead of going shopping or to an expensive movie. It's getting "creatively frugal"...and getting excited about it! Looking at simplifying even more...and viewing it as a fun challenge to do as a family.
Again....I'm not going into any crazy "Y2K" emergency crisis thinking here. But...if the Lord is putting on my heart to do these things...then I'm going to quietly trust Him, and obey...and trust Him to handle the details. And, I'm going to teach my children to live simply...to trust in God, to learn to do things the 'old-fashioned' way....to get/stay out of debt...to work hard and save. To be creative. And...to always remember who is always, always in control of our world...and it's not President Obama, or any other world leader...it is and always has been simply.....Our God.
Now...I seem to have caught the cold that everyone else in my family already had...so before I completely cannot hold my head up, I'm off to get a pot of split pea soup simmering, and the ingredients mixed for some gluten free cornbread that the girls can finish when they get home....then I'm off to bed. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow. I hate to be up in bed even when I'm sick...away from everyone. I miss them! I'd rather rest in the rocker or on the couch under a blanket so I can at least be with them. The girls are off visiting with friends for the afternoon, the Littles are at the movies with grandparents, Ron is shopping at Costco...then they will all be home again. The quiet is nice...but only for a little while! Have a blessed day...and Pittsburgh...enjoy the warmth of the sun while it lasts! ~Sue~
4 comments:
Love your thoughts on mercy. I always need to hear that. Have a good weekend and hope you feel better.
MandyN
God's mercy is indeed a precious thing! He always is there for us, even in the midst of political, economical, and emotional uncertainties!
Feel well soon!
Oh Sue, what a lovely blog! I love this post and feel exactly the same way. I'm not at all a doomsday or extremist person but think it's just common sense to know how to do things and be prepared for tomorrow...not matter what comes!
You certainly have a beautiful sweet family...my Bekah is very blessed to have Meghan for a dear friend!
Judy
What a beautiful post. I so heartily agree with you. Our hope is NOT in President Obama, nor would it have been in John McCain, nor was it in George Bush. Our HOPE can only be in the Lord Jesus Christ. And God has allowed Barack Obama to be our president, so we must trust him (and pray for our new president).
I once read a book called We Had Everything But Money. It was about the depression times, and how, although people were slim on money, they made do. Now, we are the throw it away society, always wanting something new instead of re-using or recycling what we have. I have long thought that the tough economic times might cause people to rethink their disposable ways. Of course, I have a long way to go on being frugal, but I have learned many lessons...in part because our finances have been difficult for the past five years. Out of necessity I've learned to live simpler.
I'm praying for you to get well soon.
LOve,
Patti
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