Sanctified Thinking

While in conversation with one of the ladies on the team today, I realized that walking truly is a time I look forward to for praying and just thinking.  I like to see this process as “sanctified thinking” sometimes, because I do believe that the Lord brings things to our minds even when we might believe we are solely pondering.  He can clean our minds up a bit and make things more clear.    

Tonight I had one of those sanctifying times.  J  In the states, I was given many opportunities to watch children, which was a blessing from the Lord.  I now see much of that was His way of preparing me for what was ahead (coming to Spain as a nanny).

At times I would get pretty discouraged about my lack of patience though, how I would really look forward to getting off work, etc.  I saw these as evidences that perhaps I didn’t truly love children as much as I thought I did.     

Tonight though, God gave me the grace to see His answer over this concern in my heart.  I spent a big chunk of today with the Spanish kids, and most every day I spend at least a few hours with Brian and Kassie’s kids.  I sensed tonight that God’s grace is just so sufficient though.  It seems that some of the impatience and lacking joy while caring for kids in the past – although not good – can be linked to the fact that I had a lot more of life in addition to that (school, golf, other work, etc.). 

This is the first time I’m able to be a nanny and not have such intense responsibilities elsewhere, and I am able to devote this time as a service to the Lord.  The Lord has given me a love for kids, and I really enjoy them a lot.  Of course there are times I’m ready to find silence, a good book, and tea, but overall, kids have a lot to offer and point me to Jesus in many ways.  J

As I was reminded by Malaki earlier this week, we are to never lose our childlike hearts.  We can learn much from the little ones in our lives, and God gives us the example of childlike faith for a reason.  It is truly pure. 

“And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:2-4).