In a cabin on the edge of the Smoky Mountains, she sits together at a table with her parents and children. In her eyes are strength and beauty, but behind them there is brokenness and despair…
Do you know someone who is broken this Thanksgiving? Join me at 5 Minutes for Faith. Click HERE to read the rest of my devotion.
Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!
Carol
Plates were scraped from left over bites of turkey and dressing. The women chattered in the kitchen, giggling over secret mom stories.
The kids spilled out of the house into the crisp air. I wore a jacket and followed my older brother Jay and cousin Johnny around the side of the house. Earlier we had raked leaves and taken flying leaps into the piles.
I trailed close behind the boys not wanting to miss out on anything. I remember twirling and wandering around the yard, while Jay and Johnny climbed tree limbs and piled rocks. Before I knew it they had created a homemade seesaw – at least that’s what it looked like to me.
“Carol,” they called. “Do you want to do something fun?”
When you are the youngest and the older kids ask if you want to have fun, you are so thrilled they want to do something with you, your answer is always yes. They could have said, “Carol, do you want to skin a chicken?” And I would have jumped at the chance.
They may as well have asked me to skin a chicken. It would have been safer. They had piled bricks and centered an old wooden board across the top to make their “seesaw.”
“You stand on this end and Johnny is going to jump on the other end,” my brother explained. “It’ll be just like flying.”
Only it wasn’t just like flying. It was flying.
Eager to join the fun, I stood my six-year-old self on the end of the board and waited as Johnny climbed a tree limb and dropped off on the other end.
One, two three – JUMP!
My body went flying high in the air. That first second was pure exhilaration. I was flying. The next second was sad realization. What goes up must come down.
As fast as I went up, I came down – and crashed into the ground.
Thankfully, I didn’t break anything. But I did go running inside to tattle.
Sometimes when we put our trust in people and things, we find ourselves flying, but soon have a quick and painful landing. When we put our hope in the Lord, it’s like building our house upon the rock.
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. Matthew 7:25-27 NIV
Moral of the story: Trust in God. And when your older brother and cousin ask if you want to have some fun? Run!
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Carol
Are you an earnest humanitarian or reformer? That’s Merriam Webster’s definition of a “do-gooder.” Another description is a person who reaches out to the needs of others in an attempt to create change. Wouldn’t it be nice if this described more Americans?
Join me today as I post with the Presidential Prayer Team.Click HERE to read the rest of my devotion. (*Remember this is only a direct link today, September 26. After today, you’ll have to select today’s date from the drop-down menu.)
As our nation’s next leader is being considered, now is the time to pray for our country and those who lead it. Sign up today to receive daily emails of encouragement from the Presidential Prayer Team. Check out their site for details. While you are visiting the PPT, click around on their site. I think you’ll enjoy some of the articles and prayer tools you’ll find.
Carol
“Mama, can I have a fruit snack?” Grace called from where she was watching TV. Engrossed in dinner preparations, I heard but didn’t answer immediately.
“Mama, can I have a fruit snack?” She asked again waiting for my response.
Silence.
In just a second I felt a little hand on my leg. “Mama. Mama! Can I have a fruit snack?”
When my two-year-old doesn’t hear my answer, she keeps asking the question. As frustrating as that may be sometimes while I’m in the middle of the grocery store or better yet – a conversation, she’s actually on to something.
Would she honestly ask me if she didn’t think I could provide her the item for which she is asking?
But I know I often toss prayers to God never believing He can or will answer. When you pray do you expect God to answer?
Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22 NIV
We need to pray believing He can give us the fruit snack.
On that note, I’d like to give you a little prayer homework.
I’m participating in blog month with Compassion. There are tons of kids who need help with a sponsor. I know what you are thinking – I’d love to help, but we don’t have money to sponsor a child right now. I totally understand that, so I’m asking you to pray instead. Will you click HERE and look on the faces of at least two children. Just two. And would you pray for them by name?
If we honestly believe God hears and answers our prayers, then our prayers for these children are so important. You may not be the person to sponsor one of these children, but God has someone in mind. Would you pray they would be moved to sponsorship?
Have you clicked yet? It’ll only take two minutes. Please just click HERE and pray. Thank you for caring.
Carol
Tiny sock covered feet shuffle across the carpet towards my room. I hear the shh-shh-shh-shuffle getting closer. It stops a few feet from me. I look up to sleepy eyes and tornado hair. She waits. “Good morning bitty girl!” I muster all the excitement in me. Her eyes brighten, her eyebrows raise, and her mouth tips upward as she takes a flying leap towards my legs…
Join me today at 5 Minutes for Faith. Click HERE to read the rest of my devotion. Sorry for my absence lately. With the start of school, I’ve been working on being the best mom and wife I can be. I hope you’ll excuse the infrequent posting. Now that we’re back on a schedule, you can look for me more often. 
Have you connected with me on Twitter? Find me @sheeptotheright. Are you an email subscriber? Sign up in the top right corner of the website. Just be sure to look for the confirmation email after you subscribe. Sometimes they get stuck in the spam folder.
Do you have a topic you’d like me to write about? Just leave a comment or drop me an email. I’d love to hear it.
Carol