Manna For Moms

Devotions for Moms Like You!

Megan Breedlove

Moving Away

Megan Breedlove No Comments

My 6-year-old, Ellie, has beautiful curly hair. She loves it, and I think it looks pretty on her. The only problem is that she doesn’t like to wear barrettes in it or wear it pulled back. That means it sometimes gets really, really tangled.

Combing Ellie’s hair (actually, we use a Hello Kitty brush, which she insists hurts less than an actual comb) isn’t a pleasant event for anybody. Ellie certainly doesn’t enjoy the pain of having the tangles coaxed from her hair, and I don’t enjoy her screaming and crying. I can be gently removing a tangle from her hair, and she will suddenly, shrilly scream as if I am ripping her hair out by the roots. The tears flow quickly and copiously.

One day, I was brushing Ellie’s hair as we stood by her dresser. She kept moving her head around, trying to escape the brush. Instead of helping, this actually made the whole thing worse. I wasn’t able to remove the tangles gently because I couldn’t ever tell where her head was going to be next.

“If you keep moving your head away from me, it makes it harder for me to comb your hair without hurting you,” I said.

But Ellie was convinced that if she held still and submitted to what I was doing, it would hurt worse. She didn’t believe me when I told her that if she did what I asked, it would actually hurt less.

We respond to God the same way, don’t we? He begins to orchestrate something in our lives, and we fear it will be painful, so we move away. Hold still, He tells us. But fearing the pain, we continue to squirm, hoping that somehow, we can make the pain bearable if we can avoid it in some measure.

The truth is, refusing to submit only makes our circumstances more painful, not less. If Ellie had cooperated with me, the pain would have been lesser, and it would have been over sooner. But because she didn’t trust me enough to believe that it was in her best interests to do what I was telling her to do, she resisted, and she wound up causing herself more pain than necessary.

The same is sometimes true with us and God.

Trying to squirm out from under the circumstances God has caused or allowed into our lives never helps. In fact, it always makes things worse. True, there are times when He lets us sin and go our own ways, but there are also times when He is determined that we must comply. And if God has ordained that He will accomplish a certain part of His will in our lives, we cannot avoid it.

Our choice, then, is not whether or not we will have to go through the circumstances, but whether we will accept God’s will without fighting Him. Will we believe Him that submitting is in our best interests, or will we choose to rely on our own wisdom that says that trying to avoid the pain might result in actually doing so?

God never causes us any more pain than absolutely necessary. Sometimes, however, we cause our own pain when we keep trying to move away from Him. Resisting God never produces the outcomes we hope it will. It never ultimately satisfies us. Sometimes, it even results in more hurt, because when we keep trying to move away from Him, it’s harder for Him to accomplish His will in our lives without hurting us.

Oh, friend, is there some area in your life in which you need to accept His will and stop fighting it? I know that your circumstances may be agonizingly painful. But do you need to stop fighting God? To stop causing yourself additional pain by struggling against what you cannot avoid?

Resisting God will not help you avoid the pain. It won’t make Him change His mind and remove the circumstances from you. It will only cause you to miss out on His comfort in your circumstances.

So stop fighting. Stop struggling against Him, and let Him hold you. Feel His strong, loving arms draw you close to His chest and hold you securely. Let His peace and His comfort flow over you. Let Him carry you through.

John 14:27—Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Matthew 23:37—O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.

Psalm 91:4—He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

Mommy Cares

Megan Breedlove No Comments

My daughter Lindsey is pretty hardy. She doesn’t get hurt easily—which is good, since she loves to try new physical skills. In fact, one day when she was not yet two, I had to remove her from the bathroom vanity twice and the kitchen counter five times. In the bathroom, she had climbed up on the potty and from there to the sink. To get onto the kitchen counter, she had pushed a dining room chair up next to it and climbed onto the chair, then onto the counter.

But on this particular day, she had hurt her toe.

I saw her crying, and I said something like, “You’re okay. Go wipe your nose.”

I was nice about it, but I knew she wasn’t really hurt. Lindsey thought otherwise. “My toe, my toe,” she repeated tearfully.

I looked at her toe. It looked fine to me. But looking at her tearful face, runny nose and all, I realized that she had really hurt herself, or at least believed that she had. Indestructible Lindsey was hurt.

“I’m sorry,” I said compassionately. “Now go wipe your nose.”

Lindsey got up and went willingly to get a Kleenex. I had given her what she needed. She was then able to move on.

I didn’t make her toe feel better, but I did make her heart feel better. You see, Lindsey didn’t need me to fix the situation; she needed to know that I cared.

Often, that’s the same thing we need from God.

Granted, there are times when we desperately want His help to fix a situation. But there are other times—many other times—when we can live with the situation if we just know He cares.

We live in a fallen world. All of us know that. We understand that that brings consequences—pain, sin, suffering, and even death. We know that not everything in life will go the way we desire, and for the most part, we have accepted that. We don’t rail against everything that happens to us, just the most painful things, if we rail at all. But even in the midst of a level of hardship we can accept, we want to know that God cares.

You see, that’s what helps us make it through—knowing that God cares about the details of our day-to-day existence.

When we come to Him and tell Him something hurts, we want to know that He cares. We don’t expect Him to fix everything, because we know that sometimes, in His infinite wisdom, He allows suffering. But just as Lindsey sought from me some evidence that I cared, so we seek from God the knowledge that He cares.

And we find it, again and again and again.

God cares more about us than we can possibly comprehend. He demonstrated His love and concern most blatantly when He watched His Son hang on a cross, dying. But He also shows His love every day, all day.

He provides the air that we need for each breath. He gives us shelter. He blesses us with family and friends. Not only that, He provides us comfort and strength any time we need it.

Any time, anywhere, God makes Himself available to us for comfort, wisdom, strength, or anything else we might need. Isn’t that incredible? The God of the entire universe is always, immediately available to respond to you. To me. If that doesn’t convince us that He cares, nothing will.

Friend, is there some area of your life today where you need to know that God cares? Could you make it through your circumstances if you just knew that He cared?

Go to Him. Tell Him that you need to know. Tell Him you need reassurance of His love and caring. He’s there, ready and waiting to give it to you, and He won’t condemn you for needing it.

It’s true that sometimes, God doesn’t make His presence as intensely felt as others. There may be times where He asks you to walk by faith, without the emotional experience you were hoping for. But even during those times, He will make His love and concern plain to you. He’s already done so throughout the pages of His Word, the Bible. He may use His Holy Spirit to speak to the needy places in your heart. He may use other people. Whatever the means, He will offer His comfort any time you need it. Why? Because He cares.

So go to Him. Tell Him what you need. And open your heart to receive the loving answer He will give.

1 Peter 5:7—Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.

The Hard Way

Megan Breedlove No Comments

I think moms should get P.E. credit for changing diapers.

Why? If you’ve ever had a child like mine, you know.

My daughter Jessica is now sixteen months old. She is well past the newborn stage where at the most, all she did during a diaper change was cry. She’s even graduated past the stage where babies discover they can kick, and that doing so can interfere with Mommy’s changing a diaper and possibly cause enough trouble that Mommy will change her mind and leave the baby alone. Jessica is now to the stage where if she’s not interested in having her diaper changed, she puts forth some full-body resistance.

This often involves rolling from side to side, or even trying to roll onto her tummy and get up. She’s smart, and she usually waits until I have the least control over her body—that is, when I’m trying to hold the front part of the diaper on her tummy with one hand and use the other hand to bring the tab up and around to secure the diaper closed. She will roll to one side, almost onto her tummy. In the split second it takes me to realize that she’s done it again, she’s onto her tummy, and the diaper is history.

One day, I was attempting to change her diaper as she lay on her changing table pad. For some reason (she didn’t want to be messed with, or she didn’t want to lie down, or because it was the wrong day of the week), she was particularly fussy.

I tried to interest her in a toy we had hanging in that wall hanging thing you buy with a set of bedding—you know, the one that has several pockets for you to put toys or supplies in.

It didn’t work. Jessica continued to fuss and to squirm back and forth.

Finally, I gave up trying to convince her to lie there nicely and decided I was just going to have to make it happen. “All right, we can do this the hard way,” I said firmly.

I leaned over, using my forearm to hold down her torso while with my hand and the other arm, which was free, I was able somehow to get that diaper on her.

Jessica didn’t like it one bit. Realizing she couldn’t get out of the situation made her even angrier. She screamed and cried indignantly until I was able to pick her up and cuddle her (whereupon the tears magically ceased).

It didn’t have to be that hard, I thought as she calmed down. You might as well have submitted, because it was going to happen anyway.

Then I realized something. Sometimes adults struggle against the inevitable, too.

Have you ever resisted God’s will or direction for your life when it didn’t match up with what you wanted—or wanted to avoid? I bet you have. I know I have.

Just as a diaper change was necessary for Jessica, so are the things God allows into our lives necessary in some way. So why do we resist? Why do we kick and scream in protest until the circumstances stop?

We do it for the same reasons Jessica did. Sometimes, we hope we can prevent a thing from happening if we resist strongly enough. Maybe if God knows how much I hate this, he’ll stop, we think. Other times, we resist out of anger that we can’t have our way. When we realize, as Jessica did, that the circumstance is going to happen and there’s nothing we can do to prevent it, we scream out our anger.

But friends, we need to remember what I wish Jessica could have understood: the one causing (or allowing) our circumstances knows what is best for us, and he wouldn’t force us to submit unless it were absolutely necessary.

Had Jessica submitted to my attempts to change her diaper, the whole experience would have been more pleasant (or at least, less odious), and it probably would have been over sooner. If we submit to God’s sovereignty in choosing our circumstances, we may find the whole experience less hateful. It may also be over sooner, because sometimes, God allows us to remain in a circumstance until we’ve learned a lesson. If we make that take longer than it has to, it’s our own fault that the circumstances endure.

I don’t know the circumstances of your life, and I won’t presume to tell you why they are what they are. But I do know that God only lets what is necessary through his filter of protection and into your life, and I know that resisting what he has chosen cannot possibly bring you any good.

Instead, stop resisting, and accept the comfort he offers. If Jessica had accepted the toy I was offering, she would have had a fun few seconds playing while I finished up. But in order to accept the toy, she would have had to submit to my will for her at that time. Even so must we submit to God’s will if we want to receive the comfort he offers. If we are too busy fighting him or railing against our circumstances, we’ll miss the opportunity to be comforted.

We will go through unpleasant circumstances in this lifetime. There’s no question about that. The only question is, how will we go through them.

Acts 26:14—It is hard for you to kick against the goads.

2 Chronicles 30:8—Do not be stiff-necked as your fathers were. Submit to the Lord.

Nobody Cares

Megan Breedlove No Comments

It was turning out to be a rough morning.

As I sat at the computer, Ellie (four or five years old at the time) came to me and asked me to go up into the attic and get down something for her. I told her that I was busy. When she realized that she wouldn’t be able to change my mind, she walked away crying.

I could hear the sounds of her wails fading through the kitchen, dining room, and then living room. I sighed. Then, from the front of the house, came words loud enough for me to hear: “Nobody cares.”

I’ll admit that I was irritated. Very irritated. I got up and followed Ellie, who by this time was in her bedroom. I went in to talk to her—or, more accurately, let off steam at her. “How dare you?” I asked. “How dare you say I don’t care about you? All the things I do for you, and I do one thing you don’t like, and you say I don’t care?”

It wasn’t the right approach because I wasn’t approaching her redemptively at all. I was coming to her in anger. The talk was unsuccessful (mostly because of my attitude), and I came back to the computer, fuming.

But gradually, I began to hear God’s still, small voice in my heart, and I knew I had been wrong. Yes, Ellie’s attitude needed to be corrected, but I should have done so in love. Precious little children are not designed by God to be able to respond at a peer level to adult anger. By the time Ellie came to me a few minutes later, wanting to sit on my lap and have me hold her close, I was much calmer. I explained slowly, calmly, and lovingly that “I used to have a job where people told me I was wonderful and I made money, but I gave that up to stay home with you kids.” She was listening, so I continued gently.

“I used to be able to go out to restaurants and eat any time I wanted to, but I don’t do that as much anymore so I can stay home and make meals for you kids. I used to be able to buy myself lots of things, but now, I buy you kids things instead.”

After a pause, Ellie said thoughtfully, “I guess you do love me.”

She had gotten the message.

But she wasn’t the only one who had gotten it. I, too, had something to learn.

Through Ellie’s emotions, God caused me to realize that many times, we do the same thing to Him that Ellie did to me. We accuse Him of not loving us just because He does something we don’t like, or fails to do something we would like. If God really loved me, we think—because we wouldn’t dare address these thoughts to God directly—He would be helping me out more right now.

What would God say in response to our accusations? Perhaps He would remind us of His majesty and sovereignty without ever giving a direct answer, as was the case with Job. Or perhaps He might say something like this: “I sent my Son to die for you. I provide the very air you breathe and your ability to breathe it. I provide every material blessing you have. How dare you accuse Me of not caring?”

The reason Ellie’s comment bothered me so much was because she (though unintentionally) was implying that my love for her was lacking, when in fact, I love her with all my being and would die for her without hesitation if that were required of me.

When we imply that God doesn’t love us, we grieve His heart for the same reason. He loves us with all of His being, and He died for us without hesitation.

Have you grieved your Father’s heart by questioning His love for you? Have you implied, or even told Him directly, that if He really loved you, He would do things your way?

If you have, run into His arms and beg His forgiveness. His arms are still open to receive you even though you’ve wounded Him. Confess your sin of doubting His love and His goodness. Then, receive His incredible grace that receives you and restores you to a right relationship with Him.

Realize the truth and speak the words, “You do love me, God.” Then go, in the mighty security of His love, and doubt no more.

Job 42:5-6—My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.

Super Kenny

Megan Breedlove No Comments

Inside my four-year-old son, Kenny, lives the heart of a superhero. Superman, to be precise. Kenny has two pairs of Superman jammies—long ones for winter, and short ones for summer. Each set of jammies comes with a cape that I velcro to the little spots on the shoulders of his pajama top. With this addition of this cape, Kenny becomes Super Kenny. He can run really fast, and he can even fly with his arms straight out in front of him, just like Superman (if we hold him up). Super Kenny has the biggest, proudest grin you’ve ever seen.

Without the cape, though, he’s just a little boy in a pair of jammies that’s missing something.

I found this out one night when Kenny was getting ready for bed. He came into the room where I was, wearing his pajamas. “You’re Super Kenny!” I said.

“No,” he said sadly, gazing toward the floor. “I can’t find my cape.”

“You can be Super Kenny even without your cape,” I said.

“No,” he repeated. “I have to have my cape.”

“Go look again where your jammies are,” I suggested.

Kenny left silently. He returned less than a minute later, holding the beloved red polyester rectangle. “I found it!” he said excitedly.

I quickly attached it to his shoulders, and Kenny turned to face me, his grin lighting up his whole face. “Now I’m Super Kenny!” he said proudly.

I knew that he’d been Super Kenny all along. But Kenny didn’t know it. He thought he needed that piece of fabric to complete his identity and transform him from a regular boy into someone spectacular. What he didn’t realize was that he’d been spectacular all along.

Kenny’s status as someone truly marvelous never depended on what he wore. God has declared him to be fearfully and wonderfully made, and that right there is enough to bestow upon him “super” status. I knew that Kenny was just as super no matter what he was wearing, or what he possessed. But he thought that in order to be truly spectacular, he needed something more than himself.

Precious mommy friend, do you ever find yourself thinking the same thing about yourself? That if you had something more—if you just dressed better, or looked prettier, or were smarter—you could be truly spectacular?

For many years of my life, I bought into Satan’s lie that if I were just prettier or more popular, I would be more special. I spent years trying to improve myself in these areas so that I could be something remarkable, all the while failing to realize that I already was.

How I wish I had realized much sooner that I was already super because God said so, and if He said so, that made it true. My status as marvelously unique and wonderful didn’t depend at all on what anybody else thought, or even on what I thought of myself. It depended then, and depends now, solely on what God declares to be true of me.

Can you empathize with me? Do you wish you could change one or more areas of your life so that you could finally feel like you really are super? It’s understandable. The devil is an expert liar and deceiver, and he is very skilled in hitting us where it hurts: our sense of ourselves. Instead of valuable and special, he wants us to see ourselves as worthless and common.

I don’t know the circumstances of your life, or why you feel that you aren’t very special. I do know that you can do the same thing I did after many years and much pain (though I hope it won’t take you nearly as long as it took me): you can choose to believe God.

It’s that simple. Simple, but not easy. I know it’s not. Remember, I’ve been there, and I stayed there for awhile. But what it all comes down to is this: will we choose to believe what God declares to be true about us, or will we find our sense of value in the things we possess or in what other people tell us about ourselves?

God has declared you to be His wonderful creation. You can choose to believe that, or not. You can count the opinions of other finite human beings as more valuable than His. But oh, friend, if you acknowledge that what He says about you is true, even if it doesn’t feel true, that’s the first step in truly coming to believe in the depths of your soul that you are marvelous and precious.

Take that first step. Declare that you believe God and want to take Him at His word, and He will meet you there at your point of need. He will clothe you not with a red polyester cape, but with every spiritual blessing that you need in order to realize that you are His beloved, amazing child.

Of course, if you don’t know God, the first thing you need to do is get to know Him. If you’re not sure how, check out the How to Know God section of this website, or ask a family member, friend, or pastor. Don’t miss out on knowing a God who knows you completely (because He made you) and loves you so deeply that He sent His son Jesus to die on a cross, taking the punishment for your sins so that you could then draw close to Him. He loves you that much.

You can trust a God like that. Do it, and choose to believe His opinion over anyone else’s, including your own. After all, His is really the only one that matters.

Psalm 139:14—I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Mommy Guilt

Megan Breedlove No Comments

Most of us are generally confident that we’re good mothers. We know we’re not perfect, but we believe we’re doing a good job. We feel secure in our role and in the way we mother.

Sometimes, however, Mommy Guilt pushes security out of the way and takes over.

Mommy Guilt is that guilt we feel over not being the “perfect” mom—or over the possibility that we might have done something wrong or failed to do something right.

We want so badly to do this job well because the results matter so much. It’s easy for us to become consumed with wondering if we’ve done enough, and suspecting we haven’t. Mommy Guilt hurts, because not much feels worse than to think you have failed your child.

Granted, there are times we do wrong. If our wrongdoing involves sin, the Holy Spirit will not allow us to be at peace until we have repented. If we have made a mistake, we must correct it so it doesn’t happen again.

Mommy Guilt doesn’t result from actual wrongdoing. It arises from feared or imagined wrongdoing. It leaves us with a vague sense of being insufficient or not doing enough. It is viciously destructive. There are four reasons why.

First, Mommy Guilt doesn’t come from God. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to feel guilty, He always tells us what our sin has been. This appropriate guilt is not vague at all. It’s very specific. God’s goal for our lives is for us to be conformed to the image of His Son. He will not convict us without telling us what we are doing wrong and what we must do to begin doing right.

Second, Mommy Guilt is so damaging is that it causes us to do a worse job of parenting. When we feel guilty for being insufficient, we are focusing on ourselves and not our children. We may even make wrong decisions in an attempt to “make up for” the things we have done that we feel were insufficient.

Third, Mommy Guilt paralyzes us. It doesn’t free us to do a better job. Instead, it leaves us doubting ourselves and our abilities. We become afraid to move forward because we fear we’ll just make the problem worse.

Fourth, Mommy Guilt doesn’t even give us an accurate basis for feeling guilty. We wind up feeling guilty because we aren’t perfect or all-sufficient, when in reality, the only perfect, all-sufficient Person is God. Friend, you and I are not God, and praise Him that we don’t have to be.

So what can we do when Mommy Guilt tries to sink its hooks into us?

We can pray. We should ask God whether we really have done something wrong and if there is anything He wants us to correct. If the Holy Spirit doesn’t bring anything to mind, we should determine not to feel guilty. We may not be able to stop the devil from continually bringing up thoughts of our guilt, but we can certainly control whether or not we dwell on those and let them affect our lives. We can choose not to feel guilty unless God says that we are.

Next, we change our standards, from an unreachable standard of perfection to the standards God has for us. God’s standards are that we love Him first, and second love our child as ourselves. He does expect us to love Himself and our children with everything we’re capable of. But He also knows how He made us. He knows the challenges we face, and He doesn’t expect us to have every ability known to man (or woman) and exercise them all at the same time.

Finally, we move on. God knew our abilities and limitations, and He still blessed us with our children. He chose them for us. He wanted our children to have US—not some Super Mommy that doesn’t even exist. It doesn’t matter if another mommy drives a newer minivan or makes better birthday cakes. It’s okay. God chose you. You are what your children need.

May God bless us all with an extra sense of His acceptance this week. May we feel Him put His arms around us, as we do around our dear children, and tell us that He’s glad we’re their mommy.

2 Corinthians 2:18—And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Catch Kenny

Megan Breedlove No Comments

My children are often great playmates. They have their squabbles sometimes, but usually, they play well together. Sometimes, I can even leave them in the front part of the house playing while I get work accomplished in another part of the house.

It was on one such day that I heard the kids trying to decide what to play. Lindsey, who loves hide-and-seek, was trying to convince Ellie to join her. “Count, Ellie,” Lindsey urged.

“No, we have to catch Kenny,” Ellie answered. (The rooms in part of our house form a circle, and the kids enjoy chasing each other around and around.)

“Come on, count, Ellie. We’re playing hide-and-seek,” Lindsey insisted.

“No,” Ellie said, “We’re playing ‘Catch Kenny’.”

Ellie and Lindsey’s dilemma was simple. They had to agree on what to play. Until then, they wouldn’t be able to play together at all.

We adults face the same problem, don’t we? We know that we want to work together, but we can’t agree on how to get there. All we know is that we don’t want to do it the way the other person suggested.

In Ellie and Lindsey’s case, if they had been unable to reach an agreement, they could have gone their separate ways, and it wouldn’t really have mattered all that much. In the adult world, the consequences of failing to work together are sometimes much more serious.

Take, for example, a married couple. The husband and wife both want a good marriage, but they can’t agree on who should do what in order to make that come about. They argue, each trying to convince the other to do things his or her way. But if they fail to reach an agreement and go their separate ways, the consequences are disaster for them and their children.

Or what about trying to run a church? One group wants to use some of the revenue to build a new facility. Another group wants to use that same money for outreach. Who’s right? Perhaps both. Both of them have the same goal of reaching unbelievers for Jesus. Nonetheless, if the groups can’t agree, there will be consequences. At the very least, the money will sit in the bank accomplishing nothing. At the worst, people will turn against one another and wound each other, and the cause of Christ will be made to look petty.

It takes generosity, unselfishness, and humility to be able to work together well. Humility isn’t easy for most of us. We’d much rather convince people to our way of thinking than go over to theirs. So we continue to argue about what we’re supposed to be doing, and no one is willing to compromise.

In Ellie and Lindsey’s case, they were able to reach a resolution before there were any hurt feelings on either side. Lindsey agreed to play what Ellie wanted her to play, and the problem was solved. I suggest that we as adults learn from the way Lindsey handled the situation. She was willing to concede so that she and her sister could play together. Being together with her sister was more important to her than allowing the disagreement to continue. Getting her way didn’t matter. What mattered to her was reaching the goal of playing together.

If only we adults could be like that more often. So many of our petty squabbles could easily be resolved if one of us would just be willing to do things the other person’s way. What’s more important to us—having things the way we want them, or reaching the goal together?

Maybe there’s some area in which you’ve been arguing with someone about the way to accomplish something. Is it possible that you need to let the other person have his or her way? Ask God to show you what you need to do in order to achieve the greater good of reaching the goal together with that other person. Ask Him to produce the fruits of His Spirit in you as you handle the situation. You’ll find that handling it His way leads to far greater satisfaction than getting what you want but not acting in love.

Galatians 5:22-23—But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Paper, Please

Megan Breedlove No Comments

I was sitting in my rocker, nursing Jessica, when Lindsey entered the room. She went over to Ellie’s desk, got Ellie’s crayons down, and said, “I want to color.”

“Go ask Daddy for some paper,” I said, since I couldn’t get up to get her any at the moment.

She went out to the computer desk, where my husband was sitting, and said, “I need some paper.”

He didn’t hear her. “What?” he asked.

“I need some paper,” Lindsey repeated matter-of-factly.

“How do you ask nicely?” he said.

Lindsey responded, sweetly, “Paper, please.”

God used this simple exchange to illustrate an important truth.

Sometimes, we approach God and deliver our requests as if we’re placing an order, assuming they will be granted because we have spoken. It’s true that we should have confidence in approaching God, and that we should believe that He desires to grant us good gifts. But we should never be arrogant in approaching Him, and we should certainly never take Him for granted.

Why did we teach Lindsey to ask nicely for what she wanted? Because it’s polite. That’s how people like to be asked. God likes to be asked nicely, too. He is not our genie, where all we have to do is ask according to a certain formula in order to ensure that we will receive what we asked for. No, He is a Person. He wants us to ask him humbly for what we need, realizing that He may or may not grant it according to His far superior understanding of our needs and His sovereign purposes.

Yes, we are to come boldly, but let’s remember to Whom we are coming. We are approaching Almighty God, Creator of the universe, Master of everything. He is not our servant—we are His.

Most of us wouldn’t dream of saying to another human being, “I need some money,” and then walking away without so much as a thank you, expecting the person to give us any cash. Why, then, do we approach God this way?

Oh, maybe we phrase it differently. We’re more likely to say, “Dear God, please make me feel better. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.” But when our words are merely form, and when they reflect not a humble heart but a self-entitled one, we are not asking rightly.

Friend, are our prayers nothing more than demands delivered heavenward with our eyes closed, couched in spiritual terms so that they have a better chance of getting a “yes” answer? Do we speak to God with a complete failure to listen to what God might be saying in response? Do we fail to remember that we are speaking, not to a heavenly slot machine, but to a Person?

I know that when one of my children approaches me with a request and asks rightly, not only in words but with a heart that’s right toward me, I delight in granting the request, if at all possible. How much more then must God delight in doing so?

Lindsey’s words didn’t reflect any intent to be impolite. She was simply assuming that Daddy or I would meet her needs. Her words reflected confidence in us as her parents that we would give her what she needed.

We can have even greater confidence in our Heavenly Father that our needs will be met. He will always give us what we need, sometimes even before we ask at all.

But when we do ask, we should remember to do it out of a humble heart that recognizes that He is God and we are not. We should ask confidently yet respectfully. We should approach Him as we would want to be approached by one of our children, out of a love relationship that acknowledges we don’t have to grant the request, but we will if we can.

When my children ask me for something and I grant it, I love to hear them say thank you. How much more, then, should we be prepared to thank God for the blessings He gives us that we don’t deserve, but which He pours out upon us anyway?

So take your requests to God—all kinds of requests, on all kinds of occasions. Just remember that it’s a privilege to do it, and ask Him in a way that reflects that understanding. Then, thank Him for His answer.

You’ll make His heart glad, and that’s an incredible privilege.

Ephesians 6:18—And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Matthew 7:11—If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

A Really Good Flyer

Megan Breedlove No Comments

Our house is filled with toys. At least, it sometimes seems that way. I’ve even found the kids’ toys under my bed and in the drawer of my nightstand. What amazes me, however, is not the number of toys (after all, we have four kids), but the fact that we don’t lose more of them.

There are games we’ve had for years, for which we still have all the pieces. In addition, we still have toys that the kids played with years ago. I’m not referring to the toys we’ve stored in the attic for some as-yet-unknown purpose. I’m talking about the toys that have managed to escape the toy rotation and stay in the kids’ rooms because they are beloved and oft-played-with.

Sometimes, however, a beloved toy can’t be found.

That happened to Kenny the other day. He has a small toy which he alternately calls a spaceship or an airplane. He loves this toy because it has a light he can turn on and off. He swoops it through the air, making it fly fast and high. He really loves this tiny little piece of plastic. And one day, he couldn’t find it.

I was sitting at the table working on something. I knew that Kenny had lost his toy, and I knew he was looking for it. Because I wanted him to try to solve his own problem, I let him look on his own. I heard him saying things as he looked, like, “Nope, it’s not in there.” His voice got sadder and sadder. When he had almost lost hope, Kenny came and stood beside me.

“Will you please look for my spaceship, the airplane?” he asked sadly. “He’s a really good flyer.”

I felt the poignancy of his request deep in my soul. You see, Kenny wasn’t merely asking for my help. He was pointing out the virtues of his airplane in the hope that knowing its worth would move my heart to find it.

Kenny was being an advocate for that airplane.

You and I also have an advocate for our needs. And we have one who loves us far more even than Kenny loves his airplane.

Friend, our advocate is Jesus.

Dictionary.com defines an “advocate” as “a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor”. This is exactly what Jesus does for us. The Lord of all Creation intercedes with God the Father on our behalf. He pleads for us, and for our needs.

Don’t miss the awesome wondrousness of that reality. Not only can you yourself confidently approach your father, but His perfect Son Jesus is already there, advocating for you. I imagine Him saying something like this: “Father, she needs you. Please, meet her need. She’s your beloved child.”

Put your name into the words above. Then savor this truth. Let it sink deep into your heart and mind and soul.

But even more incredible than this amazing truth is the truth that God’s heart is moved by our need.

He’s not some distant deity who rules from on high without being touched by the fray below. No, our God is a personal God, an immediate and intimate God. He cares about us and our needs.

Over and over, the Bible shows God responding emotionally to his people’s needs. Granted, His emotions aren’t the same as ours. They are completely pure and always righteous. But He has granted us a relationship with Him such that our needs touch His heart.

No other follower of any other god dares claim that his or her god cares personally about human needs.

You and I do dare to claim this, because God the Father Himself proclaims it over and over throughout Scripture!

God the Son always lives to advocate for us, bringing our needs to God the Father, because He loves the fragile beings He created and died for.

God the Holy Spirit advocates for us with groans that words cannot express.

Imagine it. God cares deeply and passionately about us and our needs.

I can think of no more profound truth than that.

Praise God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that this is true.

To Him be glory, both now, and forevermore. Amen.

Hebrews 7:25—Therefore he (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Romans 8:26—In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.

Job 16:19—Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high.

1 Peter 5:7—Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

2 Peter 3:18—To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

Special Needs

Megan Breedlove No Comments

On Thursdays, I take my son, Kenny, to speech therapy. We park along the curb in front of the school, and Kenny and I “race” to see who gets to the school doors first. (He always wins.) Kenny knows the routine: I sign in at the office and put on a “Visitor” sticker, and we go around the corner and down the hall to the speech therapist’s office. Kenny loves his teacher and the other students in his small group. He enjoys the activities they do together, and he looks forward to getting prizes for good attendance.

He also likes getting to check out books from the school library after therapy. He has this privilege because he is enrolled as a student in the district, even though he is only four years old. Because he is officially a student, he has all the rights and privileges of students in the Fort Worth ISD, despite taking only one “class”.

Kenny is not classified as a “regular” student, however. He is classified as being in the special education program. In other words, he is a “special needs” student.

“Special needs” is not a label that any mother hopes her child will grow up to earn. I was no different. I didn’t want Kenny to struggle with any difficulties that would cause him pain. I didn’t want other kids to treat him differently because of his God-given needs.

I knew that this label represented a truth that would cause Kenny to have to work harder than other kids to achieve the same milestones and acceptance. Even now, I am still afraid sometimes that people will look at Kenny and see his difficulties, instead of seeing the wonderful child that he is.

But actually, Kenny is not the only one in our family who has special needs. He’s not the only one who has to work harder in some areas. Our other three children have special needs, too. So do my husband and I.

So do your children.

So do you.

You see, dear mommy friend, we are all special needs students when it comes to the spiritual aspects of life. Oh, our bodies and minds may be physically healthy, but spiritually speaking, we all have special needs.

In fact, each one of us possesses a soul with one extremely special need—the need to be redeemed by the grace of God. Once that occurs, we sometimes assume that everything will fall into place.

It doesn’t always—or even usually—happen that way.

No matter how “together” someone may look on the outside, even she has special needs. No matter how self-sufficient we may want to be, we can never be need-free.

Perhaps God has allowed these seeds of suffering and struggle into our lives so that we will remember that we need Him, and so that we’ll depend on Him instead of on our own strength.

Kenny has to depend on others to help him succeed in areas that are more difficult for him. You and I need to depend on God for the same thing.

If we are to depend on Him, we must spend time with him. Kenny’s needs provide a reason and an avenue for the two of us to work closely together and spend time together that we might not otherwise get to have to ourselves. So, though I would wish his needs to disappear if I could, I recognize their beauty not only in shaping his character but in shaping our life together.

How do you see your special needs? Are they merely an unfortunate or even tragic burden, or do you also see in them the opportunity to draw closer to God in a way that you otherwise might not?

Ask God to help you see your needs as He sees them. You may come to realize that even though your needs themselves are not beautiful, they can be part of God’s beautiful design for your life.

2 Corinthians 12:10—That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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