To pray and then sit back with a smile, knowing that He Who owns the cattle on a thousand hills has heard your petition because of Christ and looks favourably upon His children?
A little less than a week ago, I learned that Tizzle Top decided to donate all proceeds to Little Tait's Preemie Fund. I remember wishing there were a way we could help. I wandered down the hallway to ask Marmy if we'd be able to purchase a little something from Tizzle Top. She handed me some bills as she answered, "As a matter of fact, your Daddy wanted you to send this to the Zimmermans."
Thrilled, I rushed the cash to the bank. Well, Lord, this is what You've allowed us to do. I'll continue to share about the fund and then let it rest in Your Hands. I know that You're able.
If the Church put money where her mouth was; if She was willing to forego little luxuries in order to fully bear the burdens of the members of the Body—perhaps then we could win this war against socialist humanism. This is the answer, I thought as I replaced the lukewarm dishwater with a fresh, piping hot stream. And He can do this thing. He can provide through His Church. And I believe He intends to.
"For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king." {1 Peter 2:15–17, emphasis mine}
ObamaCare won't be defeating by making jokes about our president. No, the first step to overcoming socialist health care is to exercise our freedom to take care of our fellow Christians through private, voluntary, God-glorifying means. The first step to overcoming socialist health care is to refuse pushing our monstrous bills through Medicaid {thus forcing our fellow countrymen to pay for our medical expenses at gunpoint}, but to instead bravely trust the Lord to provide.
A week ago, they still needed to raise over $20,000. Doubt played at the edges of my mind. After eighty-something days of fundraising, one would think they might be scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as contacts go. This campaign had been going for a few days shy of three months and they still needed $20k. How?! I began to think through my own contacts. Who did I know that had that kind of money and would be willing to give it to this family, for the cause of Christian liberty in privatised welfare?
I blushed a little when I considered my own question. I certainly do know Someone. I asked Him if there was anything He'd like for me to do?
There was. Ideas for the give-away began to flood. I had to be careful not to break the plates as I dried and stacked them, eager to begin. Cauley donated the necklace of my choice. Madison {Dolly Madison Designs} was online. Would she like to donate a product to the give-away? Oh! She'd be willing to offer her graphic design services as well? Splendid! She jumped in wholeheartedly with a host of ideas. This little effort couldn't have happened without her. She tirelessly worked late into the night with me as we got everything together. Shiloh {Lilla Rose} and Hannah {Damsel Made} donated two beautiful prizes. Our give-away was shaping up quite nicely.
The order of business on the following day was to promote, promote, promote! Only life kept getting in the way. As Maddy was busily getting the word out from her corner of the web, I was struggling to prioritise. Could I watch Noah for a little while? Gracey needs a snack. The phone is ringing. What were we getting the twins for their birthday? Company's coming tomorrow—would I please clean our room?! And could I do so-and-so a quick favour?
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| Baby Noah {Little Man} |
My natural tendency is to stress out when life collides with my plans. Wasn't this fundraiser a Kingdom-advancing pursuit? Yes. But so is my home—and my family is my first responsibility. You orchestrate all things. You control the cash flow. I can do nothing, but Your very Name is Almighty. Once again, I surrender my schedule to You. I know that interruptions are Divine appointments. Order my steps, by Your grace.
Yes—I am supposed to be actively working towards the goal as I pray. But sometimes, the Lord brings me on detours that I wasn't quite expecting. Running headlong into the battle that I see stretching out gloriously before me, I trip on a load of laundry. Immediate, mundane duties demand my attention. Will I grumble at the pressing duties described in Proverbs 31:13,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,24,25,26&27 because only the ministry work described in verse 20 sounds very fulfilling?
Standing up with some pretty amazing people to help a family raise $100,000 as a testimony to the power of Christ through His Church sounds exciting. And it really has been. But while it is important to say "no" to socialist welfare—it is just as important to say "yes!" to familial welfare, if not more so. Just as it is important for the Church to put money where Her mouth is on a large scale by privately and voluntarily helping a family pay off a giant debt, it is important for this Christian to put her time and energy where her mouth is by cheerfully volunteering in the day-to-day household operations of providing private education, daycare, transportation, medical care, food programs, etc., to the members of her family.
Daddy has been teaching me a valuable lesson: if Christians don't embrace their responsibilities with love for God and each other, God will not take their liberty-loving-lipservice very far. There has to be real obedience and self-government to truly empower our talk of Christian liberty. {James 2:14–17}
In other words: the Lord helped me to chill out and get my priorities straight. Every time I'd feel a tug-o-war between my responsibilities to my family and my desire to get back to the abounding opportunities in online ministry, I would surrender to the Lord of my schedule. There was peace and obeying Proverbs 31:26 became possible, by His grace. And I would learn, once again, that the answer to the epidemic of stress is not found in a fad diet or stealing away for a few moments of "me-time" or in anxiously protecting that perfectly laminated schedule that adorns the front of my homemaking binder. It's in saying "amen" to God, no matter what His plans may be. It's in embracing the responsibilities He's currently given me instead of whining about all of the If Onlys...
So, I didn't have time for this, really. There were chores and errands and a fellowship lunch and a daddy date and babysitting and more errands and phone calls and freelance work and the twins' birthday party and meals to cook and dishes to wash and loads of laundry to process and grocery shopping to do and millions of little life-things in between. But the Lord doesn't need me to hold everything together. That's His work. {Colossians 1:17} I was called simply to obey and have faith.
I was called to stand fast at my post and diligently work at my responsibilities as I watched Him lead the battle at large. And now, I am blessed to join the cry of thanksgiving that has arisen from the Lord's Army this day as our King secured another victory! From LittleTait.com—
I first saw the news this afternoon as I was pushing a grocery-filled shopping cart toward the checkout line. My heart lept and my face beamed and the doxology filled me up.
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost!
With a song on my lips and a sleeping babe on my lap,
The Little Tait Give-Away is now closed.
Lord willing,
the winner will be announced tomorrow
and we'll have the vouchers sent out shortly.
A great big "thank you" to all who contributed, entered and shared!
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