God Changes Hearts and Minds

I haven’t posted for awhile. I have been getting ready to go back to school. My kids started 3rd and 5th grades. Where did the time go? When we moved here 5 years ago, my son was starting half day kindergarten and my daughter was starting preschool for a few hours a week.

So much has happened since we moved to a new state five years ago. Last year at this time, my kids started their first day of school. I picked them up after a few hours to go to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. My mom had been suddenly diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor, a few weeks earlier. On the first day of school last year, she was undergoing brain surgery. For 4 months, we spent our weekends making the 1-3 hour drive to Baltimore to see my mom. It was a long drive, so our family would spend the day with her on weekends and my husband would take off days during the week, so we could see her and race back home before the kids got off the bus. It was emotionally exhausting to see how she declined each week. She passed away on Christmas Day. 

This school year looks nothing like 2019. I am so glad. Last year was awful. God was faithful and carried me through the entire process. 

I am glad that 2020 looks nothing like last year. This year I treasure the time with my family. My husband gained hours back in his day, working from home. I get to see my kids all the time. They want to play games with us, ride bikes and go for walks. It is like we got a second chance to make the most of the time with our kids. I am grateful.

I am living my life, putting my trust in God. I came to an earth shattering realization last weekend. I cannot do it myself. What? Everything. I need God. I am completely unprepared. God will equip me. God has equipped me, and he will do it again. And again. And again. 

God will sprinkle every nation with his goodness and wisdom. Kings will be silent before the Lord. Kings will gain wisdom for God for what they have not heard. And, kings will consider this wisdom. 

The Sin-Bearing Servant
Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently;
He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
Just as many were astonished at you,
So His visage was marred more than any man,
And His form more than the sons of men;
So shall He sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider.
—Isaiah 52:13-15

Don’t let Satan whisper lies to you. Unite with your neighbors. Pray that God will help you accept your differences and bind your hearts with love and kindness to each other. God will carry you through the hard times and use them for your good, if your heart is open. God has the power to change hearts and minds.