Simply Boles: To Grow Us

Wow! What a crazy few past days. The last post I shared on Friday I wrote while traveling down Interstate 35 on our way to Austin- Reagan drove by the way! :) We had several fun filled days and my hopes of blogging evaporated along with my hopes of sleeping in. I should be able to sleep in when the boys are grown, right? Anyway, it was another memory making trip that we were blessed to make.

In the process, we took the boys to a fun trampoline filled palace called "Jump Street". While the older boys loved it and immediately set off to have an adventure, Kendall kept very close to me. He wanted to go and experience some of the fun, but several stations were either off -limits due to his age and size or too frightening to do alone. Finally, once he braved up and was assured that I would remain close by, he began playing. Then, he had a blast! I knew he would have a wonderful time; if, he could just relax and trust that I would not let anything harm him. He just needed the assurance that I was there.

This takes me back to the passage we started on Friday in the blog, When the Words Won't Come, from Romans chapter 8.

"Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun." (Romans 8:26-30 MSG)

I shared about how God -through the gift of the Holy Spirit- gives us an outlet for constant communication with Him... even when we can't form the words that express our need to the Father. He pleads our wordless sighs and aching groans to our precious Father. What a beautiful thought!!! The Holy Spirit also knows us better than we know ourselves and keeps us ever in the mind of God. I also love the statement, "He...knows our pregnant condition" as I think it is reflective that He knows our full potential and what we can be through Him. The Father is ever aware of our shortcomings as well as gifts and uses them all to fulfill the plan He has for us... that is why we can trust that every detail in our lives is worked for our good- He is just shaping us and building us into our full potential!

Let that moment sink in.... no matter what you are going through, God is using it to shape you, grow you, and challenge you to be the most you can be. He never wastes a hurt or a blessing. ALL of it is needed for your benefit and maturity in faith. As I reflect back on Kendall at the jumping place on Saturday, and I knew he would enjoy it if he could grow in his trust of me- that I would protect him and that I would be there the whole time. Seeing him enjoy it and have so much fun was a victory for me as much as him in many ways. I think that is how God views us as well.... when we trust Him to be there and that He will always have our best interest at heart, He gains a victory as well as us. What an incredible God we serve!?!?!

I want to leave you with some photos of our time "jumping" around and I look forward to sharing more insights from this passage tomorrow. Many blessings!