Being Mindful

I have been learning a bunch about being mindful, being present for the people that God puts in my life.  I have written before about seeing those around me as fellow created beings, not objects, annoyances or tools.  These people are in my life for a reason.  I should be asking what that reason is.  I have been reading Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: Unleash the Power of Life in Christ I think the author, Peter Scazzero essentially is suggesting that we be mindful of the Lord throughout our day, purposefully taking time to be present with Him.  This then extends to those around us.   I have been working on being mindful and present with my children.  It makes a difference.

I was reading the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet.  I was really struck by how mindful and present Jesus is for the disciples.  Even knowing what He would be going through in a few hours, he washes their feet.   I imagine the disciples remembering that moment years later, when they where faced with trials or death.  The memory giving them strength to witness even in their pain.  How awesome!

Relationship asking

I have been getting a lot of reading about prayer lately.  Reading Yancey’s book on prayer, and the last few days Oswald Chambers has been about prayer as well.  I was thinking about all the things we pray, for which we already know the answer.  Our children do the same thing.  They come and ask for a treat too close to dinner time, or a glass of water too close to bed time or to go play somewhere or with someone that they know is not the best.  Since we are human and somewhat inconsistent, our children have some hope that we might say yes this time.  We do the same thing to God.  We ask for things that we know are marginal hoping that God will say yes this time, but God is consistent, and does not get tired of saying “No” to us.

Then I started thinking about the requests that delight me as a father(or at least they should).  “Daddy can we play a game?”  “Will you read to me?”  “Can I go to the store with you?” “Will you help me with this problem?”  These are the questions that I think God delights in.  After all, He has given us his Spirit and the Word to tell us how to live, but the relationship with him can only be built with time.

I want to share this lesson with my children.  I already recognize that I will have to apologize for my own shortcomings in this area.  At the same time, I am able to say that in the last five months I have been working on saying yes to the relationship requests of each of my children.  It is great to have something confirmed in this way.

The Fear of Isaac

In Genesis, when Jacob has finished his time with Laban and is returning to his homeland, Laban pursues him. In the midst of their conversation, Jacob refers to the Lord as the “Fear of Isaac.” A few verses later, he takes an oath in the name of the “Fear of his father Isaac.” There is no other place where God is referred to in this way. thinking about it, I can only imagine what Isaac’s relationship with the Lord must have been like, for his children to refer to it in this way.

My thought is that Isaac never really got over almost being sacrificed as a child. God had asked for his life and only relented as the knife was raised. Isaac may have taken this to heart and lived in fear of the Lord, of what the Lord might ask of him all his days. If he understood why the Lord had done this, it may have kept him from holding anything or anyone too tightly. Being human, there is a good chance he overcompensated and had a tough time in relationship with his sons. Do we see the consequences in his son’s lives? Is it reflected in their relationship with their mother or wives?