Yes....I PROMISE!

I think I learn more about God from my kids than from any other source. Well, I learn tons from the Bible, of course. But every now and then a lesson from the Bible really sinks in...really gets into my heart, and it's usually a result of a conversation or experience with one of the kids.

Yesterday was no different. We were eating lunch at McDonald's...

Side note here - Samantha can say "happy meal" perfectly and she can say "McDonalds"! It sounds more like "ick dingles" when she says it, but I know what she means. I'm not sure if I'm proud of her vocabulary or upset with myself that my barely 2 year old can list items from the McD's menu! Anyway...

We were at McDonald's and I bought the kids happy meals for lunch. Benjamin was very attached to his new toy, and he wanted me to watch it for him while he played in the play area. He was very clear...I was to keep a close eye on it, and I was to make sure that no one else touched it! I said I would, and I expected him to be on his way. But he sat there looking uneasily between me and his precious toy.

"Are you sure you'll keep a close eye on it?"

"Yep, I sure will"

I guess he didn't think I was taking the whole thing seriously enough because next it was,

"Are you SURE?"

"Yes, I am sure."

"Promise?"
"OK, I promise."

"You're going to watch it, right, Mom?"

"Benjamin, when I say that I will do something then that means that I will do it. Even if I don't say 'I promise', if I say I'll do it, then it will be done. Now stop asking and go play!"

He went to play and I had a lightbulb moment. It's as if God whispered in my ear, "See, that's how I feel when you doubt me!"

I started thinking about all of God's promises and how I'm always wondering, "Really, Lord? Do you promise?" The Bible is packed full of stories that show God's faithfulness. It's also loaded with his promises to his people. Why is it so hard to trust him? I know he's good. I know he's with me. I know he loves me. I know he has a plan for my life. So why am I ever fearful? It's so hard to trust in him with the parts of my life that are most precious to me. I wonder...when I doubt him or am fearful, does he think, "Just stop asking and go play (enjoy life)!!" If I'm trustworthy...how much more so must he be!

So what are some of God's promises? I certainly don't know them all, but Psalm 16:8-9 comes to mind:

"I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety."

I also love his promise to turn my suffering into something good. He promises to show me the way I should go. He promises that I can go to Heaven because of what he did for me. He promises me his Holy Spirit. He promises to finish what he's started in me. And there are so many more! What are some of your favorites? I'd love to hear from you! Let me know which of God's promises you cling to in your times of fear and doubt.

I just came across this section as I was paging through my Bible. It's pretty appropriate:

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

AMEN!