Humbled

Humbled.

By a five-year-old. It never ceases to amaze me the Spiritual depth that a child so young can have.

Over the past few weeks I have been diligently searching obsessing over houses. What is the right house for us? Is now a good time to move? What is God's timing? Will the "perfect" house ever come along? I have spent countless hours on the real estate website, zillow, the county assessment site, searching, researching and following the trail of every possible house that might be an option for us.

Last week at the mom's group I attend we had a guest speaker talking about prayer, and how to "Pray Like Crazy for your Kids" and "Pray Like Crazy for your Husband". She talked about fasting in a way I had never heard before. Since there isn't a particular food that I care for above any other, I decided that I would fast from house searching during the day since it was taking so much TIME. Trent and I would still look together in the evenings, but during the day I would fast from it. Our speaker said that fasting and praying go hand-in-hand. You can't have one without the other. During the time that I would normally spend house hunting I would spend in prayer. This is often 30-45 minutes while the kids are napping. And any time throughout the day that a house or houses would pop into my head I would say a quick prayer. I didn't really pray specific prayers, more just along the lines of peace, in trusting in God's timing and God's will.

But where was I? Oh yes, I was humbled. So here I thought I had grown tremendously this past week (and I still think I have!), when my five year old humbled me. We put an offer in on a house on Monday, and on Tuesday afternoon the offer was accepted! We still have details to work out, but my prayer is that from here on out things will go smoothly.

This morning at breakfast I was excited about this house and thinking about light fixtures and paint and mentally organizing the house (because I'm crazy like that) when Anne starts talking. Our conversation went something like this:

Anne, " Last night after you went out of my room, I prayed that Satan would just turn around and that he would tell God that he is sorry and that he would stop trying to get people to do bad things. And then maybe God would let him be an angel again."

*I think my heart stopped beating here.*

Abbey chimes in with, "And then Annie prayed for your dad that you used to have when you were a little girl and that he would love Jesus, too."

*And here my heart broke.*

I think some people are born with a humble spirit. I was not. I like to feel independent. Unfortunately independence and pride are often best friends. I had felt pretty proud and excited about the Spiritual transformation that I had seen in myself in the past week. And then my five and almost four-year-old daughters displayed so much more Spiritual maturity than I have at 28.

Don't get me wrong. I truly believe that God cares and hears our prayers for the things we worry about and struggle with, things that are often of this world (such as houses)! And he answers those prayers as I have seen in my life this week. How much more will He hear and answer the innocent prayers of sweet children who are praying (not for a house) but for lost souls?? I mean, who prays for Satan???

I had spend so much time thinking and obsessing and worrying and praying about a house. When was the last time I prayed for my dad's soul? When was the last time I prayed for anyone's soul? I have multiple family members who are not walking with the Lord. Why don't I pray for them??? How is is that I have enough faith to pray for a house and believe that God will answer that prayer, but not enough faith to pray for the lost all around me?

Mark 9:24 says, "Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!""

In this passage of Scripture Jesus' disciples had tried to cast an evil spirit out of a boy, but could not do it. The boy was brought to Jesus and the father pleaded that if Jesus could do anything to please have pity on them and help the boy. Jesus responds, "If you can? Everything is possible to him who believes." And that is when the boy's father says, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Sometimes things seem so impossible to me because I have seen no change for years. Perhaps much as this boy's father had seen no change in him for many years. Yet, he wanted to believe. Sometimes in our human and imperfect lives it is so hard to truly believe that something long unchanged CAN BE TRANSFORMED!!

This morning Jesus spoke to me through my two small children. If they can pray for lost souls, so can I. And I will pray, believing for change, and at the same time asking for help to overcome my unbelief. Thank you, Lord, for entrusting these precious children to me. So often I believe I am the one who will be nurturing them, encouraging them, spurring them on to do the good works of the Lord, when clearly, at least today, it was the opposite.