Whispers of Hope for 2014

Today I started a 10-week devotional prayer with a local group of women.  Our group reads Beth Moore's Whispers of Hope, a daily devotional book, then checks-in on Facebook through a private group.  We either like the group's daily post or comment on it to say, "Hey, I was here, I have done my reading, I am still in this with you." On this first day of our 70-day commitment, I was awakened to something nearly dead in my life:  creativity.

A question was asked of our group:  Are you more creative or orderly?  After some thought I realized that at different times in my life I have leaned more heavily one way or the other, alternating between order and creativity.  But since becoming a mother, order has had too high a priority in my life.  My prayer this morning was that God would help me rediscover the creativity that He has placed within me, within all of us.  He is a creative God and we are made in His image.  It's in there.

Also, through my reading and reflecting this morning, God revealed something far more disturbing.  My overarching priorities need to be rearranged.  Lately, I have put nearly everything before God, and I have put things that don't matter before my family.  For instance, I often find myself placing a higher priority on the things I do FOR my family than on doing things WITH my family...service over quality time.  But I know my kids are not going to remember if they had a clean house or what kind of food we ate.  They will remember the games we played together, the times I chased them around the yard, and the snacks we ate inside a quilt-tent with flashlights.

Keeping a clean house and having order are my priorities.  Those things are for me.  And I have been putting them first, which means, in essence, I have been putting myself first.  Then, after being a housekeeper, if I'm honest about how I'm spending my time, I have put my kids and husband before God.  So, essentially, my priorities have looked like this:  house (self), family (others), and then God.

Lord, may my priorities align with your priorities this year:  God, family (others), then myself.

Kicking off a new year with fresh determination and whispers of hope.  His mercies are new every morning, and every year.  Thankful for the ways God has given us to mark new beginnings.