Working it out...

Well, I started my new nanny job on Monday and it's going great so far.  Lily has stayed with her Daddy for the past 2 days and I was missing her so much that he had to bring her over for a visit today.  I plan to keep her with me but I thought I would go solo for the first week. I wanted to make sure I can handle 3 kids under the age of 2 before I try 4 :)  Joe finished his real estate classes and is studying for the test to get his license.  We are excited to see what God has in store for our family.  He has been so good to us...providing and giving us precious time with Lily and we will continue to cherish these moments.  I'm always amazed at how God teaches me through her life. Actually He can use just about anything to give us visual lessons on things He wants to imprint on our hearts and for us to "work out" in our lives.  Today just happened to be one of those lessons....where He used a visual aid to help me understand.

I was sitting by the window rocking one of the babies and I noticed a couple of birds on the porch and they were building a nest in the awning.  So the string of thoughts that I had were - isn't it amazing that God gives them instinct to know how to do that, He provides for their every need but they have to do a little work along the way; however, the work is done by God's empowerment, He is the One who gives them the "know how" to do it.  In the same way God provides by His GRACE everything we need for salvation yet He calls us to "work it out every day with fear and trembling. For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13 Just like those birds are led by God's design and His strength to do what they are created to do, as Christians He has given us the Holy Spirit that enables us to live as God intends.  The other thing I noticed about those birds is that there were 2 of them working together....not being frustrated with one another. They just knew what their part was and did what God called them to do.  One would patiently wait for the other to come out before he flew in to add to the nest and the materials that they were gathering for their nest were exactly what was needed.  God truly is Jehovah Jireh (my Provider) b/c He not only gives us what we need He empowers us to live the way we should. 

I know God wants to speak to us every day but sometimes it's so noisy and there are so many distractions that we can't hear Him. In the quiet moments of rocking babies is a great time to hear His voice :)  Since I'm on a nature kick I'll show you a picture of my jasmine that's climbing up the porch this Spring.  It smells so good when you step out on the front porch.  Lily likes to smell it and she says "ssstink"  Whether something smells good or bad it "ssstinks" to her.