For Such a Time as This

I haven’t been writing many blog posts lately- but I have received so much encouragement from friends both in person and online after recently posting a Bible journaling entry after taking a bit of a break from it for quite some time. 

Yesterday was an exceptionally challenging kid day.  After my youngest finally calmed down after putting her to bed, I was flipping through my journaling Bible and came across this entry I started in Deuteronomy:

“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.” Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (ESV)

This entry was inspired by one of the reflective prompts from the book “Writing in The Margins” by Lisa Nichols Hickman, about making a “pledge to God for the way you might teach a child in your life about scripture.” And I chose to do a Bible Journaling entry declaring this as a promise for my children.

In the midst of my messy kitchen and countertop covered in kid activities, I have slowly tried to incorporate some of my visual faith/visual prayer projects, but usually that ends up in my children getting their hands on them (which I am finding out is not always a bad thing!)

This entry in Esther was the one I mentioned above at the beginning of this post as my most recent Bible journaling entry after taking an “unintentional break” by being consumed in the activities of daily life.  

I have come to Esther 4:14  several different times in my life, but now I feel like it is speaking to me as a mom, and as a creative person in general. 

“…And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 (ESV)

God has given me my exact children at the perfect time and He has given me the creative abilities to raise and teach them, even if I do not always feel qualified.  It also encourages me to not give up on my artistic dreams and project ideas, and that God will still give me time and space to work on them in the midst of the busyness of life and continual process of learning how to be the best mom that I can be.

Thanks so much for reading!

~Diane