Times up

As we all know, this past weekend we celebrated our Mom’s. I was in North Georgia for my daughter’s soccer tournament when I received a text from a friend in Oklahoma. She sent me a picture of our son, Cruz, at the courthouse on the day we adopted him. As I opened the picture, a flood of emotions poured out. It was emotional because this little guy experienced more trauma in his first 5 years of life than most people ever will. It was emotional because he has come so far. It was emotional because he has so far to go. 

Parenting is hard. Adoption is hard. Raising a broken little person is hard. You feel for him but you also get frustrated with him. 

 At our last parent-teacher conference, I sat across his teacher and heard the question, “How long have you had him?”

“Three years.”

“Well, that’s enough time then.”

“For what?”

“You know… to know what is right and wrong. To know what is acceptable behavior or not.”

My heart broke. Not just because she said it but because I also believed it. I can get so frustrated with Him because ‘he should get it by now.” But He’s not something to get but a person to love. Time is irrelevant when it comes to healing. Time is irrelevant when it comes to love. Time is irrelevant when it comes to God. How many times have we said, prayed, and even yelled at God, “You have had enough time, God. Enough time to fix my marriage. Enough time to make things happen in my job. Enough time to heal my broken heart.  Here is what I have learned, God’s greatest desire is not just to fix what’s going on around us, but teach us how to fix our eyes on the One who lives in us, Jesus.

Jesus taught this same lesson to Peter when he walked on water.

“So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save, me Lord.” He shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, ‘You of little faith.’ Jesus said. ‘Why did you doubt me.’ When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. The then the disciples worshipped him. ‘You really are the Son of God.’” Matthew 14:29-34

Peter was walking on water when his eyes were on Jesus, but the moment he took his eyes off Jesus onto the struggles, wind, fear, waves, etc. around him, he began to sink. Can you relate? The moment I take my eyes of Jesus and focus on the wind and waves around me, I begin to sink-sink into self-doubt, self-pity, and self-loathing. Oh but I love when Peter cries out to Jesus, Jesus doesn’t stop the wind until after they get in the boat. Its not our circumstances he wants to change but our focus. He didn’t stop the storm… He saved him in the middle of it!

“…And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2

Cruz’s race is not finished. Mine is not finished. Yours is not finished. Its time to fix our eyes on the Jesus who lives in us instead of what storm maybe going on around us. ITS TIME TO GET THINGS FIXED!