Iron Sharpens Iron
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Our Big Oak Ranch Mom's Wise Woman's Bucket List weekend ended with a delicious brunch and retreat wrap up session. The moms were asked to share some of their "Top Takeaways" from our time together in Proverbs. I was surprised at the variety of their responses. Here are their top Proverbs takeaways:
Look ahead and count the costs and consequences. All decisions have consequences.
Scripture memory - the very best thing (God's Word); put into the very best place (my heart); for the very best reason (that I might not sin against God.) excerpted from a Charles Spurgeon quote
Knowledge + Obedience = Wisdom; Knowledge -- Obedience = Sin
Remorse is not repentance. Repentance is God focused and I hate the sin that God hates. Remorse is me-focused and hates the consequences of my sin.
Proverbs is wisdom that adds years to your life or life to your years. (Adapted from a Warren Weirsbe quote)
The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart. (Henry Brandt)
The effective transfer of truth one generation to the next is always intentional and relational. Intentional means that I get the message out of my mouth. Relational means that I earn the right to be heard.
All heart attacks are potentially fatal. Beware of paper cuts to your soul. A healthy heart will have regular check ups by taking our hearts and placing them under the lens of God's Word.
I thought a lot about my personal Bucket List takeaways from the retreat. My "ah ha" moment actually came during a "get to know you" question and answer session when the moms were asked, "What do you see yourself doing vocationally after your house parent job at the Ranch is finished?" Almost all of the Ranch moms responded, "I can't imagine doing anything else." That response, coupled with a radical attitude of contentment even in the midst of parenting 6-8 children of all ages, stages, races, and backgrounds not only amazes me, but also challenges me. Over and over again, the word "content" emerged as a sacred echo. Contentment is an area that I struggle with perhaps because I can't imagine, indeed don't want to even consider, not being a special needs parent. And yet I get weary and tired both physically and emotionally.
Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." I was sharpened last week by the Big Oak moms. Most of these women left successful careers as nurses, teachers, and accountants to be stay at home moms, not just to their own biological children, but to children who desperately need, for whatever reason, a second chance at having a family and Christian home. One mom nailed me when she said, "Like Paul, I have learned to be content." (Philippines 4:12) And that was a Wise Woman's Bucket takeaway: Taking my heart and putting it under the lens of God's Word for a heart checkup. "Lord, teach me to be content."
The Apostle Paul learned the secret of contentment and penned these words: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:12-13)
"Lord, teach me to be content!"
Amen and Amen,
Donna