Joy in What Thou Choosest
“The man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.’ And he...proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.” Luke 8:38-39
As a little girl, I imagined my adult self teaching in a private school, and playing organ for church and directing the choir in my spare time. Or perhaps on an ambitious day, I dreamed of becoming a missionary to a foreign land, full of adventure and service. I never once anticipated the “astounding” life of a nap-time writer with six children! Perhaps your story of exciting future dreams, and your reality of a less exciting reality is like mine.
In the reading above, the man healed from demon possession begged to be near Jesus. This seems reasonable, obvious even: His Savior made him well. Now he would serve Him. But Jesus had different plans for this man. Rather than make a disciple out of him, He sent him away to evangelize.
You might be tempted to think home and family keep you from using your gifts to serve the Lord and your community. Most Christians would like to think they are willing, for Christ’s sake, to be destroyed by wild beasts in an arena; and yet, most of the time we find ourselves discontent merely bearing a tiny cross of boredom with an ordinary routine! God doesn’t always place us where we desire or expect, but He does have good plans for each of us. He forgives our sins of longing for something else. He gifts us joy in the evangelism of motherhood, serving His children.
From the height which knows no measure
As a gracious show'r descend,
Bringing down the richest treasure We can wish, or God can send!
Make us flee what Thou refusest, Both from error and from sin.
Make us joy in what Thou choosest,Holy Fountain, wash us clean. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary 20:2)
For Further Reading: Prov. 21:2; Is. 55:8-13; Rom. 8:28-30
This devotion is provided to offer encouragement to all of you mothers out there, from my book, or my upcoming book, for free distribution. Please read, be encouraged, and share the love of Christ! This devotion is from the upcoming Meditations on the Vocation of Motherhood: Volume Two. It is brief, keeping in mind "mom-sized-moments" between all of our callings.
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Mrs. Marie K. MacPherson, vice president of Into Your Hands LLC, lives in Casper, Wyoming, with her husband Ryan and their children, whom she homeschools. She is a certified Classical Lutheran Educator (Consortium for Classical Lutheran Educators), author of Meditations on the Vocation of Motherhood (Old Testament vol., 2018; New Testament vol., 2023), and editor of Mothering Many: Sanity-Saving Strategies from Moms of Four or More (2016).