This weekend I had the joy of hosting my nephew and niece for an overnight filled with shopping, games, movies, treats and laughter. I love being an aunt for a variety of reasons but one of the best is that I can influence these young people for Jesus Christ. Being their aunt, I have minimal responsibility for the day to day disciplines that come with parenting, which gives me a different position in their eyes....and perhaps an advantage in getting them to listen to me. The Lord blessed me with such an opportunity this weekend...
As we were preparing to leave for church on Sunday morning, the ever observant thinker, Logan, made a comment that confused me at first. He said, "Aunt Carla, you sure have a lot of God sentences around your house." When I asked him what he meant by that, he pointed to several plaques and stitchings that adorn various nooks and crannies around my home. I chuckled at the reference to 'God sentences', but then ran through the open door laid before me and explained to both he and Rileigh that it is because I love God so much and He is so important in my life that I like to be reminded of what He promises to do in my life when I choose to follow Him. One little conversation that is tucked away in their memories of the One that their Aunt Carla trusts. Hopefully, one of many in the future. Prayerfully, my actions will back those words.
As I think back over my childhood, it was often those 'caught' rather than 'taught' moments that had the greatest impact. Like the time when my Dad demonstrated grace and mercy towards me while I was in a fit of anger, which pictures exactly what Jesus did for me on the cross. Then there was a plaque my Mom had with the words from I Peter 5:7 scribed on it that my sister would carry around with her during times she was afraid. The best was the plaque that hung in our living room that told of a man that asked Jesus, "How much do you love me?" and Jesus replied, "This much" and He stretched out His arms and died. A friend once asked me what that meant and I was able to share the Gospel with him...all because of God sentences.
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
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