Jazz Hands!

     While I was in SD this summer I had a friend comment that Face Book can be so distracting to doing what God has called us to in our own families.  There is the tendency to become a show off Mom.  The more I thought about her words the more the Spirit said to my heart, "that is you."   Oh man!  Dang it!  It totally was me.  I would put pictures on my FB or Instagram of the "amazing" things I was doing as a Mom because I was worshiping the approval of people!  The moment I realized I was a show off Mom, it almost made me sick.  I asked God to forgive me,why do I do this, and were did it come from.  He comforted me with Phil. 2:3-4, "Don't be selfish, don't try to impress other's, be humble. Think of others as better than yourself."  The kids and I had been memorizing this scripture for a few weeks...you know with hand motions and everything.  It was so rad that the truth was already in my heart with some great elementary visuals.  As the kids and I say, "don't try to impress others" we throw our jazz hands in the air.  That's what I had done with my social media outlets.  I was being a "Jazz hands" Mom.  This scripture was encouraging because if its in Scripture not to do it, you can rest assure your not the only one struggling with it.  For me the motive to Jazz or impress came from a fear of not being good enough, this way of thinking was recently challenge by all that I learned about grace, so showing off wasn't doing it for me any more.  The timing of teaching Phil. 2:3-4 to my kids, my friend's comment and the work of the Spirit in it all culminated in to powerful conviction.  There were several other areas in my life that I started noticing myself get out my jazz hands.  (Side note, growing  up in theater you would use jazz hands in dancing. Arms out, fingers out and give them a good shake and you have jazz hands.)  So as I could no longer get away with such a sad little show, I felt God's leading to study humility.  I went on a pushed it to the back of my heart cause lets face it there is nothing more unnatural to our flesh than humility.  Finally a month later God has graciously shown me my need for humility once again.   Humility affects all of your relationships.
     With out humility I don't abide in Christ, without humility I  make my plans but don't bother to ask God to direct my steps.  With out humility I am offended easily, with out humility I think highly of myself and not of others as better than myself.  Humility affects even the most basic of foundations. Salvation comes by receiving. Before humility we might think its a big deal that we received Christ and it is. In Humility we realize its a bigger deal that He received us.
     I recently learned much about GRACE.  Now that I know and have experienced just how liberating grace is I am motivated to begin to understand why and how to put on this garment of humility because "God resist the proud, but give grace to the humble." 1 Peter 5:5
If i want to continue to enjoy the grace that if so freely given I think I'm gong to need to wrap my heart around this concept of humility and put my jazz hands away for good.  I am looking forward to what God will reveal to me though His word and life experience on becoming more like His Son in this area. As I learn I will share.
Ps. not every post about our family life has been tainted with pride, just some :)

Me and my family, we never get a good shot on the first try.