In today’s post I want to share with you a conversation about parents to which I was privy. Keeping the recipient and circumstances anonymous, I have permission to share the content of this exchange. In it, Martha shares a secret about God, His choice of parents, and an attitude of heart that will lead to our successfully reaping all the fruit intended for us in the gift of our parents.
I was awestruck by the revelation and felt it fit perfectly with the path Jennifer is leading us on in this blog. I hope you are able to glean as much as I did; I don’t think I will look at my parents the same way ever again. Martha stated the following:
“You ask the wrong questions. Your questions are: ‘How do I forgive my parents, how do I survive them, how do I endure them, how do I get healed from them?’ These are the wrong questions. And because you don’t have the right question, you never have an answer. The question is, ‘What is the meaning?’ What is the meaning of my parents to me? And what is the meaning of me to my parents? What is God’s meaning in this? That is what you’re not curious about. Your parents are not the fascination; the fascination is God.
What was God enacting? What was God doing in selecting our parents for us? What was God developing? What was God’s purpose? The fascination is God Himself. It’s really not even about your parents; it’s about God. And when your heart is there, then you can go, you can fly, you can find and you will see!
You said it yourself; it’s all about knowing God. It’s knowing Him in our daily activities, but it’s also knowing Him in your parents. It’s about knowing Him. That is the mystery. That is the fascination. That is the surprise! When you find God’s meaning, then you can forgive your parents, accept them, let them be, let it be all that it is and then you will cherish them.
Ask Him, ‘Why God?’ Not in petulance, but ‘why’ for meaning and purpose. What is its meaning to me? Your discontent with your parents is not the issue; the issue is, who is Christ? What is God doing? What on earth is God doing? This is what you need: the meaning. And your parents will be the vessel of the meaning, and so you will cherish them because they are God’s vessel of the meaning.”
I sat as a third person but this spoke directly to me. I haven’t asked the meaning. I haven’t inquired of God with deep humility, “What are You after in this?” He purposed and placed together a link that holds deep treasure. I am rich beyond comprehension but have failed to ask the Key to open the chest. Foolishness, walking about like a pauper with a treasure chest full at my disposal. So ask with me today if you too are walking about empty-handed, while a treasure chest sits before you, full and untouched. “What, oh Lord, is Your meaning in the parents You chose for me?”
John this is a great statement ” I am rich beyond comprehension but have failed to ask the Key to open the chest.” I hit the random button and this post popped up so I dont know if you found the key or not 🙂 If there is a follow up post can you shoot me a link to it?
“I am rich beyond comprehension but have failed to ask the Key to open the chest.” Did I find the key or not? Ah, good question! Yes, Aaron, I know the Key. The Key is the person of Christ. And the wall of my treasure chest is His sovereignty. There’s a mystery which swirls about our life’s circumstance and it’s only solved through yielding to His Lordship and the embracing of His sovereignty. So the opening of the treasure chest of our life is to have Jesus Himself reveal the purpose for His choices. This can’t be achieved through petulant… Read more »
At that time Jesus prayed this prayer: “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike.” Matthew 11:25
Praise Him – He is a God who wants to reveal!
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It has been helpful to me since the Lord taught me to ask the Spirit “what question do I need to ask?” I learned this from a few times where the Holy Spirit gave me a question that just came out of my mouth and then He gave me the answer. It is a part of tearing down our false image of God and our improper understanding of the ways of His Kingdom in coming to the reality that we simply do not know what we think we know. I get excited when God gives me a question. This is… Read more »
Tina, what an exciting concept you have shared! I have long ago learned to ask questions of the Lord as I was meditating on Scriputure, but never thought to ask Him what the questions should be. I am humbled and repentant by my prideful attitude. Thank you for sharing what the Spirit revealed to you.
Thank you!
thank you
Oh my John, you have struck me again. I never ask the right questions nor give the right answers. May I join you and Jennifer on this path!!!!!!