How Nap Time Became a Lesson in Perseverance
My son is the most adorable little chubby turkey (so named by one of his nurses in the NICU) you will ever see! He was born at 23 weeks and 4 days, which is almost 5 months early, a total miracle baby who has exceeded every expectation from day one. From doctors saying he may not make it through the night to the possibility of him needing oxygen for a while after going home, he has proven to be more stubborn and capable than any 1-year old I have ever met.
This stubborn will of his (which he OBVIOUSLY gets from his father, not me!) has helped him overcome many obstacles, but that will has also made nap time rather difficult… This child of mine delights in beating back his heavy eyelids in favor of playtime and roaming around the office so mommy cannot get any work done!
It often takes me having to scoop him up, wrap him in a blanket, grab a fresh bottle and get comfy as I rock, sing and sway him to sleep. This process can take as long as 15 minutes or more if he doesn’t decide to throw in a nice episode of upchucking all over mommy and the surrounding vicinity. However, once all is said and done, and he is snuggled up fast asleep in his crib, I look over him and think about all the frustration and irritation of trying to put him to sleep were well worth it, and how much more we need that kind of grace in the church.
Sometimes we can get so easily irritated with one another by how messed up the other’s doctrine is or how they did not accept “my gift”, “my calling”, or better yet, they did not change how we wanted them to. We want our spouses to come right overnight or our pastors to change a structure to fit our needs, but the truth is if we want to see real change in the church or our family then we need to have the perseverance of Christ that covers a multitude of sins, loves all things, believes all things and hold no record of wrongs.
It was that same perseverance of love that saved you and I, and it is that same love that will save your family or ministry.
James 5:7-11 “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.”
Lay aside the grumblings of your heart, and persevere in love that the Lord may bless you by bringing peace into your life and that He may have the say in all of your problems. By doing this you will find a lot of the problems you have been having in your relationships have merely been those offenses (grumblings) that have taken up so much of your mind and spiritual energy that you have forgotten to enjoy that look of absolute contentment on your son’s face as he finally takes that nap.
I have found it is the struggle to get the peace that makes the nap so much more enjoyable!
DEBORAH-ANNE VELTHUYSEN
PROPHET, PRINCIPAL AMI PROPHETIC SCHOOL
Position: Prophetic School Co-Principal, Trainer, "Mrs. I don't always have the answer but Jesus does!"
Strengths: Faith in everyone with a call, BOLDNESS!
Weakness: Tendency to get the "troubled ones" in her prophetic school
Description: If anyone was going to spearhead a prophetic movement it would be this woman right here! Having done just about everything you can do right and wrong in your prophetic training, Deborah uses this experience and hard-earned anointing to raise up prophets to the prophetic office. There is always hope for anyone who starts their prophetic training! She will bite like a bulldog and hold on tightly until the Lord Himself tells her to let go!
Working alongside her husband they stand as equals raising a generation of prophets who are going to build the kingdom of God, tear down the works of the enemy, and bring the bride of Christ into a face-to-face relationship with Jesus. Look out devil because these prophets are coming for you and they will not be stopped!
