Calm

Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in the Christian life. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?

 After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.
Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 3:1-11

My daughters, I pray that you will read these verses again and again each and every time you are confused and searching for Truth. You will hear and read so many conflicting things. It's all a distraction. You are a Christian who has a Bible and the ability to pray. Know yourself. Know when you are seeking Truth or when you are seeking to justify rebellion.  

In your Mother's Day card to me today you wrote about how I have been packing our belongings to move once again. You stated: "If you were any other mom, you would be freaking out and stressed, but you're not. You're calm." 

It is my heart's desire for you to know, for yourself, the calm that I have today. I'm so encouraged that you recognize it. While I can do many things in showing you the blessings of being calm, I can not give calmness to you. It is something you will gain by a steadfast reliance on Truth and obedience to God, you will receive it as a blessing for having turned away from rebellion and abiding in God's very simple guidance for you as a wife and mother. 

Pay no attention to those who will label you as followers of this or of that. Their nitpicks and judgements are the works of idle hands and covetous hearts. I continue to learn new terms for how the world tries to define a life like mine. Rest assured, I belong to no group, no movement, or persuasion. I am a Christian. I pray, I read the Bible, I repent of my sins, and I take the very personal instruction God gave to wives very seriously. I am not confused by that instruction, it is written quite clearly. I've said before, perhaps I am just stupid enough to believe the Words that are written on the pages of my Bible. However, with that stupidity comes the calm. And know this, it is that calm that women covet. 

I've learned a new derogatory term for how I live my life: patriocentricity (father/husband worship). It is spoken of by women who have exceptions for how they submit to their husbands. In this case, in order to not be patriocentric, a wife's husband must be in submission to a greater authority (of course this is overseen and judged by who else - the wife!). That is beyond my pay grade, so to speak. Your father is quite capable of reading the Bible. You'll find in reading the Bible that it is prudent to seek wisdom. In seeking wisdom, you will listen to the words of others. You will check those words with the Bible and if they are biblically sound, you will accept them as learning. I am confident your father does this. But it has nothing to do with my submission to him. Also, do not be confused, I do not worship your father. I obey God. Jesus told us in John 14:15 "If you love me, keep my commandments." It is very simple. I love Jesus. And I, as a wife, have very specific commands from God:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. - Ephesians 5:22-24

How awesome is it that God provided for us, as wives, a special message? He considered us, He loves us, and because of that, He told us how we can obey Him. He didn't make it confusing or hard to follow. In fact, to avoid confusion a very important word was used: everything. 

Now, you will know when you have fully embraced this command. You will know when you have stopped rebelling against that very important word. You will know when you have an unshakable resolve to obey God despite any and all of the words you get labeled by those who are still in rebellion.

You will be calm.

When you become a wife, it will be to your husband that you submit. Because darlings, if you'll notice, the words do not say "...in everything that is like your father." No, it says "in everything." Your husband will likely be very close with your father, but they will not always be in agreement. As you seek advice from me, you will never hear me say anything other than, "obey God by submitting to your husband in everything." I will not say anything other than this because I know something that is so very important - the way for you to become calm.