I'm up the earliest, so I guess I always get to go first with these each week- although I'm always worried that the things I say aren't going to be as deep or profound as what everyone else says. Here goes...
At first when I saw this verse I thought it was kind of harsh- what parent would treat their child that way? Is the Lord saying we are all evil?
Then I read and re-read the question. I think the Lord is trying to teach us about the role of being a parent. We love our kids and would do anything for them. We don't want to deny them of anything (within in reason) because we want what's best for them.
The Lord feels the same way about us- sometimes the only thing we have to do is ask Him for what we desire and need, and that is all He has been waiting for so that He could give it to us.
I know I am guilty of not praying as often as I should, or praying and thanking but forgetting to ask for what I truly need and desire. Sometimes it's scary to ask- because we don't know what the Lord has in store or how it will turn out- but that's a whole other lesson for another day.
Then I applied the question to the parenting I've done with my girls. Have there been times that I have given them stones and serpents by my example, the way I've treated them, or things I've said? Sadly- I think there is. I often wonder if I have done the right things, handled things the right way. Have I taught them to go to the Lord in prayer and build a relationship with him through their own experiences with the spirit and the scriptures? I feel that I have denied them things when I have not lived up to my responsibility as their parent. Too bad I can't go back and do things over!
Last evening Emm gave me a little tutorial on this scripture; things she had learned from some seminary instruction she received. It helped me understand the importance of giving bread. Now I think my ponderings have more meaning also.
We have a loving Heavenly Father. He has a ton of blessings he is just waiting and anxious to give to us. Many times all we have to do is ask. Other times He just expects simple obedience to a commandment. I've always had enough "bread" and even enough to share. I can't ever remember God giving me a "stone."
Jen raises a good point though....how am I doing as a parent? Unfortunately, I think some of you may be able to say "Dad, do you remember the day you gave me a "stone?" Yup, I need to repent. This was a great scripture to get me thinking a bit deeper about my relationship with Heavenly Father and my relationship with you, my children. DAD
I have to tell you this was a thought provoking scripture for me. I think I had to evaluate myself and I didn't like some of thing things I felt. I do think as a parent we need to give our children stones that become bread. We have to tell them no when they want to do certain things because as they learn not to do those things it will help them in the future. When I was prompted to want to adopt a child I remember how I really thought about how that would affect our family. When we had John and Andrew as foster children we learned to love them and we saw how much love could make a difference in their lives. We all had to change and grow to accept them. They were bread to me. When we had to give Andrew back that was a big stone to me. Yet as I look back I am not sure our family could have gone through what we went though with John twice. Heavenly Father knew what we could handle. I remember when we had done all we could do for John and we had to put him in some residential treatment. I know that was a stone for him. It was a stone for Dad and I. We knew we had done all we could for him. We prayed that people would come into his life that could teach him better than we could. I am not sure if that ever turned into bread for either of us. It was a very hard time. I also remember when you would come to Dad and ask for a loan to get something you wanted. Dad would say, "Go check the prime interest rate in the paper and lets figure if you are willing to pay more to get what you want now." It was a good lesson for you that helped you in the future. Some people have come up to me and asked me about my leg. I tell them all the miracles that happened during that time. They can't believe I was grateful for a broken leg. I wasn't grateful for the broken leg, but I was grateful for all the miracles that happened so that I could get through this ordeal. It made me recognize again that Heavenly Father is mindful of me and my problems. He didn't cause my leg to break, but he did answer my prayers in miraculous ways. I guess this week as I have contemplated this scripture, it has helped me to look back at the things in my life and realize that God does give us good gifts, but we may not realize that.
As I was reading this scripture this morning this scripture has a lot of profound words in it and I know that the bread that they are talking about in this scripture is the words of our Savior Jesus Christ and the stone is the scriptures and how we need to read the scriptures every day too ! Those are my thoughts of this scripture this week. Have a great Sunday today ! Love Mariah
Wow! I loved reading all the comments from this post. It was interesting to hear your thoughts and reactions after I picked this scripture. I love this scripture for how much it teaches me about life. "you cannot see with your natural eyes"...but then one day we see the bread and realize how we have been healed or changed by the experience.
Many of times I felt like being deaf was a stone, but it has been the gateway to opening opportunities I could have never imagined. I'm sure mom thought this "little devil child" was a stone. :) I think things turned out alright.
Sometimes motherhood feels like a stone. I feel like an aweful mom for saying that, but there are those moments I just want to cast the stone into the pond and say figure it out yourself. But it is in those times I find myself pleading even more to the Lord to help me see the bread.
Gary loves to make bread. Especially the kind that takes 2-3 days to make. The reason, the flavor is so amazingly different. Just gotta remember that he only gives bread but sometimes the process is what takes the time. Or sometimes it's stale bread...and it's time to make some stuffing.
I'm up the earliest, so I guess I always get to go first with these each week- although I'm always worried that the things I say aren't going to be as deep or profound as what everyone else says. Here goes...
ReplyDeleteAt first when I saw this verse I thought it was kind of harsh- what parent would treat their child that way? Is the Lord saying we are all evil?
Then I read and re-read the question. I think the Lord is trying to teach us about the role of being a parent. We love our kids and would do anything for them. We don't want to deny them of anything (within in reason) because we want what's best for them.
The Lord feels the same way about us- sometimes the only thing we have to do is ask Him for what we desire and need, and that is all He has been waiting for so that He could give it to us.
I know I am guilty of not praying as often as I should, or praying and thanking but forgetting to ask for what I truly need and desire. Sometimes it's scary to ask- because we don't know what the Lord has in store or how it will turn out- but that's a whole other lesson for another day.
Then I applied the question to the parenting I've done with my girls. Have there been times that I have given them stones and serpents by my example, the way I've treated them, or things I've said? Sadly- I think there is. I often wonder if I have done the right things, handled things the right way. Have I taught them to go to the Lord in prayer and build a relationship with him through their own experiences with the spirit and the scriptures? I feel that I have denied them things when I have not lived up to my responsibility as their parent. Too bad I can't go back and do things over!
Last evening Emm gave me a little tutorial on this scripture; things she had learned from some seminary instruction she received. It helped me understand the importance of giving bread. Now I think my ponderings have more meaning also.
ReplyDeleteWe have a loving Heavenly Father. He has a ton of blessings he is just waiting and anxious to give to us. Many times all we have to do is ask. Other times He just expects simple obedience to a commandment. I've always had enough "bread" and even enough to share. I can't ever remember God giving me a "stone."
Jen raises a good point though....how am I doing as a parent? Unfortunately, I think some of you may be able to say "Dad, do you remember the day you gave me a "stone?" Yup, I need to repent. This was a great scripture to get me thinking a bit deeper about my relationship with Heavenly Father and my relationship with you, my children.
DAD
I have to tell you this was a thought provoking scripture for me. I think I had to evaluate myself and I didn't like some of thing things I felt. I do think as a parent we need to give our children stones that become bread. We have to tell them no when they want to do certain things because as they learn not to do those things it will help them in the future.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was prompted to want to adopt a child I remember how I really thought about how that would affect our family. When we had John and Andrew as foster children we learned to love them and we saw how much love could make a difference in their lives. We all had to change and grow to accept them. They were bread to me. When we had to give Andrew back that was a big stone to me. Yet as I look back I am not sure our family could have gone through what we went though with John twice. Heavenly Father knew what we could handle.
I remember when we had done all we could do for John and we had to put him in some residential treatment. I know that was a stone for him. It was a stone for Dad and I. We knew we had done all we could for him. We prayed that people would come into his life that could teach him better than we could. I am not sure if that ever turned into bread for either of us. It was a very hard time.
I also remember when you would come to Dad and ask for a loan to get something you wanted. Dad would say, "Go check the prime interest rate in the paper and lets figure if you are willing to pay more to get what you want now." It was a good lesson for you that helped you in the future.
Some people have come up to me and asked me about my leg. I tell them all the miracles that happened during that time. They can't believe I was grateful for a broken leg. I wasn't grateful for the broken leg, but I was grateful for all the miracles that happened so that I could get through this ordeal. It made me recognize again that Heavenly Father is mindful of me and my problems. He didn't cause my leg to break, but he did answer my prayers in miraculous ways.
I guess this week as I have contemplated this scripture, it has helped me to look back at the things in my life and realize that God does give us good gifts, but we may not realize that.
As I was reading this scripture this morning this scripture has a lot of profound words in it and I know that the bread that they are talking about in this scripture is the words of our Savior Jesus Christ and the stone is the scriptures and how we need to read the scriptures every day too ! Those are my thoughts of this scripture this week. Have a great Sunday today !
DeleteLove Mariah
Wow! I loved reading all the comments from this post. It was interesting to hear your thoughts and reactions after I picked this scripture. I love this scripture for how much it teaches me about life. "you cannot see with your natural eyes"...but then one day we see the bread and realize how we have been healed or changed by the experience.
ReplyDeleteMany of times I felt like being deaf was a stone, but it has been the gateway to opening opportunities I could have never imagined. I'm sure mom thought this "little devil child" was a stone. :) I think things turned out alright.
Sometimes motherhood feels like a stone. I feel like an aweful mom for saying that, but there are those moments I just want to cast the stone into the pond and say figure it out yourself. But it is in those times I find myself pleading even more to the Lord to help me see the bread.
Gary loves to make bread. Especially the kind that takes 2-3 days to make. The reason, the flavor is so amazingly different. Just gotta remember that he only gives bread but sometimes the process is what takes the time. Or sometimes it's stale bread...and it's time to make some stuffing.