The Lion and The Gazelle

About five years ago, while at an antique auction, I bid on a "box lot" of old pictures. The hope here is to get a lot of great stuff for a small price!!  In the box, I found a framed African proverb. It seemed to me that God intended the proverb to be a personal message. I came home and hung the framed proverb on the wall above my desk. It states:

Every morning a gazelle gets up knowing it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten.
And every morning a lion gets up knowing it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.
So whether you are a gazelle or a lion, every morning when you get up you'd better be running!

Every day I have more to do than I can possibly get done. It has been this way for twenty-five or more years. Taking care of a family of twenty-two children is something that requires the effort of everyone in our family. Everyone has a job; we all have each other's back, taking care of each other. Some days are better than others. I admit that some days I've slacked off.  This proverb, however, reminds me that God has given me something important to do. In order for me to accomplish the job he has given me, I have to remain focused just as the lion and gazelle are focused. I have to keep my eye on the prize, so that when I go home to Heaven, He will say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

When I was a young mom, birthing and adopting children, I often became overwhelmed with all the tasks I had to do. As I've gotten older, I've learned to prioritize my life better and not worry about getting everything done. I don't have to be Supermom! I just have to get up every morning, listen to what God wants me to do that day, and proceed to do my best.......calmly and with purpose.

I've also learned that I can't control everything that is going to happen to my family or me. When I was a young woman, I innocently thought if I did everything I could to give my children a great life, they would never have any problems......I would be perfect.....my husband would be perfect....my children would be perfect....our family would be perfect.......nothing bad would ever happen to us.......  I know it's a simple notion, but I really thought I could control events just by being a good mom. Oh well,........I learned that bad stuff indeed does happen to good people, not Other people, but Us people, people in My family......and I learned that God is faithful through it all. We are all still here, changed, but somehow better.

God has imparted to me that like the lion or the gazelle, I must get up every morning and do my best with my day.....every day. Things are going to happen that are beyond my control, but He will take care of those things and give me the strength I need when it is needed.