Listening and Responding to God II

Last night was no ordinary Monday night. Brother G was in the big city for his last time until January. The younger boys and I cooked dinner together. As Austin came into the kitchen, there was this whisper that came in to my soul, heart, mind... and yes, of course, ear...

"Talk to the boys now about alcohol from your experiences. They need to hear about this now, not later." - so I did...

Interestingly enough? The younger boys (Travis - 13, Parker - 9) took what I had to tell them far better than what Austin did Sunday night. My halo wasn't as nearly tarnished. In fact, it opened the door for a really great talk with our three sons.. Due to Austin working at the little store in the highly secure gated community, he has had training through the TACB (Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission). He was able to provide his brothers with actual amounts of alcohol per body weight that it takes to be considered drunk. They really listened to him instead of dissing his knowledge on the subject.

After dinner, it was time to take Austin to the physical church building.. He is the lighting guy for Two From Galilee.... We talked along the drive. He told me how proud he was of me for talking to his two younger brothers about the subject. What else was said will stay between us. Let's just say..... God used him to minister to his sister in Christ..... Yes, his mother... But even more importantly, his sister in Christ...

Travis and I spent time talking alone when I got back. He said that he really needed to hear what I had to say because of different individuals involved in his life. We talked about kids he is concerned about given their behavior and especially what they talk about on a daily basis at school. His heart is so big. I also talked with Travis about the fact that I had had sex as a teen. Interestingly enough? The kid showed his mom such amazing grace. He even said that it definitely helped him to know that he really could talk to me about such things not just as a mom but as a sister in Christ. That I'm not some prude who doesn't have a clue what she is talking about first hand.

Parker said that it helped to talk about alcohol because several members of our extended families do drink. And since they do drink when we're around them, it helped explain some of the behavior he was seeing that he did not recognize as being really them...... Wow. He hugged me and thanked me for sharing about my past. Wow again.... We also talked about the fact that just because individuals in our lives drink does not mean that we love them any less or because they have a different stance on drinking than we do.

When Brother G finally made it home.... he shared with me about talking with one of his confidantes. Wise counsel was given about one of the knocks and we're definitely taking it to heart. I, as a pastor's wife, appreciate this confidante more than I could ever tell him. His encouragement to my husband has been immeasurable. He is no doubt one of the voices that God uses to speak into our lives.

I share all this with you dear reader as a part of listening and responding to God... At times it is like peeling back layers of an onion... Oh my.... how it can taste so good when mixed with His love, mercy, and grace.......

How is He stirring up things in your kitchen of life?