Water Your Worth

Growing up, I was always in between two households that not only didn’t like each other but made it very obvious to me regularly. Times of celebrations and family gatherings were always rotated and there was absolutely nothing consistent in the ways of coming together or even the people that were. I longed for traditions and even as I was in different friendships and a mini marriage I tried to make things something that would be a regular thing to look forward to… nothing and no one stuck.

It would be easy to say that it is all me, and I guess in some ways it is as it is only my life experiences but, I also know that there is something far greater and necessary. Nothing is by chance and all is used when God is working through and I know that there is no way that I am able to be who I am or meant to be without being anchored properly. (Ephesians 4:14 comes to mind). While I know that family and especially mothers are necessary forms of foundation, nothing compares to having the very real foundation and Truth that God knows you, knew you, formed you and is for you.

Through the Bible we can see that while He doesn’t want rituals and sacrifices it is something that He uses to break people out of their own ways and redirect them to Him and even though Jesus established the new covenant and is our High Priest, our Father still wants and deserves all the glory through it all and wants us to be His in His intentions.

I have found that the more I choose to connect in and with the Word the more I become a God fearing woman and a woman after His heart. I find greater value in the traditional Biblical roles and strive to be that for Him, I also find great value in times that He has asked that we honor and set aside for Him. While some might say that the Old Testament is irrelevant now, I see that there is still great importance in it as there is no way to know how to truly appreciate what Jesus has done without knowing all that He was with and through from the beginning and I believe there is a deeper reverence to our Father when we are with Him through the trials and highly intense requests. So, I yet again choose to be a little different from the world in how I make traditions for my little family. I know God has purpose in and through all things and I have seen first hand how deliberate He is in so many things. I believe He still very much wants us to be deliberate with Him as well.

So what does that mean exactly? Well, Sabbath is still supposed to be a Sacred time to acknowledge Him and the very real Truth that He made life in six days and rested on the seventh saying that it all was very good. He asks us to tithe into the church in some way, whether into people or organizations, all we have is allowed by Him and it is our responsibility to show that we are good stewards and that He can trust us and increase that trust in Him and He in us. He also made a rather small request that out of the year He be celebrated three times – the first being His passover and the Feast of Matzot (unleavened bread), the Feast of Harvest and the Feast of Ingathering – now, I have not yet been led to how to Honor Him for the second of the three but, have found great comfort in being led in what is allowed to do with His passover and the Feast of Matzot. Personally, it feels so good to take the deliberate pause from the world and the flesh in order to look to the One that has saved me from the world, death and myself. I am so grateful and I want to establish a traditional life with Him and for my children and children’s children.

There is nothing easy about being in the world and doing things far different than the “norm” but, from what I have seen and know the real norm has been distorted and needs to be redirected. This can only take place with greater focus and movement in and with the Truth.

Do you have special traditions? Do you know where they came from and what they mean? How do you direct things to be an intentional Christ centered celebrating? He is so so very worthy.