My Lesson? No one ever cared for me like Jesus.

My adult daughter often says “momma, not everything has to be a teaching moment.” I know she means this with love but it’s true: Everything coming out of my mouth does not always have to be a lesson. I NEED to learn to lighten up!

But here’s the thing: For me, everything IS a lesson.

Sometimes the lessons are practical. Like telling someone not to complain about the police car hiding on the freeway because, to me, it’s simple: Don’t be mad at the police. If you don’t want a ticket, don’t speed.

More often than not though the lessons are spiritual. Once a woman in one of the Bible studies I taught said “Julie, you are the only one I know who can make discipline sound fun.” And it’s true, kind of. While none of us like discipline’s pain, I can’t help but trust and apply Hebrews 12:5b-6 (warning, teaching moment): "...[don't forget] the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don't ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. 6 For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes (trains) each one he accepts as his child” (NLT). To me, if I’m in a period of spiritual discipline, it proves to me I’m God’s child, a child he loves enough to not let sin linger in my life but instead he chooses to train me - sometimes with a “time out,” sometimes with a spankin’ - …trains me to repent of the sin and run to his ever-gracious arms for forgiveness and a course correction.

But I digress (as usual!). Back to my daughter’s comment.

Although yes, I need to learn to know when to lighten up, still, right at the surface as well as in the deepest recesses of my heart, my joy is found in Jesus alone. HE’S the only thing I want to talk about. HE’S the foundation of every “teaching moment"; HE’S the source of every lesson. I can’t help it!

So, for my children (and anyone else who will listen, haha), all I want is that the words of the song in the link below to be true of me:

Let my children tell their children, Let this be their memory [of me], that all my treasure was in heaven and YOU were everything to me

Yes, with all my heart, when I’m gone, my prayer is that my children will first want my Bible. My prayer is that they’ll run to find my notecards and they’ll divvy up the stacks of spiral notebooks, notebooks journaling my life’s journey with the Lord (crying now). True, I have quilts I hope they save and memories I hope they’ll cherish - like “if one teaspoon of Benadryl is good, two’s probably better…I’m sure it’ll be fine” - still, if they REALLY want me, they’ll want my Bible…and I say this with no arrogance, just pure love, for them AND for the Lord.

PS: Enjoy the song below and, by the way kids, the spiral notebooks are in the wooden cabinet in the family room…(wink)

"No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus" by Steffany Gretzinger