Finding Joy in Everyday MOMents

WELL, TODAY IS BACKWARDS NIGHT!!! 

Well, at least it was at my childrens' AWANA night at our church.

Everyone dressed with backwards shirts, caps on backwards and even pants on backwards!

I looked up what Backwards means

Backward or back·wards means

1. To or toward the back or rear.

2. With the back leading.

Or

3. Done in a manner opposite than a previous way

That’s the one we are going to focus on:

3. Done in a manner opposite than a previous way

Does anyone know what this is?

ZYXWVUT

SRQPONM

LKJIHG

FEDCBA

Looks pretty weird, huh?

But if we sing it backwards, you could all sing it with me.

Let’s try it now.

ABCDEFGHILJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

You knew that was coming, huh?

Nice job!

It is hard to do a lot of things backwards:

Walking backwards is tough,

Running backwards is even tougher.

Reading backwards is really tough unless it is a word like:

MOM.  

Or

WOW.

Or 

RACECAR.

But you know what, friends?

God asks us to live backwards.

He does!

In the Bible, it says:

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

Basically He is saying live in the world, but not of the world.

To be transformed is to live backwards by the world’s standards.

TO the world, it seems backwards for a Christian to get up on Sundays for church!

TO the World, it seems backwards to spend time praying and reading the Bible instead of watching TV.

TO the world, it seems backwards to go on mission trips and maybe live without running water or never seeing your family on holidays…just to tell others about God. 

TO the world, it seems backwards to give your money away to Jesus.  Like we do for our offering.  

TO the world, it seems backwards when people are kind to other people who some people think are unlovable. 

When I was in first grade…I had a friend... Maria Pitssario.   Some of the kids would make fun of her, calling her The Pitts.  Now, I did not make fun of her, but I did not stick up for her.  I was not backwards like I should have been.  I still think about that.  I know I am forgiven for that, but sin has consequence and that one has remained in my mind for a long time.  I should have been backwards for Maria and Jesus!

Check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VtiHkkbq18

DO you see how it all looked wrong and backwards until he turned it upside down and we could see Jesus?

That’s what will happen if we live backwards for Jesus.  We will see Jesus more and more in our lives!

When we are kind, people will see Jesus in us and we will be living backwards for Him.

I would encourage you to think of ways you can be backwards or act more like Jesus today:

Backwards and being patient with your little ones when you are tired.

Backwards in snuggling 5 more minutes even though you have laundry to do.

Backwards in playing a card game with you child instead of checking email.

Backwards in letting her bed look like that because she made it herself.

Backwards in giving up the extra flat screen and sponsoring a child overseas.

Being backwards and saying, "I am sorry" first.

How else can you be backwards today?

Thanks for your time...

And Hello!  It’s backwards night…get it…Hello?  :)

May you be a backwards mom for your kids today!

Blessings,