Sunday Writing... 5-10-20... "CRAVINGS"

Good morning!

In today's writing, "CRAVINGS" we read about things we strongly desire, and whether they are good for us or not.  May you be blessed by reading it and share it with others.  As most of us are still under stay at home orders, we may not be able to gather with family today for Mother's Day.  Hopefully we will still be able to connect in creative ways with those who are important to us.

Blessings,
Jan

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Today's Devotional:

"CRAVINGS"

by
Jan Andersen

To have a craving for something means to feel a powerful desire for it.  We’ve probably all had a craving or two at some time, especially recently during these “shelter in place” pandemic restrictions.  Cravings seem to get stronger when something isn’t available or isn’t allowed.  Sometimes a craving appears to be triggered by hormones, like when a pregnant woman craves certain foods or even odd food combinations - or worse yet, non-food items like one woman who reported a craving to eat sand!  We often crave what is not good for us.

While mothers-to-be may have weird cravings, their newborn babies typically crave what is good for them and what comforts them.  When they are hungry, they desire a long drink of nurturing milk.  If they get a bubble in their stomach, they want to be burped to relieve their belly discomfort.  When their diapers are wet and dirty, they cry out to be changed.  If they become scared or hurt, they yearn to be held and rocked, and so forth.  They crave what is ultimately good for them.

As we grow up we tend to rebel against our mothers.  We may want to get out from under our parents’ control.  Our craving becomes more for worldly things that aren’t necessarily good for us.  We grow from being totally dependent upon our mothers as infants, to pushing them away.  Sometimes mothers aren’t good nurturers and, even worse, others are abusive.  In those cases craving separation from them may be a matter of survival.  Those are examples of things that happen in this broken world in which we live.

When it comes to spiritual growth, we ought to crave digging into God’s word and applying it to our lives.  But as humans we often fail at doing this consistently and well.  Thankfully our loving God is merciful and forgiving.  He will take us back even when we fall away totally and reject Him, but later come seeking Him again by the power of his Spirit.  Once we taste that sweet and pure spiritual milk that He provides, we start to crave it more and mature in our faith.  Now that is a craving that is good for us!

1 Peter 2:2–3   Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 

Dear heavenly Father, on this Mother’s Day we come to you as our ultimate provider and comforter.  We thank you for those women in our lives who are or were our true loving nurturers, whether that be our biological mother, a foster or adoptive mother, or a mothering aunt, friend, or other mother figure.  Help us to have a craving to learn from You the best ways to mother others with nurturing love and spiritual guidance.  Forgive us where we fail, and help us up again when we fall.  In Jesus’ name,  Amen.         

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Song:

A MOTHER'S PRAYER

Keith & Kristyn Getty

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Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries.

Blog Writers

 Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek,   

 Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,  Cathy Friberg, 

Jan Andersen and  Corinne Mustafa

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Terri Baker

Lynda Kinnard, Beverley Napier, 

 Amie Spruiell, Linda Garrett, and Lisabeth Lipp