I'll spare you the details ....

It made me smile.


I woke up early this morning and went to the bathroom.


That's where "I'll spare you the details," comes in...  It used to be the only place where God and I could get a few minutes.


Any young mother will totally understand that last comment.  In those days, when the majority of children were young,  it wasn't a guarantee that the Lord and I would even be alone.  Those days felt like forever.  Those days felt like they would never pass.  Those days there wasn't a moment that they didn't want to be with me.


We had four children, five and under and life was intense.


Even now, when within my heart, I know experiencially the truth, that in parenting seasons come and seasons go, at times what I wouldn't do to hear their four little voices all over again.


But alas as a parent of what I, at times,   feel is two families, and this is how I call them almost all the time, "the older four and the babies," yes.. yes.. I know the "babies" aren't the "babies" any longer.  Except those two, Greg and E, will always be my "babies" and the "older four" will always be the "older four."


So back to the bathroom, even now, I'll be doing what needs to be done and I'll hear a "tap," "tap," "tap,"  upon the bathroom door.  I know who it is... never one of the "older four," or very rarely.  It is usually the youngest.  Elizabeth!  And now that girl is a sentence all her own.  I earnestly believe the world should know all of my children, they are that thoroughly amazing, BUT the world will know Elizabeth if she has anything to do with it.


These last days have been fabulous with her, she is no longer "Elizabeth,"  she is now, "Rock Star!"  Seriously, you can't make this stuff up.  Hourly this child says something you just wish you could hold onto forever.  She is so full of energy and life it is absolutely brilliant to be around her, now mind you, I feel that way about all six of them.  My best days, my most full moments are when they surround me and I get to hear their voices and see their faces.


(Do you hear my thoughts about her?  They are numerous!  They probably could be counted even though they are many... Can you imagine the Lord's thoughts regarding us?  They are even more fabulous then any thought I could have of my six children.)


Last week I got THE BEST present I could have ever gotten for mother's day,  we couldn't really afford it but I knew deep in my heart I wanted to go to this  Bar B Que place for dinner.  I couldn't even place the why of wanting to do such a thing but I did.  Bar B Que isn't even my favorite.  But
once sitting on their patio with all of my family before my eyes, I knew... I knew in the depths that were within me that this moment was beyond precious.


I sat there soaking in the sun and soaking in the life that came forth from my children.  To just behold time when we are altogether, and chatting away and being who we are .. well, snap shots of those moments will live forever within my heart.  There was a peace among the siblings and a joy and component of just pure fun and it was beautiful, to watch them interact with each other and Jim and I, well there was nothing better.


Mims, you digress... oh no friend... Believe me I honestly didn't even know where I was going this morning after my trip to the bathroom.  I had had some great dreams last night and was hoping to actually catch a few more zzzzzs before the day fully hit.


But emerging from the bathroom and that which I thought I was going to write about later on in the day, I came to my bed and got in among the covers, got sooo thoroughly cozy and then right as I was moving the pillow around to get it settled just perfectly, I heard him... "you've got to write this."


The "this" He spoke of was His and my interaction in the bathroom.


But I thought I would jump right in, jump right into the conversation the Lord and I had in the bathroom today.  But as is the case, laptop in front of me, fingers on keys... I enter into this place... This isn't a task for me.. nor is it a place of haphazardly expressing my thoughts and ideas on numerous topics.  This place, with laptop open and fingers ready, has become a sanctuary.  A place where I meet with the divine and He changes me.  I hope the things I write bless and change you but even if nobody read, I would still come daily.. numerous times a day.. because it is a solid place for where He and I meet.  I come as often as I can.  I know nothing really about blogging... I feel if I did know I would be horrified by how many "rules" I break so I would rather not know.


I feel like a savant here...  there is truly not a whole lot I know how to do excellently but this, walking with the Lord and putting fingers to keys, hearing His heart beat for the people He so fully loves and is passionate about... this I can do!


I did not know the trail He would take me on this morning... but I trust Him.  I trust Him to know the best way to enter into a story and now as I read this post, at this point, I get it... I get this, "rabbit trail" per se.  It is never a rabbit trail with Him and with Him I would hope that I would go down every and any rabbit trail He would lead me down.


So again, back to the bathroom....


Sitting there...


(I'm going to share details here because I think it is important for you to know how organic the process is.. how it isn't lightening bolts and thunder and an audible voice all the time.. barely any of the time.. smile with me here...  It isn't a burning bush... it isn't fire falling down... it is a love relationship with a God who desires to constantly meet with His people.. it isn't about huge events of splendor and wonder and awe.. it is about daily learning to know Him.  That He hungers for all the time.)


So this is the flow of how the morning went...


Again.. Sitting there primarily thinking and wondering if I could stay hazy long enough to just crawl back into bed and close my eyes and get back into sleep.  My mind was wandering around the dreams that I had had trying to remember details.  More than any real dream there were aspects of every dream that had just brought peace...

So in one dream I had remembered talking to a very dear friend, and between the conversation and her presence I had been added to .. joy had filled my heart and it was still full upon awakening.


I thought about her...


I thought about her husband...


Thinking about her husband made me smile.. I love that man.. oh please.. in the purest of ways, he has truly blessed my life...  They both have and I smile at the remembrances of them.. makes me think of Paul when he said he thanked God at the remembrances of people.. I thank God daily.. throughout the day.. very often for the people He has brought across our paths.


As I thought of him, I thought of something she had said about their upcoming week and immediately my heart felt heavy.


Immediately I could hear the voice of the Lord expressing me to tell him, tell them...  Tell them and pray.


My heart grew sad because there was a component of understanding human nature and it made me sad.


The bible is very clear about jealousy and envy and that where those two dance so does every evil thing.. and I was sad because I could feel that which my friends could possibly encounter and I was brokenhearted and earnestly began to pray.


As I prayed I called out to God my hunger and my desire to be more like Him...  And how I ached for that reality, where we would be more like Him.

Then it was His turn to interject into the conversation.. and it struck me and made me check myself and made me think, "is this just me."  "Of course this is what I would want to hear at this moment."  See!!!! I teach people NOT to do that.. I teach people to NOT discount those still small voices.  I tell them instead of saying, "is this just me,"  ask three coolest of questions.. ok four...

1)  What am I seeing or hearing or sensing

2)  Is it good or bad.. (talking source here.. is it Heavenly or not)  I can write more about this in another post.

3) Why am I seeing or hearing or sensing this?  What is my role?

4) How do I participate in this moment?


These questions are no longer even thought through tangibly for me, usually it just all flows because I step into the moment... But He spoke something sooooo sweet that it caused me to question..


Hey, folks I am only sharing here because you are worth knowing that even for those of us that step into these places often there are still moments where doubt wants to seep in and if anyone tells you differently they are afraid and they are a liar... run .. run far far away from them while a prophetic word they might give might be accurate and amazing.. their heart needs God more thoroughly and at this point there is a mixture of clanging gong.. OK enough of my own ranting.. back to the story.. (But I tell you these side trails within this blog that are driving me crazy... are not haphazard.. I do not know what I am doing with this post.. but I feel the weight of the moment upon me.. so I have learned step by step is the way I will go)


So where were we.. oh yes.. I was sitting in the bathroom and had just heard Father speak something to me that was so sweet and so kind and so thoroughly like Him, that it caused me to make sure it was Him speaking it....


"You all ready are,"  He spoke in response to my pain.. my hunger .. my desire to be more thoroughly like Him... "You all ready are!"  And I could sense His delight and His great pleasure filled the room.


My own heart faltered in response.. "oh Father how can this be?"


Another picture came floating into my mind and through my heart and a smile formed deep and long across my face. A picture and the remembrances of the sweetest of moments... Elizabeth!  Of course it would be her...  "What does she say all the time?" He asked me... And I could feel His delight in my daughter and His joy in knowing her... His pleasure over her life and the both of us just held the moment into us and life flowed in the most beautiful of ways...


I responded to Him, and as the words flowed so did the joy.. You see .. she always wants to be like me.. she is always asking when will she be big, when will she be like me.. and the fact is if you look at Elizabeth's baby pictures and my baby pictures we are almost spitting images of each other. She is like me.. more than she knows...  She is like me and she will grow up to be more like me and at the same time she WILL thoroughly be her own person.  She will bare my image all her life and she will be bare her own image all of her life.  That is the journey.  I wouldn't ever want her to
curb that which makes her uniquely her and yet while she is being uniquely herself, I am also molding her and equipping her and training her in the ways of which she should go... She is powerful as Elizabeth.. she is powerful when she is being cute and funny and she is powerful when she is being stubborn and having a tantrum. She IS a power house....  I want to curb the one and empower the other..


She wants to be big.. I just want to enjoy these moments.. She wants to be big now.. I know one day all to soon she will be the "big" she wants to be... Now I just want her to enjoy being a little girl, full of awe and wonder and energy.


The Lord knows all the days that are to come.. we want to get there... We want to be "big" now.. He wants us to delight in being the girls and boys, the daughters and sons, His daughters and sons. He wants us to delight in the fact that we are more like Him than we could even ever imagine and yet also know as deeply that for those places where we flow in that which He uniquely placed into each one, those places bring Him the same great delight.  He sees His image reflected within our lives as it uniquely flows forth from who we are... Elizabeth is full of energy and confidence and boldness and passion , Gregory is quieter and gentle and sensitive and sweet.. and I could go on and on about "the older four."  Each one is so beautifully different than the other.. there are similarities and there are striking differences but each child of mine reflects the Driscoll image.. Each child of mine reflecting the image of their father and me and each child of mine reflecting their own unique and wonderful qualities.


In this journey of this morning... In this journey of simply going to the bathroom and hoping to get some more sleep I awoke to the greatest pleasure and delight and truth...


IT'S ALL ABOUT FAMILY... HIS HEART LOVES TO BE WITH US...


All the rabbit trails of this morning.. me following the rabbit down the proverbial hole into Alice's amazing world... shows me this more thoroughly...


His best times are liken unto my time on the patio...  TRULY people get this.. God's best time wasn't and isn't in the places of power and ultimate authority.. HIS BEST places ARE when He is amidst His people... and when His people are together in moments of peace and joy and love and family...


So often it goes wrong and in todays day and age even the word "family" has so very many negative connotations and realities to it... but that is why He so thoroughly desires to step in and RESTORE back to all .. to each and everyone of us.. His vision of relationship.. His passion for you.. for me .. for each of us..


Jesus came so we would know the Father.. religion  gets in the way.. but if you will listen.. if you will pause long enough to hear.. you will hear the song of a Father who is full of passion and affection and compassion and righteousness and strength and joy and delight over you.. His best moments are liken unto the moments I sat on that patio with all my children.. when we sat together and they and I quietly and not so quietly enjoyed the presence of one another.


We need to pause within the crazy, busy, technologically full days and head to the proverbial bathrooms, ignoring even the slightest of "tap" "tap" "tappings" that will always arise... We need to hear Him tell us that we are so very much like Him.. more than we can imagine.. We need to hear how much we resemble Him and we need to feel His delight....