A Peek Inside the Parsonage

The wicker chair on the left of the bed is my Quiet Place. How special this room is to me!

Yesterday’s post about prayer came as a result of what God has been teaching me.  I wish I could say it’s only been a short lesson; it has not.  I have been in the classroom for years learning to pry my hands off of people and circumstances and turn them over to God.

Several years ago in our home, there was an issue that we were doing that I felt displeased the Lord. It really isn’t important what the issue was, but just that I was sure we were guilty before God.  I was convicted about it, and spoke my reasonable request to my husband.  He had a reasonable answer.  I then spoke with emotional reason (I cried!).  He was set on why what he was doing wasn’t disobedience.  I truly thought that my explanations and pleas were all he would need to see the truth.  It was like him looking at a black cat in the dark – he just wasn’t seeing it! 

Finally, after months of trying to convince with my human power, the Lord got through to me to pray for God’s power to move in.  I was ashamed at not leaving this at His feet long before, but I was determined to say no more to man, but to pray before my Father in heaven.  I really can’t even remember exactly how long it took, but it was at least a year of praying when one day my husband came to me and said, “You know, the Lord has spoken to me about something, and I think we need to make a change here…”  I tried not to let my jaw drop and my eyes bug out as I listened to him detail about the very issue for which I had previously nagged him!  He stated that God had convicted Him about the need to change!  Another miracle is that my husband had forgotten that I’d nagged him about it (thank the Lord!).  My response?  I simply said, “Okay.  Let’s do that!”  I didn’t shout, “Well, finally!”  I waited until I got to my Quiet Place and I wept and shouted to the Lord, telling Him how wonderful He is! 

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.  Matthew 6:6

Oh, the blessings that have come from my husband’s step of obedience!  How I admire him for his willingness to obey the Lord.  Another blessing is that because he changed due to God’s conviction and not my nagging, it stuck!  He’s never gone back!  When I nag to get him to change, he changes for a short time, but when God does the work, it lasts! 

I thank the Lord for what He’s taught me about prayer. It’s taken many years, but I’m learning that the best place to see change happen is not in my husband – it is in me when I’m in my Quiet Place.

On another note, I’m excited to tell you that tomorrow will begin a new short series called, “Thrifty Thursday.” These posts will be written by my daughter, Whitney, who has become quite good at being thrifty with time and money. She will share practical tips on how you can be more thrifty, both at home and at the store. You won’t want to miss it!

From my parsonage windows,