“Not in my City!”

Toddlerdom is hard. Our youngest is two and is currently charging head on into independence, humor, and chaos all at the same time. I don’t think my patience has ever been tested so much in my entire life. With that being said, two is really fun. Emily is starting to really emerge as her own little person complete with her own lists of likes, dislikes, a huge personality…and a strong desire to fight crime.

Paw Patrol has really inspired Em to chase after the values important to her toddler life. Whenever something happens in Emily’s life that she is not okay with she yells out, “NOT IN MY CITY!” and quickly goes after the perp. (Do you have any idea how hard it is to get dishes done when you are getting arrested by someone barely taller than your kneecaps?)

I have learned something big in these past few weeks watching my daughter become the budding crime fighter that she now is. You do not have to let certain things into your city.

What we allow into our hearts and our lives directly reflects what we pour out of it and it is up to us to stand up for what we know is right and true. What we watch, what we listen to, whom we surround ourselves with, all of those voices, images, and events effect us in someway. That is why sitting in the Lord’s presence is so critical, It is vital for us as believers to be so overfilled and to be so overflowing with His Spirit that we are ready to take on whatever this world has for us. We must take every action, every ambition, every seemingly little thought captive and lay it back down at the feet of Jesus.

Psalm 51:10-12 has been my life verse in this season. I read it every morning and every night. I pray it over my life during the day and I meditate on it every chance I get. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Do not banish me from your prescence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me again the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

His presence must be made bigger. We have to walk with him and talk with him so the cloud that is this world does not dim our light. Strengthen yourself in the world, and really delve deep into what every line means.

Renew a right spirit within me. That renewal, that change in perspective comes right from sitting at the Lord’s feet, The renewal that brings dead hopes and dreams back to life all starts with encountering His perfect presence in the still, quiet, places.

I encourage you to really look at your life. Really look at who you are allowing to speak into your life. Where are you striving? Where are you letting man’s voice louder than what the Lord is trying to get through to you? What do you need to pick up? And where does the Lord want you to finally lie down and take a rest? God is inviting us to go deeper with him and all it takes is a simple. “Yes, I will go.”

Please trust the process, friend, because with great trial comes even greater reward.