This is my first "blog attempt".....my daughter, Blair who's close to being 24, said to me recently, "Mom, you need to start blogging." Hmmmm. For some reason, this 2nd child of mine seems to have a power over me that's almost mystical. Must be a "middle child" thing! Blair, if you're reading this, then realize that there's finally some perks to being the middle c! You have power over me, the Mama!
She's serving overseas telling others about Jesus alongside her husband of 2 1/2 years. And ever since she left 5 loooong months ago, it's like whatever she says I need to do I really consider and somehow end up doing it! I don't know if it's the Mama in me wanting to do something for her because she's done something radical with her life or what.....
For example, she told me I needed to let my hair grow out.....no big deal, right? It would be except for the fact that I've kept my hair short-short (no other person on the face of the planet could wear their hair this short because they'd look bald; however, I have been blessed with 5 times the average person! It's sooo thick, every hair dresser who's ever cut my hair says I have the whitest scalp they've ever seen all because the sun can't get to it!). So Blair said grow my hair out; therefore, last December just before Christmas, I got my last short-short haircut and have been going through the painstaking process of letting it grow out. What an ordeal! Oh, I'm liking it now, but not so much through the process.
Another example is that she told me a few days before she & James left that I needed to start the business I've always wanted to do, and by the time she came back for her sister, Haley's wedding (which just happened on Oct. 4th btw), I'd better have done it. And guess what? Yep, I did what she said and have taken a meager stab at starting a new business with my best friend, Tori. It's been "on hold" temporarily, but we plan to get back on board soon.
Starting a blog is the most current example, and it's pretty obvious that I've complied with her suggestion once again! Which has gotten me to pondering something about the Lord... but first, why the name "yada-mama"?
The reason is 2 fold:
I, by no means, have a corner on the word "yada", but I do consider it "mine" for alot of reasons. I've lost count on how many years ago that God did a new work in my heart that centered around the concept of "yada". But as my hubbie likes to say, here's the "reader's digest" version-
One of my favorite scriptures in the old testament of the Bible is Proverbs 3:5-6 that says,
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."
As I was reading and studying those verses one day, it occured to me to look up the word "acknowledge" in my Strong's concordance because I couldn't seem to wrap my brain around what it really meant to acknowledge Him in all my ways. What I learned then is what has been affecting me ever since. In the Hebrew language, the word for "acknowledge" as well as "know" is "yada", and it means to know INTIMATELY. When I took the definition and plugged it back into the verse, it was as if God had struck a match in my heart! Probably more on that subject later, but suffice it to say that I've been on a "yada" quest ever since. I have a piece of pottery that I painted up in my prayer room that says "Yada Him"; the license tag on my car says, "Yada"; and all you conservative folks out there, hold on, I even have a tattoo on my right ankle that says, "Yada".....probably a mid-life thing, but I tend to lean toward the fact that it's a "God-thing" and makes for great conversation starters with all kinds of people!
The "mama" part of the blog name is simply because "mama" is who I am and what I've been for almost my entire married life. Trent, my oldest, just turned 25. I've been married 27 years. Being "mama" is what I've known and done the longest of anything since being an adult besides being a wife. And now in my 50th year (no I'm not 50 yet, but Neal reminds me frequently that I am living in my 50th year!), all 3 of my babies are grown & married and I'm scratching my head and saying, "Now, what?" It's so raw and fresh because my baby, Haley, who just turned 22 got married 2 weekends ago, and 8 months of intense but glorious wedding planning is now over! What's a mama to do with herself? I guess time will tell.......
Back to what I've been pondering over about the Lord.....what if I started considering the Lord's "suggestions" like I've been considering my Blair's? Hmmmmm and ouch. She says, "Mom, I think....." and I'm on it. But what about when the Spirit prompts? Wish I could say yes, but I don't think I can......next thought......how come? What drives me to "do" for Blair?....that's easy. My love for her! Man, I love that girl soooo much as well as her hubbie, James as well as Trent (and Ali, my "new" daughter!) and Haley (and Lee, my "new" son!). Tori laughs at me all the time because I'm so ridiculous about how much I do for my kids. I'll do just about anything for them because God has placed an "I love you like crazy" kind of love in my heart for them!
Well, that brings me full circle to "yada"all over again. When I KNOW the Lord, really YADA KNOW Him, like He wants & deserves to be known by me, then I can't help but be crazy in love with Him and therein lies the secret to wanting to "do" for him, just like I've done for Blair.
There's another great old testament verse that says, "I delight to do your will O my God; your law (word) is my heart." The Spirit has been bringing that to my mind alot lately, and I think it's because He's wanting to remind me that doing for Him can and should be my delight, and the path to that delight is through His word which is where He taught me all about yada-ing Him in the first place.
Seeking afresh to Yada Him!
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4 comments:
I am left only to say, perhaps I am becoming wise in my ripe old age of 23...love you mom!
Wise daughter you have there Yada-Mama.
Sherri, I am learning so much from the Beth Moore study I am doing right now that leaves me humbled and joyful to know that from the beginning we were his prize creation and his desire was to Yada us, to know us intimately, to meet and walk with us in the garden in the cool of the day and most humbling is that even when we sinned and hid our face from Him he still continued His pursuit of Yada-ing us.
Exodus 25:22 “There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.”
Hebrew word for “meet” is “ya’adh” meaning to appoint, fix (a place or time); to betroth, give in marriage; to meet by agreement, come together?
This verse was in reference to the building of the tabernacle, the place where He wanted to meet with us and where atonement was made so we could still be in relationship with Him, and of course we know the plan didn’t stop there, but continued until His ultimate plan was revealed and final atonement was made.
I am still trying to wrap my little mind around the fact that He wanted so much to be with us, first in the garden, (of which we totally messed up) but then Initiated another place to meet with us. I can only conclude that knowing us, (Yada-ing) us must have truly been the joy of his heart so us Yada-ing Him must REALLY put a smile on His face!!
Genice
~aYadagirl~ Longing to know the one who pursues me.
thought-provoking question!!!! I believe scripture teaches that He knows us completely so in the sense of knowing us better, that wouldn't apply to Him, but only to us. However, I believe that scripture also teaches that because He desires that this kind of intimacy w/ Him from us is to grow, that it stands to reason that He continues to yada-know us on an on-going basis. A inadequate analogy would be let's say you love to play tennis and that you become the top player in the world. Just because you mastered the game wouldn't mean that you would stop playing. It would not be work to you anymore, but pure enjoyment of the sport. God didn't have to ever "work" at yada-ing us in the sense that He struggled over it but I really do think that yada-knowing each of us brings Him so much pleasure that He would never settle for anything less.
Add'l comment/email response from ayadagirl:
The only thing is after I left my comment on your blog page I thought God already knows us deeply so he doesnt have to Yada us, He just wants us to Yada Him. Hmmmm. In context of what I said in the blog do you think He Yadas us, as in a continuing desire to know us more?
Hmmmmm and so it should be with us, that it would bring us so much pleasure to Yada Him that we would settle for nothing less. And gosh! why do we make it such a struggle!
~G~
ayadagirl
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