the internal voice


I bet you are familiar with the phenomenon of hearing your own voice in your head and then hearing it on a recording and saying to yourself, ‘I don’t sound like that, do I?’ I had a cassette tape recorder when I was younger and remember recording myself singing a Streisand song, believing I was spot on, Barbara had nothing on me. But then I played the tape back and was horrified by what I heard; good thing I hadn’t quit my paper route already.

I find myself looking at the younger generation, or parents of young children and thinking, I didn’t behave like that. I have the tendency to gloss over my own past poor behaviors, do you? Not that I claim to have been the perfect young adult (far from it) or the best parent. However, I’m pretty sure what I remember in my head versus what really took place are in as much contrast as my internal voice and my recorded voice.

God has redeemed me. He redeemed my parenting skills or lack thereof as demonstrated by the fact that my daughters turned out to be pretty good adults. (Love you girls) God gives us the lives we live and the challenges we face, entwined in those challenges are blessings untold. I like the saying “God doesn’t called the equipped, he equips the called.” When I look at the things I have come through in my life, which many would consider significant, I believe my life pales in comparison to challenges faced by others. I find this to be true of anyone I speak to about their challenges as well. A parent of a mentally challenged child considers herself blessed to have had such a child. A person with a disability possesses the wonderful ability to see life and appreciate it from a unique perspective that an able bodied person will never understand. Even when I’m not overjoyed with my life, I know I wouldn’t trade it for another. We grow, we gain insights, we get stronger, and we learn that God’s grace truly is sufficient for us.

We are redeemed!
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