Promise Keeper

"But you PROMISED!" followed by a heart felt dropping tears of disappointment!

I am sure that every mother and every father, every friend, every manager, every person hates the feeling this statement creates in him. Yes, I can say out loud that my toughest moments in parenting arewhen I am confronted with an undelivered promise to Leila or Farida. Even my simple promises of playing with them a game of "Uno" or dancing together on the LOUD tunes of "Gangam Style" mean A LOT to them...because they come from their Mr. know-it-all, No-wrong doing, tall muscled fighter DADDY! Yes, it is that simple, they trust blindly that I will keep my promise..! Failing their trust..brings ME instantly a moment of silence coming along with a heavy swallow of that bitter taste in my mouth..a moment of weakness i would say! We have all done it to our kids, friends, colleagues, family..you name it! And we still keep breaking promises every day!

That brought me to realize that I failed my promises not only to people..but I failed them even to GOD! How many times I said I will "Stand my Ground", start the change and i dont, how many times i cry and scream that this moment is a turning point, but I fail again! How many mornings. I promised to wake up earlier and sit with Him but I "Snoozed" too long!

Thank you Lord for not treating us the same when we fail You..thank you that Your love to us is not based on our love to You..thank you for Your words that stated clearly

ليس اللهُ إنسانًا فيَكذِبَ، ولا ابنَ إنسانٍ فيَندَمَ. هل يقولُ ولا يَفعَلُ؟ أو يتَكلَّمُ ولا يَفي؟ (العَدَد 23:19 AVDDV)

"God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? (Numbers 23:19 ESV)

And thank you for comforting me when you said:

لا أنقُضُ عَهدي، ولا أُغَيِّرُ ما خرجَ مِنْ شَفَتَيَّ. (المَزاميرُ 89:34 AVDDV)

I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. (Psalm 89:34 ESV)

I pray for my faith to keep hanging to your promises.. And I Thank you for being THE PROMISE KEEPER! Amen.

Where is My Hug?

You men (and women) travelling for business will know what I am talking about! You know this moment at the end of your trip when you are at the airport's free shop searching for a gift for your little ones that are waiting for you back home..the little ones that you miss so much. At that moment, at the airport, i only dream about this simple loving act..THE RUN in my arms and THE HUG welcoming me back home..And me giving the girls their little gift! You all surely love this moment...we akid the hug and kiss of the wife too :)

However, one of these times, things did not go as i always loved it to be...i came back after 3 days away, opened the door, shouted HELLO and went on my knees waiting for that run and amazing hug...but i waited for longer than usual, i felt something was wrong..ran to their room, to find them playing normally (Thank God)..but they gave a normal 'hi'..one i sometimes get during the week back from work ..but not after travelling for 3 days! And then the LESSON HIT ME I knew what happened, i told aline to manage their expectations as i ran late and couldn't get them anything..i just felt that the RUN and the HUG were for the love of what I got, not for the love of who I am! What a painful moment for a loving Father!

I might be dramatizing it a bit...i know my kids love me so much..i love the moments when they just come to caress and kiss me and sit on my lap and they know that i adore them, i would do all the good for them ALWAYS, i would die for them. BUT this story above doesnt ring a bell...doesnt it remind you of a relationship you know...i had the same relation with my heavenly Father..till that moment when showed me the (No Hug) lesson.

Friends, praying has always been linked in my mind with demands, needs, and wants...till i realized that praying is much bigger..it s creating a relationship..a bond..knowing Him more..he is a living God with a living Holy spirit inside me! And i knew if i want to know Him, i d better sit with Him and read what He has to say.. only then prayer moments got a much much richer taste! Try it..let me know if i can help with some start ups!

"Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need." (Matthew Matta 6:32, 33 ERV) "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew Matta 6:8 ERV)