I remember one day when I woke up in a crack house with the electricity turned off and people crashed out everywhere and wondered how I got there.  How in my journey through life, with all the talents I had, with all of the community support and all of the family love I had, how I could be at this place and think that it was normal?

Throughout my childhood, I was raised in a solid Christian household and blessed with a wonderful family, even with the shortcomings of my stepfather. My own father died of a heart attack when I was four and the youngest of five children. My mother married a few years later, but unfortunately my stepfather’s ex-wife came back to him behind the scenes, and I lost my stepfather to divorce.

Mom, mentors, and teachers supported me

Still, with the strength of my mom, we made it through. I had wonderful teachers who helped me graduate with honors from Eastwood High School in El Paso, Texas. I had wonderful coaches who helped me become all-city in swimming for three years straight. And I had wonderful youth directors in church and Young Life who helped me grow in the Lord. 

Losing accountability

I left for Texas Tech in 1981 and moved out of the structured, disciplined environment where I thrived. I no longer had a coach for a daily training program. I no longer had the kind of teachers who cared about my grades and attendance. I had no youth director to be spiritually accountable to. It was a gradual thing, but once I got unplugged, my batteries only lasted so long.

I met a beautiful co-ed. We drank, we got into drugs, we dropped out of college together and we had an abortion together. When that relationship ended, I moved from Lubbock to California to start over. But, unfortunately, I moved out there with myself. Everything that brought me down at Texas Tech followed me to California. I met a lovely lady out there. We drank and did drugs, but this lady decided to keep the baby.

Journey to hopelessness

I ended up moving to Austin, Texas and spent the next nine years drinking and drugging myself, moving from job to job and woman to woman. In November of 1998 I finally checked into a 30-day secular rehab program. They taught me everything I ever wanted to know about drugs and addictions and introduced me to their “Higher Power.” But they wouldn’t let me have a Bible because it was a government-funded program.

I graduated from rehab and moved into a transition home. My suite mate was Chris, a close friend from rehab. He was a smart, sharp-looking 21-year-old kid who had gotten strung out on crack. That January I found his corpse in his room, hanging from an exposed pipe by his twisted bed sheets.  His suicide note told of his dark journey back into addiction and said that he was handling it the only way he knew how. That experience shocked me out of my sobriety. I didn’t see any more hope.

Christian rehab or the streets

It took me another ten years to hit bottom and realize it was Teen Challenge (a Christian rehab ministry) or the streets. My mother had been pushing Teen Challenge at me forever, but she is in the recovery ministry and I was embarrassed about myself for her. Here she was trying to help others get sober, and yet her own son was an addict. I didn’t realize that she had turned me over into God’s hands a long time ago.

Teen Challenge in El Paso helped me develop a one-on-one relationship with Jesus Christ. Finally, I had restoration. I know that I’ve been forgiven, although that doesn’t mean God has removed the consequences of all my poor choices. The most important part of my recovery is letting God use me to help give back to others what he has given back to me. Celebrate

Recovery has given me a Band of Brothers, connected and accountable to each other.

The Bible says

“Happy (blessed) are those who know they are spiritually poor” (Matthew 5:3).

Today’s Prayer

Jesus, I admit that I am powerless over my habits, hurts, and hang-ups. I turn my life and will over to you. Please show me the next step. Amen.

©2010 Becky Cerling Powers

Our son Matt was the kind of toddler who was into everything. I used to feel like I spent my days just following him around and putting the house back together. One morning when I went to our bedroom to make the bed, I found that 18-month-old Matt had discovered the basket of clean laundry and strewed clean clothes all over the room.

I picked them up, made the bed, started down the hall and noticed that I had left the linen closet door open.  Matt had removed and scattered the contents on every shelf he could reach.  I picked it all up and proceeded to the living room, where I found that he had removed all the books from the low bookshelves and scattered them everywhere.

Harnessing energy

Matt wasn't being deliberately naughty.  He was active and curious, that was all.  And I needed to learn how to harness that energy, for his sake and mine.

My first mistake was picking up all that laundry myself.  What I should have done was to go fetch Matt and show him how to help me put the laundry back in the basket, or sort and fold it -- not as punishment, just as a simple chore that he and I could enjoy doing together.

Inviting children to work alongside you

Including young children in your work helps keep them busy and occupied in a constructive way -- directing their energy to help instead of hinder and building within them a strong sense of self confidence, belonging, and personal significance.

"The earlier you start including them in family chores," my friend Rosie Jones says, "the more the concept of helping and being of service in the family sets into their hearts."  Rosie should know. She raised eight children.

What can toddlers & preschoolers do?

"What kind of work can a toddler or preschooler help with?" I asked Rosie years ago, when she still had little ones at home and I was writing a parenting column for the local newspaper. Her words are still spot on today – during this time of the COVID-19 crisis when preschools are closed – as they were then.

Here’s what she said in 1994:

Pick up chores

"Even our little Joshua, who is 11 months old, helps pick up," Rosie said.  "He started walking at 8 months.  As soon as they start to walk, you can start teaching them to pick up their blocks, books, dolls, and cars.  You make it a game at first.  You count 'One, Two' as you pick up."

Laundry Chores

Folding and sorting laundry is another chore.  Andrea, age 2, likes to help her mom and her older brothers and sisters with that job.  "At first, toddlers just sort out the underwear and socks," Rosie explained, "then gradually they learn to fold."

"They start by folding washcloths and small hand towels," Rosie said.  "They learn to match up the corners, and that builds up their motor skills.  Then they learn to fold diapers and carry the stacks of diapers to the bedroom.  It's a big help for everyone."

Housework

Toddlers and preschoolers can save a lot of wear and tear on Mom's knees by dusting base boards and lower parts of the furniture, Rosie said.  "We have a lot of antique furniture, and Andrea loves crawling around with Timothy (age 5) dusting below knee level."

"And the toddlers love to take the throw rugs out and shake them," she said.  "It makes them feel big because they can shake all that dirt out of the rugs."

"Preschoolers can help by stripping the beds -- from about age 4," Rosie said.  "They help with the pillowcases, too.  One holds the case and the other one stuffs the pillow into the case."

Some preschoolers can learn to sweep and mop.  "Our Gabriel could hold a full-sized broom when he was about 3," Rosie said.  "He loved to sweep, and he would sweep the corners and the edges.  To this day he's like that -- very consistent and neat with the work he does."

"Mopping is another fun thing," she said.  "If you want to be that daring, let a 4-year-old do it.  Two of the boys mopped the whole kitchen for me one morning while I was changing the baby's diaper."

"First they watch you sweep or mop, back and forth, row by row," she explained.  "As a mother, you need to speak out your procedure -- make a little chant or song to a rhythm -- and they learn with that.  Then you let them do just a little, not so much."

Kitchen Chores

Young children enjoy helping cook.  "They like to get up on the kitchen chairs and help by stirring and mixing," Rosie said.  "I get it started, and then all the brothers and sisters take turns.  Then when it's done, everyone gets a lick of the batter from a spoon.  So there's a reward."

Toddlers like to help parents or older siblings set the table, Rosie said.  The older ones count out the forks and let the toddler place one at each plate.  Toddlers and preschoolers help with many of the small steps involved in setting the table, like taking plastic mustard and ketchup containers from the refrigerator and setting them out on the table.

Preschoolers can learn to clear their own place after a meal as well.  "When they're about 3 years old we have them start taking their silverware and plate to the sink to soak," Rosie said.  "They shouldn't carry it all at once.  They can go back to get their glass.  It's a big help in a big family."

Yard work

"Little ones love to pull weeds, and that's a good way to teach them the parts of the plant," Rosie said.  "You see who can pull the plant from the root all the way up."

"One of their favorite things is piling leaves into the wagons or wheelbarrows and taking a ride in the barrow to the compost heap," she said.  "We usually have two or three barrows, and the children have races."

Toddlers can water the lawn with a hose, too, Rosie said.  "We let them take off their clothes.  They get cooled off and play in the water, but do the watering at the same time."

Feeding pets and other animals

"Andrea likes to help her older brothers and sister put out fresh water and pour dry food into the animals' dishes and bowls," Rosie said.

Now is when to start discerning a child’s natural bent

From the time children are preschoolers you can begin to observe the direction of their personalities and natural talents through chores. “Some are the more careless type, and others are more precise,” Rose said. “The child who tears into the bathroom and leaves streaks of Ajax all over the sink and mirror is the one who is gifted at going outside and digging up a big hole two feet wide if you need it.”

“Watch and see who they are,” Rosie said. “It tends to come out in the area of chores.”

       ©Becky Cerling Powers 2020 Reprint with attribution only

For faith-based family stories to share with friends and older grandchildren, check out Laura’s Children: the hidden story of a Chinese orphanage and My Roots Go Back to Loving and other stories from Year of the Family in the Bookstore.

What did Jesus mean when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”? What does it look like for somebody to be “poor in spirit”? The story of King Ahaziah in the Old Testament gives some hints.

Ahaziah was one of the kings of ancient Israel during the time of God’s prophet Elijah. One day he fell through the second story railing of his house to the ground below. He was badly injured. So he sent messengers to Baal-zebub, the god of the people of Ekron, to ask if he would recover from his injuries.

Elijah met the messengers on their way. “Give the king this message,” he said, ‘“Why are you going to the god of Ekron? Is there no God in Israel? Here is what the Lord God says to the king: “You will not be able to get up from your bed. You are going to die.”’”

The messengers went back to the king and told him what happened.

“What did the man who stopped you look like?” Ahaziah asked.

“He wore a hairy garment with a leather belt around his waist,” they said.

“I know who that is!” the king said. “That’s Elijah!” And he ordered one of his military captains to take 50 men, arrest Elijah, and bring him to the king.

The captain and his 50 men located Elijah sitting on top of a hill.

“Man of God! Come down here right now!” the captain shouted. “I have orders to bring you to the king!”

“If I really am a Man of God,” Elijah said, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you all!”

Just then a ball of fire dropped from the sky. It landed on the men and they all burnt up.

So the king sent another captain with 50 men to arrest Elijah. They, too, found him on top of the hill. “Man of God! The king says, ‘Come down at once!’” the captain yelled.       

“If I really am a Man of God,” Elijah said, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you all!”

Once again a fireball fell from the sky and killed all the men.

So – can you believe it? – the king sent another captain with 50 men to arrest Elijah.

But this captain was different. He climbed all the way up the hill and fell on his knees at Elijah’s feet. “Have compassion on me and these 50 men!” he begged. “We know what happened to all the others. Fire from heaven fell on those two captains and on their 50 men. Now, please, spare our lives!”

The angel of the Lord told Elijah, “Go down with him to the king. Do not be afraid.”

So Elijah went to the king with the captain and his 50 men. He gave God’s message directly to the king: “The Lord God says to you ‘Do you think there is no God in Israel for you to consult? Is that why you sent messengers to consult with Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? Because you did this, you will never be able to get up from your bed. You will surely die!’”

So King Ahaziah died as God said. He was king of Israel for only two years.

Being poor in spirit means that you realize you are poor and powerless. You don’t have what you need and you have no power to get what you need. To be poor in spirit toward God means that you come to him for what you need realizing that you can’t bribe him to help you, that you can’t manipulate or trick him into helping you, and that you can’t force him to help you. All you can do is ask nicely.

Today’s prayer

Lord I have this problem, I have this need: _____________. I’m poor and You are rich. I can’t bribe You or pay You to help me. All power is Yours. I have no power to solve this problem or to force You to help me. You are too wise for me trick You into helping, and certainly too wise for me to advise You how to help. Have compassion on me, Lord. Help me in my need. Amen.

© 2019 Becky Cerling Powers

For the next few months I will be posting stories that help us understand the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mountain. For faith-based family stories to share with friends and older children, check out Laura’s Children: the hidden story of a Chinese orphanage and My Roots Go Back to Loving and other stories from Year of the Family in the Bookstore.