Happy New Year!
I've been in a bit of a funk for the past few days. Maybe it came about because of people posting New Year's goals on their websites or because of the difficulties of settling back into a routine after the excitement of Christmas and travel. It might be due to just seeing my incredibly talented sister-in-law or my amazingly organized mother-in-law. (She gave me articles to read about children that she cut out before my husband was born - and I nearly lost them in two months! She astonishes me! WOW! Organization is a point I'm working on.)
There are few things which help me out of parenting/homekeeping funks like reading a bit of one of Nancy Wilson's books. So, here goes. From "The Fruit of Her Hands", page 75:
"Many years ago I was the busy mother of three children, ages four, two, and under one. Life was full, with hardly time to sit down. I was occupied with many mundane things like diapers and laundry and crayons and play dough. Once in a while I would wonder just what happened to my "ministry" that I had enjoyed when I was single and working with a Christian organization. This was simply the very old "the grass is always greener" temptation.
One night as I was washing the dishes (which was the last hurdle before tucking in the little ones), my mind wandered off in that direction. Shouldn't I be leading Bible studies? Shouldn't I be involved in more active evangelism? Couldn't I "disciple" someone? Didn't God want me to do something for Him?
Immediately I realized what He wanted me to do. He wanted me to do the *dishes*. But I wondered if there was something *else* He wanted me to do. And I realized that, yes, there was something else. He wanted me to do them *cheerfully*.
As I reflected on this, I realized what I had known all along. God had called me to be a wife, mother, and homemaker. Because of this, all the mundane things I did were sanctified, holy, purposeful, and honoring to God, and I should offer them all to Him. "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1). Not only that, I should also find contentment and satisfaction in knowing I was doing these things unto the Lord."
Now I think I'll go clean the bathroom and sort some laundry. Maybe I'll even clean out the fridge. But not only that... I'll try to do it cheerfully.
posted by emily @ 9:37 AM
4 Comments:
Thanks for posting this Emily! I really needed to read it (wipes tear from eye). I guess I've been struggling with the same thing, trying to make all these lofty resolutions. Perhaps now I'll go try to make something for dinner. Cheerfully :).
Have you heard of the book "A Mother's Rule of Life"? It's written by a Catholic homeschooling mom of 5 (living on PEI, ahh the memories of Anne of Green Gables) who came to the realization that her work at home was her ministry and discusses her way of praying through the dishes, etc. She's definitely an incorporate-the-kids-into-the-housework sort of person. I can't remember how Catholic the perspective is, but you'd probably get a lot out of it.
Emily,
Thanks for sharing such a good message. I too have that unsettled feeling at times, that there should be more that I'm doing. But for the last few months I've been stuck on the phrase "Serve the Lord with gladness". I enjoyed reading something that brought those two thoughts together so well :)
i went back to work full-time this week and so we're dealing with the "shock" of how much work i got done when home with oula! being at home doing chores and making snacks--what bliss!
thanks for the great pic and letter, too!
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