A Late Start

I'm really getting into this housekeeping stuff. I've been decluttering, cleaning, ironing, sewing, etc. for a few weeks now. Even the stuff I don't like to do I have been tackling. Why? Because I love the Lord and my husband and my girls. I want to do it for all of them. I know God wants me to keep our home. I know it helps my husband when I do (God also wants that.) I know it teaches my daughters good things when they see me and help me work. I've finally given myself permission to not be involved in all the things I am talented in.

It's easy to put off keeping a house and instead pursue those things that you are good at. It's infantile, but easy! I used to teach elementary school/coordinate children's classes at church/write curriculum. I enjoyed it. I was good at it. And I got compliments when I did it (mostly). Plus, it needed to be done. I was working for the Lord, right? Besides, aren't we encouraged to use our gifts and talents for God?

Well, let's contrast that with housekeeping. I'm disorganized. I don't know how to do a lot of things. It's not in the limelight. Why would I want to do this? I don't feel that this is my particular area of talent anyway. Surely God did not create all women to be housekeepers! Why else would he have given us such different areas of ability?

Here's the bottom line. I am a wife. Every verse in the Bible that speaks to wives is speaking to me. I do not have a reason to ignore these verses because I have "talents." Oh how I wish I had learned and understood what it means to be a godly wife before we got married instead of 13 years in! Just being willing to obey makes a huge difference. God will help me learn to do the things I do not know how to do. Each day I will dedicate our home to the Lord and ask Him to help me do my job.

I'm getting a late start. My seven year old has seen many years of a bad example. Can we undo the damage? I must teach her to be a godly wife and mother before she is grown. I want to prepare my daughters for marriage and hopefully motherhood. I want them to walk into it knowing how to serve the Lord. I hope they will not listen to this garbage about using their talents if it takes them away from home. I believe God can use a willing, obedient heart more than a talent any day.

So, I'm getting a late start. But it's a start.