Monday, March 9, 2009

When Your Service Area Feels Small

I'm thinking about this verse today....

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thes. 4:11-12 (bold mine)

I certainly have enough to do around here without worrying about anyone else today, Lord. I can read my favorite blogs without getting caught up in the comments section, I can take care of the people inside these walls without burdening myself about how I should be sharing the Gospel with everyone outside of these walls, and I can work. I need to work around here Lord. There is so much to do. Will I ever get caught up? Will I ever get the things that need to be done...done?

I can do all this and know that perhaps my life is winning the respect of outsiders who do not know You. I will be mindful of my example and my life even when I am doing laundry...and dishes...and picking up 476 items off the floor every single day. I will be mindful of the example I am setting for my children as well, as I try to do these things with a good attitude, and a loving heart.

I very well may spend the greater portion of my life standing in my laundry room, and kitchen, and kneeling down running bath water, and reading school work with little ones....

I may never be a foreign missionary
I may never write a best selling book
I may never lead an exciting women's ministry

I don't even know that I want to do those things...it's just that....it feels like the great portion of my life will be spent right here in these 1400 something square feet.

And that is OK. Because You are here with me. And You have chosen to bless me with an amazing husband to help, beautiful little girls to train and love on and teach...my cup is overflowing for sure.

Help me relax, Lord. Help me know that I may NEVER get done. That You may ask me to be here tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that---still doing the same things. Don't get me wrong, Lord. I KNOW how blessed I am. I am THANKFUL to be a homemaker, a wife, a mother, it's just that...

well, why do I feel the need to "get done." Where am I planning to go when all the laundry is folded and put away? What am I planning to do when the kitchen is clean and stays that way for more than 10 minutes? What is it that is so urgent I feel the need to rush through all the "have to dos"? What is it that I could be doing which is more important than taking care of this home and this family?

I really have no idea.

One day things will be different. The girls will grow up. Lord, if you are willing, my husband and I will retire together one day. Things will not stay like this forever.

So I will sing with my children. I will cut their food into funny shapes. I will enjoy Curious George while they still do.

I will iron, and cook, and fold, and clean, and praise Your name.

Most of all, I will quit acting like it's all a big nuisance that is getting in the way of serving You.

Because that's just silly now that I think about it.

12 comments:

  1. AMEN!!! These have been some of my thoughts lately as well, and even more so when I am offered the opportunity to be involved in MORE stuff.

    My family is my first and most important ministry. I needed the reminder to keep first things first.

    [sighs in relief]

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  2. Beautiful post, Brenda! Thank you!

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  3. A devotional for today! Thank you.

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  4. This was beautiful. I needed to read it today. Thank you.

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  5. Well, when you put it THAT way.... :)

    Thank you, Brenda, for allowing Jesus to speak through you and straight into my heart. We ARE serving the Lord, aren't we? :) Praise be to God!

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  6. This post is on my delicious links side roll!

    Again, thanks for this.

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  7. *happy sigh* I don't get around much anymore Brenda...and comment even less frequently, but this one is too lovely to not stop and say thank you. So--thank you! :)

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  8. This was beautiful. This was my first visit to your blog, and I will be back for more! Thank you for starting my day off on the right foot!

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  9. A very beautiful post. One of the things I would "do over" is not be so picky about my house when I had little ones. I felt I had something to prove, because when I was childless, ladies would smugly say to me, "If you had kids, your house wouldn't be so clean!" (We were desperate for children, so these words hurt.) When I had children, I was determined to have my house as clean as it ever was, and it WAS, but it made me cranky. Wish I had quit trying to prove something and just enjoyed my children. You can clean up messes any time.

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  10. Excellent post and very well written. Again, anothe blog that is a blessing that I came via Terri and Ornaments of Grace.

    Blessings
    Hugs

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  11. A resounding AMEN!!!

    Having children 11 years apart has given me the benefit of knowing first hand that they grow up OH SO FAST!

    It is worth it to just sit down and listen, color, sing and dance - without worrying about "the list". The list will be there after the dance...

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I don't get to talk to a lot of actual grown-ups during the day, so your comments make me really happy! :)