I have been struggling with finding joy and giving thanks as I go through my daily routine. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful husband, amazing little girl, and beautiful home! As I go through my daily routine of caring for Jack, Maggie, and the house, it is easy to loose sight of my calling as a wife and mom....to serve the Lord joyfully! He has given me SO MUCH when I deserve NOTHING! His grace and mercy pour out and cover me!
My prayer is the Lord will give me a joyful heart and heart of thanksgiving as I go through my daily chores of folding the same clothes, washing the same dishes, wiping down the same highchair, vacuuming the same floor, changing the same little bottom, cleaning the same house, and cooking the same meals. Praise God that I am able to do these things!
Well, I am starting to get a little help from Maggie. On Mondays we try to do all of the laundry (we have to do a few more loads through out the week, but it helps to knock out the bulk of it).
She really likes to clean the cabinet knobs...
...she uses all means necessary:)
She makes sure all of the trash is out of the trash basket.
She is very into details...
and loves to wipe down the oven (with her fingers:).
The Vacuum.
Maggie's least favorite thing to do.
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God...I am glad and rejoice with you all. So you to should be glad and rejoice with me." Philippians 2:12-18
"Our natural reason looks at marriage and turns up its nose and says, 'Alas! Must I rock the baby? wash its diapers? make its bed? smell its stench? stay at nights with it? take care of it when it cries? heal its rashes and sores? and on top of that care for my spouse, provide labor at my trade, take care of this and take care of that? do this and do that? and endure this and endure that? Why should I make such a prisoner of myself?'
ReplyDeleteWhat then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful and despised duties in the spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels.
Its says, 'O God, I confess I am not worthy to rock that little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of a child and its mother. How is it that I without any merit have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? Oh, how gladly will I do so. Though the duty should be even more insignificant and despised, neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor will distress me for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight.'" --Martin Luther qtd. in The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot, p. 87