Changing Diapers and Doing Dishes

I suppose I've been told all my life that being a homemaker is a valuable thing.  I must admit, though, that there have been times when it was hard for me to catch a vision of it.  Of course, there were the 'more spiritual' things I could be doing if it didn't take so much time to keep these kids dressed, cleaned and fed...not to mention the house cleaned and organized.  Then there were the more financially rewarding things I could have been doing to make our lives more comfortable.  

In some ways, I'm in that stage again of the home and children taking most of my time.  It occurred to me today that it really is God's plan for domestic duties to take time!  God would have been perfectly able to cause human children to be born able to take care of themselves within a short time as many animals are able to do.  God could have caused our bodies to only need to eat once a week rather than several times a day!  Think about how much more time we would have for 'spiritual' things if He had done so!! :-)  Awww...aren't we so wise?  Do we know better than God?  He has ordained and organized for the nurturing and domestic duties to be time consuming...perhaps why He mentioned in His Word that women are to be 'keepers at home'.  

Now, I'm not suggesting that women shouldn't have any outreach in their lives.  I actually believe they should!  I am only addressing our attitude toward our family and homes and I am justifying the value of investing in these things!

Resonating with Ogden Nash...dedicated to my 'flying' parents... :-)

No, You be a Lone Eagle by Ogden Nash

I find it very hard to be fair-minded 
About people who go around being air-minded. 
I just can't see any fun 
In soaring up up up into the sun 
When the chances are still a fresh cool orchid to a paper geranium 
That you'll unsoar down down down onto your (to you) invaluable 
cranium. 
I know the constant refrain 
About how safer up in God's trafficless heaven than in an automobile 
or a train 
But ... 
My God, have you ever taken a good look at a strut? 
Then that one about how you're in Boston before you can say antidis- 
establishmentarianism 
So that preferring to take five hours by rail is a pernicious example of 
antiquarianism. 
At least when I get on the Boston train I have a good chance of landing 
in the South Station 
And not in that part of the daily press which is reserved for victims of 
aviation. 
Then, despite the assurance that aeroplanes are terribly comfortable I 
notice that when you are railroading or automobiling 
You don't have to take a paper bag along just in case of a funny feeling. 
It seems to me that no kind of depravity 
Brings such speedy retribution as ignoring the law of gravity. 
Therefore nobody could possibly indict me for perjury 
When I swear that I wish the Wright brothers had gone in for silver 
fox farming or tree surgery. 

Family Ties

Our family ties are strong.  We understand each other on a spiritual level, and that's important to all of us.  We also get together regularly for holidays...and other times when we can.
But, we are spreading out and getting farther apart.  It hasn't been easy for me since the first days when the kids started leaving the house.  I enjoy them and value their company!
I was expressing to Don the other day how one of the children was saying how hard it would be to move away from family and miss the get togethers....I felt the same way.  Don answered something like,"We need to put the family ties aside and put the Kingdom first."  This statement could be taken as insensitive or a 'guy' thing to say.  But, the Holy Spirit started working with me about that as the statement kept running through my head.
I could feel the Lord causing my heart to begin to let go of my feelings of anxiety about my children moving far away.  A few days later, the Lord took it even further and told me, "You're going to be with them for eternity, you know."  I had to answer in gratefulness, "Yes, Lord.  How could I be so selfish?  I will always have eternity to look forward to.  Why wouldn't I want them to labor here for a few years?"  They are not mine, and I must not forget it, but keep them in an open hand for the work of the Kingdom.
God is good and helping in my weakness.