Skip to main content

Off Kilter

It has been a while since my last post...things have been "off kilter" around here. Especially in the area of homemaking. I do office/financial work and at the end of the year there is so much to get prepared. Things got really busy.

Around the house, the workload stayed busy, but my energy level dropped! For a few days (weeks!), the tasks I usually enjoyed became burdensome and irritating. What I once embraced with joy, was now an imposition and chore to get done, things like cooking, cleaning, laundry etc. I couldn't put me finger on it until I read a devotion that put me back on track, see, I was "off kilter".

Early in our marriage it was agreed upon that when we had young children, I would be a stay at home mom (SAHM). With our oldest sons, I was blessed to do that. Then I went to work for a few years and then became pregnant again. I was blessed to take another stint at home. Now that our youngest is in school, I work a part time job, but consider my career - my family and home. That is where my energy and time need to be spent most - at home. This surely consists of mudane tasks, over and over with not much recognition or gratitude shown from others. This week my outside job overcame my real job which is caring for my family and it threw me and the household "off kilter".

The following devotion put into persepective the fact that women are to be the keepers of the home and it is hard work. It is putting others before ourselves and it takes trusting the Lord to help with each task. But if we could get a glimpse of how important it is to care for our family and home and the lasting legacy our touch leaves for our family..it turns into a joy to cook, clean etc. So, here is the devotion, I hope that it blesses you as much as is blessed me!
His Narrow Way

"At its heart, homemaking is about accepting God’s Word and laying down our lives for the brethren. It is about keeping our eyes firmly upon Christ, Who calls us to serve Him in the seemingly insignificant tasks of everyday living, training the next generation, reaching out to the needy, demonstrating hospitality to saints and strangers, and living for Christ’s "well done" rather than for the praise and recognition of others.

And that’s the secret to a happy and blessed life. Die to live. Go last to be first. Give to receive. Make yourself least to be greatest. Homemakers? God created women to fulfill this unique role. That’s all we need to know to rest in our callings. We can trust Him to conquer the world, one heart at a time, as we live sacrificially and rejoice in His narrow way."

(Excerpt by Jennie Chancey,
from the book "Passionate Housewives Desperate for God")
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for sharing your commment. It is a joy and blessing to hear from you and your words are appreciated.

Popular posts from this blog

Sometimes We Score, Sometimes We Block

Our family is in the midst of little league soccer season. My youngest son is playing and his enthusiasm is contagious. He is pretty good at the sport, but what makes it so great is that he loves it! He counts the days until the next game or practice. He loves his coach and teammates. He has moved up an age level this year and the players are working more like team, passing to each other and watching out for each other during play. During the last game, my son scored two goals, they were the only goals of the game. In today's game the team scored eight goals. My son came up afterwards to me and said, "I didn't score today, but I blocked". What a powerful truth those words can hold. In life, sometimes we score, sometimes we block. Sometimes we do great things, we excel, we achieve, we meet our goal - we score! There are also times we see the needs of others, sometimes they are sad or hurting, we block their hits. We look out for them so they can score. We
17 comments
Read more

Relationships and Redemption

In every friendship or relationship, there is a common hope that they will grow and flourish. There is something inside of us that longs for a 'happy every after' story. We dream about it and work to make that happen. But in reality, relationships are a challenge. The bridging of values, lifestyles, interests and sacrificing for another are simply hard things to do! No matter how much we dream of the perfect fit, some relationships will not endure the stress.  When differences appear and tensions arise, prayer can change situations, attitudes and ourselves. For the Christian, we know God can transform, change, heal. We cannot change others, but prayer opens us the door for God to step in and answer. God desires transformation, but does not demand it. The gift of free will allows us to choose to say Yes or No to Him.  Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” Take notice of the first two words: “If possible …” This implies that some
Post a Comment
Read more

A Blank Page - A Great Way to Fill It

A blank page - that is the first view of a new blog post. It has been a while since I have faced the blank page of my little blog! A blank page can bring a variety of emotions - emptiness, anxiety, pressure to perform or emotions such as inspiration, encouragement or simply bursting to share something. But there is always something fresh and exciting about the blank page of a New Year. Happy 2023! This is always a time in my life where inspiration and plans are formed and ready to be implemented for greater change. Aspirations may start strong, but alone do not make a difference. It takes consistency to create change. The changing or adding small habits is a key to great changes. A habit that has been beneficial in my life for many years is rising early. It began when the children were small and was the only pocket of time I had to myself. Through the years, mornings have become my favorite time of the day. Now that my husband and I are empty nesters, we go to bed early and rise early.
Post a Comment
Read more