Practical Tidbits on Staying Sane Amid the Chaos of Housekeeping, Homeschooling and Trying to Stay on Top of it All (trying being the operative word here).
A Sense of (Sacred) Purpose, A Labour of Love
9-5... wouldn't that be dreamy? A 40 hour work week? Hello! The life of a homemaking mommy of two pre-schoolers is said to be the equivalent of two full time jobs in the work force. What does that mean for home-schooling mothers of 4+ kids?! Double time, overtime, on call 24/7, no holiday, no EDO's. It's a BIG JOB, that's for sure!
If you think of it as a job that is. Well, it is a job. A duty, a responsibility... hmmm, those words weigh rather heavy. It all falls rather flat if I leave it at that. But I can't leave it at that, it's so much more than that! It is ripe with purpose. Sacred purpose. Something I must tackle whole-heartedly as unto the Lord and not just unto Him, alongside Him. This is His family too. This is His home, this is His gift to us. Only if I fully understand this will I feel that sense of joy, peace and fulfillment in the mundane every-day.
When I seek the sacred purpose, every act of duty is transformed into a labor of love. I'm no longer changing dirty diapers, I am nurturing tender, pink baby flesh and being given the opportunity to stop and touch, kiss and tickle an adorable bundle of joy in the process.
I'm no longer merely gathering up another load of dirty laundry or dealing with another sinkful of dirty dishes, I am handling evidence that I have 5 people to love and cherish and share my life and meals with every day. A full washer and a full sink equate to a full heart.
I'm not merely sweeping and dusting, mopping and scrubbing. I am creating a peaceful and beautiful haven of rest for my and my loved ones pleasure and enjoyment.
I am not merely teaching bible and history, math and science "facts". I am walking hand in hand with my children on an exciting adventure into the shallow depths of His Story, discovering His glory and truth revealed everywhere in His creation.
And lest I ever feel this is a thankless work, the Father himself has declared it of the highest value. Better than any white collar salary. "Worth more than rubies." He says (Prov 31:10). Worthy of praise at home and in society (Prov 31:31).
Not to mention, that their faces and voices and touch and laughter, their presence and personality... there is truly no greater joy.
Where's the practicality in all this emotional mumbo jumbo you may ask? The truth of the matter is, I believe if we don't have a clear picture of the sacredness of our calling, we will never truly flourish in our "field".
If I've whet your appetite on the concept, here's a few links to moving quotes I have come across in recent surf sessions...
"She (the christian household manager) would, in short, understand that her household labors were also Kingdom labors, intimately connected to her own faithful discipleship as a Christian woman, and to the Christian formation of her family." Harriet Beecher Stowe
from a book review for "Keeping House" by Margaret Kim Peterson. "The truth is that housework is hardly effortless, and it involves, to be sure, some drudgery. But when viewed through the lens of the Gospel, rather than the lens of Better Homes and Gardens, housekeeping presents itself as a theologically meaningful site of Christian formation".
"rather mundane tasks like cooking, washing clothes, and changing the sheets become crucial, transformative acts of love. Insofar as housework is creative, incarnational, physical, and sacramental, exposing the ways the material and the spiritual come together to remind us that "the provision of home is a central aspect of God's creative and redemptive activity," housework allows us to participate in life with the God who called the very dust mites into being".
"a Christian home, properly understood, is never just for one's own family. A Christian home overflows its boundaries; it is an outpost of the kingdom of God, where the hungry are fed and the naked are clothed and there is room enough for everyone."
Great quote in this short interview of Lane Jordan. "I Corinthians 14:33 says, "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." When we have order, we will have peace and when a mom has peace, she is able to show the fruits of the Spirit to her children as well as to others. When a child is surrounded by love,joy,peace, patience, kindness, he will be much more able to live for Christ and serve others".
She goes on to advise; "Take time to stop and plan. Sounds so simple but it really can be quite hard to stop!"
Ah yes, the P word. For lack of planning cities have fallen... but I'll save that for next time.
And last but not least, this little quote really touched me this week; "I only wish I had treasured the doing a little more, and the getting it done a little less."
Here's to labouring in love and searching out the sacred amidst the suds.
A Sense of (Sacred) Purpose, A Labour of Love
9-5... wouldn't that be dreamy? A 40 hour work week? Hello! The life of a homemaking mommy of two pre-schoolers is said to be the equivalent of two full time jobs in the work force. What does that mean for home-schooling mothers of 4+ kids?! Double time, overtime, on call 24/7, no holiday, no EDO's. It's a BIG JOB, that's for sure!
If you think of it as a job that is. Well, it is a job. A duty, a responsibility... hmmm, those words weigh rather heavy. It all falls rather flat if I leave it at that. But I can't leave it at that, it's so much more than that! It is ripe with purpose. Sacred purpose. Something I must tackle whole-heartedly as unto the Lord and not just unto Him, alongside Him. This is His family too. This is His home, this is His gift to us. Only if I fully understand this will I feel that sense of joy, peace and fulfillment in the mundane every-day.
When I seek the sacred purpose, every act of duty is transformed into a labor of love. I'm no longer changing dirty diapers, I am nurturing tender, pink baby flesh and being given the opportunity to stop and touch, kiss and tickle an adorable bundle of joy in the process.
I'm no longer merely gathering up another load of dirty laundry or dealing with another sinkful of dirty dishes, I am handling evidence that I have 5 people to love and cherish and share my life and meals with every day. A full washer and a full sink equate to a full heart.
I'm not merely sweeping and dusting, mopping and scrubbing. I am creating a peaceful and beautiful haven of rest for my and my loved ones pleasure and enjoyment.
I am not merely teaching bible and history, math and science "facts". I am walking hand in hand with my children on an exciting adventure into the shallow depths of His Story, discovering His glory and truth revealed everywhere in His creation.
And lest I ever feel this is a thankless work, the Father himself has declared it of the highest value. Better than any white collar salary. "Worth more than rubies." He says (Prov 31:10). Worthy of praise at home and in society (Prov 31:31).
Not to mention, that their faces and voices and touch and laughter, their presence and personality... there is truly no greater joy.
Where's the practicality in all this emotional mumbo jumbo you may ask? The truth of the matter is, I believe if we don't have a clear picture of the sacredness of our calling, we will never truly flourish in our "field".
If I've whet your appetite on the concept, here's a few links to moving quotes I have come across in recent surf sessions...
"She (the christian household manager) would, in short, understand that her household labors were also Kingdom labors, intimately connected to her own faithful discipleship as a Christian woman, and to the Christian formation of her family." Harriet Beecher Stowe
from a book review for "Keeping House" by Margaret Kim Peterson. "The truth is that housework is hardly effortless, and it involves, to be sure, some drudgery. But when viewed through the lens of the Gospel, rather than the lens of Better Homes and Gardens, housekeeping presents itself as a theologically meaningful site of Christian formation".
"rather mundane tasks like cooking, washing clothes, and changing the sheets become crucial, transformative acts of love. Insofar as housework is creative, incarnational, physical, and sacramental, exposing the ways the material and the spiritual come together to remind us that "the provision of home is a central aspect of God's creative and redemptive activity," housework allows us to participate in life with the God who called the very dust mites into being".
"a Christian home, properly understood, is never just for one's own family. A Christian home overflows its boundaries; it is an outpost of the kingdom of God, where the hungry are fed and the naked are clothed and there is room enough for everyone."
Great quote in this short interview of Lane Jordan. "I Corinthians 14:33 says, "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace." When we have order, we will have peace and when a mom has peace, she is able to show the fruits of the Spirit to her children as well as to others. When a child is surrounded by love,joy,peace, patience, kindness, he will be much more able to live for Christ and serve others".
She goes on to advise; "Take time to stop and plan. Sounds so simple but it really can be quite hard to stop!"
Ah yes, the P word. For lack of planning cities have fallen... but I'll save that for next time.
And last but not least, this little quote really touched me this week; "I only wish I had treasured the doing a little more, and the getting it done a little less."
Here's to labouring in love and searching out the sacred amidst the suds.
5 comments:
Thank-you so much for this reminder! I can get so carried away with "doing" I can forget how incredibly blessed I am to be a mother. I love my children with a love that is indescribable... but do they know that, or feel that by the way I treat them when I am "busy", "tired", "stressed"? I feel like an incredible failure in this area sometimes. More than anyone else, my children need to see consistent Godly character modeled before them. They need a mother who can be angry and sin not, a mother who is quick to forgive and forget, a mother who uses discipline to teach them, not condemn them. The only way to be that kind of mother is by realizing I am raising these children for the Lord, this is His calling for my life. They are not MINE, they are HIS!
I praise and thank the Lord for precious children and the gift of being their earthly parents, but help me not to forget that my calling is to lead them into a relationship with their Heavenly Father.
It's been a while since I've been around here, but I am so thankful to have stumbled back by in time to catch this series from the beginning. Last year I found you late and played catch up. I hate to say that nothing I attempted to start then has stuck well and I am back in a place of trying to create routine for us that works. Thanks for your encouragement. This is exactly what I need to hear right now! I'll be back!
Amen and Amen!!! (Did you know that "amen" is an original Hebrew word - can't be translated "back" - and simply means truth? I don't know how I've missed that in the past but just learned it this morning in studying!)
Your post is in perfect timing for the season. I am a pretty good home manager (most days!), and I'm sure you've learned that I love planning and lists. But, this time of year with school activities, church activities and the holidays, it's easy to lose focus on my purpose.
Be blessed in your purpose today!!!
What a great post and one which my heart echos (did I spell that right?) Being a mom and wife is definitely a sacred and high calling, and that it is, a calling, not a job. When we view it as that, a calling, and embrace it as our God-ordained purpose, it changes our whole attitude towards all the many things are days entail. But the best thing about knowing that it is our God-ordained calling, is that if He has called us to do, He will equip us to do it in a way that brings Him honor and glory, and that is just awesome!
Thanks for your encouraging words, you inspire and motivate me!
Blessings!
I so enjoyed this post the first time I read it, I do believe this was the first post I read of yours and I think it is just as good and right the second time around. I think too that you may have added a few new quotes this time and I really enjoyed those as well. I was very thankful for the reminder. It really does put housework and snotty noses and dirty dishes in a whole new light when you think of it as a calling from the Lord and not just as a job. This lifes work that I have chosen is not a job at all but rather a priviledge that God found me worthy to be a mother to the three precious children He gave to me.
Have a great evening. Brandie
Post a Comment