Three Lessons I've Learned (I Hope)

The past few weeks I have had to sit and lie down most of the time. Others have amazed me with their willingness to come alongside and help care for my children and household. And, while I have been tired, in pain, and generally having a bad attitude, God has been using this time to teach me some much-needed lessons. I didn't know it would take getting what I wanted (some time off to rest) to bring me face-to-face with myself.

Lesson 1: Being able to rest all the time (and have others do my work) doesn’t solve my problems. In my imagination, if I had all the time in the world, I would spend lots more of it reading my Bible, praying, worshiping, etc. But it is no easier to focus on God when I am in bed all day than it is when I am busy. It's just as hard to fight through boredom to connect with Him as it is to fight through busyness.

Lesson 2: I need to listen to my body more, and stop when I need to rest, even if not everything gets done. It's okay to stop now and then. In fact, the kids love it. Mommy is finally still enough for us to sit on her lap!

Lesson 3: The work will, somehow, get done (even if I have to ask for help), but my children can only be taught by me. Only I can invest in them the way God wants me to. If I don’t connect with them, they will be influenced by whoever else spends time with them, whether that is a friend, relative, or the television. I am jealous for that person to be me!

It is so easy to get it mixed up, because at the end of the day it is easy to point out all that I’ve gotten done and feel good about having a clean house. (Oh, that rotten pride!) It is harder to feel I have something to show for the day when I have invested time in my children but my to-do list has un-checked chores. I don’t think it’s an either/or situation. God must have a way for me to do everything that I need to do. But I am finding that, just as with my quiet time, if I don’t put my children’s education before housework, it ends up rarely happening. If I do put it first, I trust that the other will find a way of getting done more efficiently.

So on to the second priority! God first, family second. I'm grateful that God has removed my ability to do anything at all so that He can show me more clearly the way He wants me to prioritize my time.

Who then is the faithful, thoughtful, and wise servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household to give to the others the food and supplies at the proper time? Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing. I solemnly declare to you, he will set him over all his possessions (Mt. 24:45-47).