Homemaking – A Tapestry of Beauty

If you’ve ever done cross stitch, or embroidery you know that to create  anything that turns into something beautiful takes planning.  It takes time.  It takes instruction.  It takes intentionality. So when we think about weaving a tapestry in our home, we know that none of these steps can be avoided.  The ultimate Guide is God’s Word.  He tells us what it should look like.  Then it’s up to us to take the needle in hand, and begin the tedious day-to-day work that is necessary.

Let’s look into God’s Word to get more instruction.  Titus 2 says 

“Admonish the young women to be homemakers.  (Verse 5)

If that word brings to mind the dull, boring task of mundane chores, I ask you to read carefully and let your heart be encouraged about this important role.

Let’s refresh our definition of Homemaker to mean one who is a home-lover. This is a woman who carries the attitude about, home sweet home! Your attitude actually is everything in helping to weave that tapestry that is so beautiful. To successfully have what God wants us to have, let’s think about what it takes to actually weave something on a piece of fabric. It’s going to take action. It’s going to take time, it’s going to take us paying attention to the details It’s going to take a lot of effort. All of this will combine together to make a home beautiful.

Elizabeth George says in her book that by faith she chose to stay home more than she used to and she’s finding so many benefits from that. Spending less money, eating fewer calories and saving the time it takes to go out are all blessings, but the ultimate bonus is that sense of well-being. When we can look out and know that everything in the home is under our control and management there is a great sense of joy in that.

Elizabeth speaks about a woman who was close to her age, though she seemed much older in her experience. She asked if she could just watch her and be taught by her. Perhaps you need to do the same thing. Ask God to show you somebody who is in your church or sphere of influence that seems to have their home and their family life under God’s control. Ask if you can spend time with them. When you get together, ask good questions and watch and observe how they live their life so that they are able to do the Titus 2 things. The woman that mentored Elizabeth took her around her home, opening drawers and cabinets for her to look inside. It wasn’t a matter of boasting, but it was just a matter of teaching. She was saying, “I’m keeping my life in order so that my family can live here and serve God because our life is structured and our home is in order.”

 Another friend taught Elizabeth how to clean her house. She showed her the products that she used and the equipment necessary.

 Let’s think back to our tapestry or cross-stitch. If you never pick it up, will you finish it? In the same regard, if we are never home, we will never complete jobs that need to be done there. Elizabeth said she realized that she needed to be home more often. In her frustration, she told her husband that she didn’t know how she was going to get her chores done and things completed at home. Then he helped her to structure her week so that…

On Wednesday she did all of her grocery shopping and other errands that needed to be done. Every other day of the week, she was home. 

Going out less often is a wise plan of action. It will help you to be able to get the things done in your home that needs to be done. There’s always something to do. Being there in the home opens your eyes to those things. 

 No one else is responsible for the management of your home except you. It’s so easy to shop online now. Perhaps even doing grocery pick-up will keep your time out in town shorter than if you had to go into the grocery store. Scheduling your pickup time from Target, Aldi, and then Kroger and maybe even Sam’s Club would be easier if it was already purchased online. Just learn how to manage your time so that you can get your tasks accomplished at home and then your errands out in town done quicker and easier.

 Elizabeth ends this chapter with some statements of “I will’s. Listen to how these connect with what we’ve already discussed.

•  I will get up before my family, in order to prepare myself spiritually and physically.
•  I will prepare breakfast for my family and sit with them while they eat.
•  I will work diligently to send every member of my family off in a good mood.
•  I will consult my husband everyday to see if there is anything special he wants me to do for him.
•  I will keep a neat and orderly home.
•  I will respond positively.
•  I will meet my husband’s needs.
•  I will put my husband before my children.
•  I will personally meet and greet each family member as he or she returns home.
•  I will be predictably happy.
•  I will prepare a special, good food for my family.
•  I will make dinner a special time.
•  I will grow daily in the areas of the Lord, marriage, family, and homemaking.

Do you have a heart to weave a beautiful tapestry in your home? Ask the Lord to give you the strength, the time, the intentionality, and stick-to-itiveness to  keep at the task every day that He gives you on this earth. He will give you joy as you fulfill your role as a home-lover.