She riseth while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. Prov. 31:15
The memory is so clear in my mind, even though the event took place when I was only eight. My mother had gone to the hospital for surgery, requiring her to be away from home for a week. She left plans for our meals, school outfits, and personal needs in the careful hands of our loving dad. He did all she had instructed him, and we had no immediate wants unmet. However, her very bodily absence left such a void in my young heart that I felt desperate for her presence. Having no way to remedy the situation, I made my way to the front closet where all our coats were hung. Finding my mother’s coat sleeve with the fur cuff, I buried my face in its soft comfort and cried tears of longing for the one who made our house a home.
Lesson 5 in our review of A Woman After God’s Own Heart, by Elizabeth George.
I remember as a young girl, looking at myself in the mirror and thinking, “Why am I here? What is my purpose?” I think most of us have pondered that question at some time or other. But as a follower of Christ, it’s narrowed that question to, “What does God want from me as a Christian?” God doesn’t snatch us up out of this world and take us to heaven (as wonderful as that would be!) the moment we get saved. Why not? What purpose does He have for leaving us here?
Maybe with all the stuff going on in the world you’re having a bit of a hard time getting motivated in your home. I want to encourage you today about how helpful it is to keep moving forward especially during these difficult days.
If we can’t have the confidence that home will be a constant place of comfort, where will we go?
If we are also at odds with our loved ones because we are stressed, who else on this earth will love them?
Therefore…
This was supper one night this week. I moved a small side table in front of the fireplace so we could have the ambiance at our simple spaghetti supper.
Keep your normal routines going at home. Get up and get dressed. Make the bed. Do the laundry. Vacuum the carpet. Sweep the floor. Make the bathroom shine. You have control over yourself, so be disciplined.
Keep mealtimes delicious, engaging and special. Cook good food. That doesn’t mean you have to fix gourmet food. I do think there’s great value in fixing a supper meal at home, in involving your family in setting the table, and helping with clean up. While at the table, turn off the television and make effort to create conversation, even if it’s just you and your spouse. Turn on some relaxing music in the background. Light a candle. Set the table. Linger after the meal. Have a small dessert and coffee and take time to enjoy it all together as the gift it really is. It’s hard work being a homemaker, but if you don’t do it for your family, who will?
Be present for your spouse and children. In all that’s going on, it’s so easy for people to feel disconnected. Children are certainly feeling some hard things and may need to ask questions or share any fears they may be experiencing. What a great time to point them to God’s Word with answers. Stop and pray with them over any anxious feelings they may be experiencing. My husband and I quoted Bible verses to one another one recent evening as we were drifting off to sleep. They were verses of comfort that did much to stop my worry! No one can take your place in the home. Your presence is imperative and irreplaceable.
Make home the best place to be. Create a warmth that draws your family back. Plan for game night with popcorn and hot chocolate. Keep the house tidied up so it feels welcoming. Get that last bit of Christmas decor put away and the tree needles swept up. Light a new, fresh candle. Make comfy places for people to sit and read. Maybe this is the time to change the furniture around for a fresh look in your living room? Home is a gift, and the woman is the one who sets the tone.
Make sure you’re spending greater time with the Lord each day. If we ever needed direction and comfort from His Word, it’s now. Pray. Spend time giving Him your burdens. Learn from Him. Write down what you learn. Stay close through the day by listening to godly podcasts. Meditate on God’s Word through Scripture memory.
If you wish to know God, you must know His Word. If you wish to perceive his power, you must see how he works by his Word. If you wish to know his purpose before it comes to pass, you can only discover it by his Word.~Spurgeon
Without a relationship with God, we can do nothing that is effective for eternity.
These five things will not change the world, but they can change the people that live inside your home…including you! I pray that these simple steps will help you bring some joy from the home that our loving God has entrusted to you. You can make a difference, dear friend.
I have had that awkward conversation in the past. I think it could be easy for women who work outside the home to wonder…
Is there really enough to keep a woman busy homemaking all day long?
It could be easy to assume that a homemaker has lots of down time, time to just sit and do anything she wants! But just as with any assumption, those statements are far from the truth. May I take you through one of my weeks and give you a little glimpse at the busyness and the joy of being a homemaker?
My children are gone from home, but I’m still their mom, and that means I have the blessing of participating in celebrating their birthdays and our family holidays. So that involves cooking, decorating the table, purchasing gifts and being the hostess.
On Saturday and Sunday I was busy with attending Bible study, doing laundry, preparing Sunday’s clothes and dinner, fellowship with friends, and worship on Sunday morning. Then on Sunday evening we traveled to Kentucky to visit my parents and also get to see my aunt and uncle from Florida. I helped my mom prepare the meal for our family, which was a blessing.
When I got home on Tuesday, I had a half bushel of South Carolina peaches waiting for me. I really enjoy canning, and I really love the reward of opening my pantry and seeing these jars on the shelves! It’s a labor of love that we enjoy all year long!
In case you didn’t know, I’m also a Gigi (ha!!)! Each week I have the boys over for Bible Club. This week it was really hot, so they came over to use the pool that we had prayed for when every store was sold out! They had so much fun and so did I! I got to remind them that we had asked God to provide a pool and He did it!! It’s my greatest joy to point their little hearts to the Lord!
Daily it is my joy to prepare meals for me and my husband. I try really hard to provide food that is healthy and delicious. It takes time and effort, but it’s worth it! We love being outside during the warm days, so this lunch was served Al fresco, as are most all of them during the summer months!
Not pictured is the house work- mopping, wiping, dusting, polishing, ironing, sweeping, gardening, straightening, fluffing, decorating, and folding that happens weekly.
Of course I also have a personal life and a ministry life. As a wife, I try to serve my husband (though I feel like he does a whole lot more serving me than I do him! I take time each morning to study God’s Word, to journal and pray. In an effort to stay active, I walk two miles at least three times a week.
I take time sometime during the days to prepare and study for my radio ministry, my blog and any speaking engagements that are coming up. So I do spend a good bit of time at my computer.
It feels like the days are very full, but honestly, so is my heart. My husband worked three jobs early in our ministry life to provide so I could stay home and be the homemaker. He has sacrificed, because he has seen the benefit of my presence in the home. I am so very thankful!
There were times that I have been embarrassed about telling someone what my “employment” was, but I’ve learned over the years that being a homemaker is a high calling. I couldn’t be more fulfilled doing anything else!
What do I do?
I get to be a homemaker!!!!
Do you wish you were a homemaker but have to work out of necessity? Pray. Ask the Lord if He would give you the desire of your heart. Wait and watch what He will do! In the meantime, do what He has called yo to do with a thankful, contented heart.
Are you a homemaker? What do you love most about it? What do you dislike?
I took a trip recently and saw some beautiful foliage in the trees. The picture above was part of my drive and I have to say, it made me smile at the onset of fall! How beautiful it is!
Change of seasons from summer to fall is all about acceptance. After all, there’s nothing we can do to stop its approach. So, rather than screaming, pouting or even moving south, we decide to decorate the porch, build a fire, sigh at the beauty of the colors, and just enjoy it. It’s all about embracing the season.
RefreshHer 