I have been really truly convicted about the following:
"Persevere, create, and give your gifts to your husband and children first."
This was from the spring edition of Joyous Home. Wow. It seems like such an obvious way to live. However, I find myself continually caught up in what I need to do to earn money for our family or in measuring my worth somehow in my earnings or what others buy from the handwork I create. Wrong!!! God expects me to be a wife and mother and a good one at that. That is it! I need to put my husband first and then my six children and all will fall into place. Being resourceful, growing our food, canning, baking, making some of our gifts, household items, etc..... that is part of being a homemaker. All that comes after wife and mother and may overlap some of the roles. However, to be so concerned about earning money, well, I believe if I have my priorities straight, God will provide. I have a hard working husband and we live very simply, thus we are pretty good stewards of the money God does provide us.
So this moring, and from this day forward, I am going to take the time to roll a hand knit ball back and forth with my little one without an ounce of thought of what I should be doing to grow our family businesses, I am going to think about what I can do special for my husband this very evening and remember to get the invoices ready for the jobs he has completed, for example.
I am going to listen when my 13 year old wants to tell me about a book he is reading or stop and play hangman with my just turned 11 year old. I am going to sew the backing on my five year old's patchwork potholder.
Yes, I will work hard, be diligent in my daily work, however, there is nothing more important than my family and giving them the foundation of a happy, loving home.
Blessings,
Tonya
That is so true, Tonya. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree...I feel the same way. At the moment my sons want my help in creating their armor that they are designing and my daughter wants me to play doll house with her. I am only one person and so much needs to be done during the day just to keep the home running smoothly, but I feel that I give most of my attention to my two oldest and two youngest children and the two in the middle tend to take care of themselves. My husband gets the leftovers. Well, not really, but some days it really seems like it. I strive for balance too. I have to work on it everyday and do a little more of 'living in the moment'. I also can be a stresser and worry about things in the future and God wants us to 'laugh at the days to come' (Proverbs 31) so I work on that as well :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I enjoy your blog :)
I have a hard time with this also, but over time I see time and again that God provides and I need not worry. If only I could remember that every day!
ReplyDeleteTonya,
ReplyDeleteI struggle with this everyday....money is so tight and I am always thinking of simple ways to earn a little extra money. I was wondering if you could blog about some simple recipes you have been making or maybe a small recipe book...here I go again thinking about money ideas for you:)
I think groceries are the hardest thing to budget...for are family everything is so expensive and we grow are own veggies? I try to buy all our personal items at the dollar store:) Any Ideas?
Lynn