Potting Flowers

Today I was driving by a daycare around 5:00 and saw parents picking up their children and it just broke my heart. I knew for our family that by the time Joe gets home from work we only have a few hours to eat supper, play, give the children baths and put them to bed. But to think that for some children that's all the time they get with both parents just breaks my heart. I know that some people don't have a choice but if you give me a choice I would rather live in a 1 bedroom apartment and drive a $200 car then to send my children to daycare and I mean that literally. I have worked at a daycare, that is what I would rather do. I know that it's not easy living in today's society with only one income. I know because we do it everyday. Every dollar counts and the word budget takes on a whole new meaning. But the bigger issue that I see is moms are selling themselves short. They really just don't see all of the value in being a mom. So much of what we do every day is intangible. Yes, anyone can step in and meet a child's physical needs but not everyone can meet a child's emotional and spiritual needs. What we do everyday is shaping their personality, nurturing their spirit, helping them see God's creation, teaching them to interact as siblings. It goes far beyond the eat, burp, change, drink physical needs that anyone can provide. I can tell by just looking at Isaac if he needs some one on one time or if he's getting jealous of his sister. I know that if Eva's not acting right she may be coming down with something and she can take a 3 hour nap if she needs one, Or if Isaac is going through a growth spurt and is asking to eat all of the time, I can let him.

I think that as women we need to learn to say "NO" to this world that will only suck the life right out of us and rob our joy and say "Yes" to our families. I mean really,what's wrong with us? We really should know better, you can never have it all, something always suffers.

Let's just talk for a minute about the way the body of Christ is suppose to work and I'll tie this all together at the end. The Lord has laid it all out for us. We are to look after the orphans and widows...James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Thank you James! Well, actually THANK YOU LORD! I can never read God's word without seeing something that I can improve upon. There is a widow that lives across the street from us and the other day while I was planting my flowers I noticed that her pots were still empty. I know that her health is failing, it is physically apparent, but I realized that I need to walk over there and ask if she would like me to pot some flowers for her. Then I realized, as James wrote, I need to be looking after her. Yes, she has family in town but there are plenty of things that are much easier for a neighbor to do then for a family member that lives across town. I could have easily cooked a little extra and taken her some more food but I haven't. Lord, help me to not become so busy in my own life that I am unable to see the needs of those around me. We all so easily forget that we too are missionaries. We are living in a foreign land! As long as we are living on this earth it is a foreign land to us. I know that I am busy with my children but they will learn so much more by seeing and doing. That is what Christ has called us to do. He did not call us to make as much money as we can! I need to march myself over there tomorrow and ask her before we move, otherwise I will have lived across the street from her for almost 3 years and not have at least tried to reach out, not have shown her God's love, not have been obedient to Christs call on my life. I know that many of us have not been commissioned by our churches to go out and be missionaries to unreached people groups but I am failing the Lord if I am not able to encourage and look after those around me. Yes, she has probably heard the gospel. I don't know that for fact but it would be pretty hard to live in this country and not have heard the gospel at some point but if she is not seeing any faith in action, is her heart becoming bitter? Does she think all Christians are hypocritical? I don't know the answers but I do know what Christ has called me to do.

MY POINT IS THIS. How in the world are we suppose to Serve the Lord with our whole hearts, love our husbands, mother our children and look after the orphans and widows when we are choosing to keep ourselves so busy outside of our homes. Let's take a look at Titus 2 as well, I mean if we want to get at the heart of the issue. Let's start here Titus 2:3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

I do not believe for one nanosecond that this type of training and learning can happen at church. It is simply impossible. You may get some core principals but let's face it, not many preachers are going to talk about this. This type of training only comes from women spending time with women, in their homes, with their children, sharing theirs hearts and seeking the Lord's will!



Why can't we as women "Just Say No" to this world and know that Christ has called us to SO much more. No, it is not tangible and it never will be but let's PUSH ourselves to be satisfied in Him alone. No, it will never be easy and every day it will be a struggle but tomorrow I will see if I can pot some flowers and hopefully next time it won't take me 3 years to do it.