On daily faithfulness
It's rainy today and, per usual, I feel impossibly tired. We are going on several weeks of sickness 'round here. Once an illness hits we inevitably hold our breaths as it crawls its way through each family member and we can finally (praise hands emoji) emerge into the world again. Only to catch a cold or the flu.
I am wondering if I will ever truly feel, "on top of things." My friend and I were discussing this the other day... how the rat race of today's motherhood feels exhausting, with so many decorative plates spinning. We are expected to have flat stomachs, instagram-worthy kitchens, well-dressed children, romantic marriages, and a side hustle that seems to make more than the average full-time job without actually taking any time away from our families. Jennifer Garner. That might be who we are supposed to be? Or Joanna Gaines if you are in Christian circles.
However, none of the aforementioned requirements of Super Mom of 2018 are eternal. 2 Peter 3:10 tells us that all of the shiplap will eventually burn, right along with our workout videos, eyeliner, and Birkenstocks. It will ALL dissolve and all that will remain are those eternal works.
As I look over my life and all of the daily faithfulness it requires, I wonder how much of my need to be "on top of things" would settle if I were solely focusing on things that are eternal. If I truly set my eyes on eternity when I started my day. Don't hear me saying to neglect that laundry and toss out the dirty dishes... but maybe the pressure would lessen if I recognized my duty and calling were from God alone... that doing the dishes as a means of love and service would instill in them a certain value, a certain beauty, rather than a task to overcome.
I have an index card taped above my kitchen sink with a quote by Father Jude of St. Gregory's Priory: "The body I am helping to keep alive is destined for a glorious resurrection. The person to whom I am carrying a plate of food is someone who it is an honor to serve. For he has been invited to eat and drink at the table of a King."
As C.S. Lewis says, there is no such thing as "mere mortals." Every mouth I feed or dirty dish I clean is a result of a person destined for a glorious resurrection. I know I talk about having an eternal mindset often... but it's so easy to get bogged down in the here and now, right? It's so easy to get anxious about today, getting things done, worrying about what is yet to be done, etc. etc. It becomes a heavy yoke we weren't intended to bear and our souls become burdened with tasks that aren't meant to be burdensome.
So, take Jesus' yoke. Let your soul rest. Keep a long view... and live in the moment.
I am wondering if I will ever truly feel, "on top of things." My friend and I were discussing this the other day... how the rat race of today's motherhood feels exhausting, with so many decorative plates spinning. We are expected to have flat stomachs, instagram-worthy kitchens, well-dressed children, romantic marriages, and a side hustle that seems to make more than the average full-time job without actually taking any time away from our families. Jennifer Garner. That might be who we are supposed to be? Or Joanna Gaines if you are in Christian circles.
However, none of the aforementioned requirements of Super Mom of 2018 are eternal. 2 Peter 3:10 tells us that all of the shiplap will eventually burn, right along with our workout videos, eyeliner, and Birkenstocks. It will ALL dissolve and all that will remain are those eternal works.
I have an index card taped above my kitchen sink with a quote by Father Jude of St. Gregory's Priory: "The body I am helping to keep alive is destined for a glorious resurrection. The person to whom I am carrying a plate of food is someone who it is an honor to serve. For he has been invited to eat and drink at the table of a King."
As C.S. Lewis says, there is no such thing as "mere mortals." Every mouth I feed or dirty dish I clean is a result of a person destined for a glorious resurrection. I know I talk about having an eternal mindset often... but it's so easy to get bogged down in the here and now, right? It's so easy to get anxious about today, getting things done, worrying about what is yet to be done, etc. etc. It becomes a heavy yoke we weren't intended to bear and our souls become burdened with tasks that aren't meant to be burdensome.
So, take Jesus' yoke. Let your soul rest. Keep a long view... and live in the moment.
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