Idols, busy-ness, and redemption...
Ok, so I'm a busy gal. I don't really know how it happened, but it did. I tell myself it's because we had another baby 4 months and 4 weeks ago, but who am I kidding? I was busy way before then. It was my New Year's Resolution to not be so darn busy in 2010. You know, weed out the unneccesary.
I thought the unnecessary was lunch dates with other ladies, personal shopping trips, and playing around on Facebook. Oh no! God showed me mightily over the course of the last 24 hours that the unnecesary is occasionally in the form of the housework. And I ain't talking some random project like paint the cabinets, organize the tool shed, or wash the dog's water bowl. No, I mean the normal stuff... dinner, laundry, making beds.
Yesterday Emory went back to preschool and I sighed with relief that life was getting back to normal. Our routine was back in place. I came home after the carpool run, tucked baby boy in for a nap and mopped the kitchen. Check. Made lunch for some friends who were coming over with their little ones to play. Check. Made the beds. Check. Picked up random toys in corners of various rooms. Check. Order has been restored to the Skocelai household. Then the phone rang and all H-E-L-L breaks loose.
A dear friend had a death in her family this past weekend and it was our church secretary had called to see if I would assist her in arranging meals. As I frantically tried to figure out why I was getting this phone call, I accepted the challenge. After all, a couple of quick phone calls and I'd be done, right? I got the food delegated, including dropping off a random bottle of Karo syrup to one of the ladies making a dessert. She had a plethura of pecans, I had some Karo Syrup, her house is on my way home from picking up Emory. Voila! "Lord, thank you that You ordained everything to fall into place so that I was not undone by this unexpected need today." I prayed on the way home. Mistake number two.
The kids are down for a nap, hubby is home on a half day and I've cheerfully put him to work, and I get busy in the kitchen. To cut down a rather lengthy story, the crsut wouldn't work, sending me to Publix at 5:00 right as everyone else was hitting Publix on their way home from work. I get busy in the kitchen (it is now after 5:00 and I'm hell bent on making this pie that will need time to set after it has been prepared.). Emory and Ethan wake up right as I'm at the critical stage of stirring and simmering the chocolate. I cannot stop what I am doing or the pie filling will be ruined and I'll have to start all over. So, I snap at my daughter to suck it up, life's hard and mommy's busy, and whine to my husband, "Can't you please do something with the kids?!"
Pie is done at 6:00 and I finally get started on dinner, which, by the way, includes an entree I have never made before. I had picked up a rotissiere chicken at Publix for later in the week. When the Spirit nudges that maybe I should consider that for dinner along side a can of green beans and instant rice, I snap back, "Go away! I can figure this out myself." We sit down to eat and I realize with a shock how horrible my attitude has become in the name of serving the Body of Christ! So, I asked my family's forgiveness and we enjoy a fun meal, bathtime, and bedtime routine.
I collapse on the couch, ever thankful that today is over and looking forward to a tomorrow of blissful boredom. Then, dearest cautiously asserts, "We're out of dog food." I wanted to bury my head and cry. Why? Because this means a Sam's trip with 2 kids and I promised Emory I would take her to story time and when in the heck will Ethan get his morning nap if I have to be out all morning? Eric can't promise he'll be able to get it because Wednesday is a surgery day and he frequently doesn't get lunch on those days. So, it's up to me. Woohoo! No problem, I work out the day in head, one that includes story time and baby's morning nap, but it's going to be a tight one!
I get home from the gym this morning to find out that the baby has uncharacteristically slept until 8:00. Of course he did. Now, he won't want to nap at 9:00 so how do we make story time? I figure it out again and realize we can make it to the 9:30 instead of our usual 10:30, but we'll have to come home and put him down before heading back out to Sam's. But what about lunch? I don't want to eat out, I want the picturesque meal at home with my kids!
I jump in shower, bustin' a move to get to story time in T-minus 45 minutes, and I realize I have a golden opportunity to cheerfully accept what God has ordained for me instead of chaffing against how things didn't go as I had planned. So, as I sudsed up, I gave the day to Him, and then yanked it back when I realized that meant going European for day number who-can-keep-track. Than, I sighed and gave Him the day again. Jumped out of the shower, threw on clothes, and start getting kids ready to go. Baby boy has had a blow out. The kind where I have to change my clothes too. "Really, Lord?" I struggled, but we're out the door and on our way with 3 minutes spare.
At some point I just decide that Emory is going to get a piece of pizza at Sam's for lunch and we need grapes, so I'll get those first and she can munch on those too while I shop. She doesn't care that we are not home for lunch, she does care if her mommy is snippy with her. Ethan doesn't really care that he's not been allowed to play with any of his toys today, he does care if his mommy is so busy with her list that she forgets to look at him occasionally and smile. Eric doesn't really care what we had for dinner, he does care if I am impatient with him.
It's all about letting go of what I want and cheerfully putting aside my list if God has better for me, not exacting a price from my family for getting in my way of getting stuff done. When will I learn that no one around here really cares what we do with our day as long as it is done cheerfully?
I thought the unnecessary was lunch dates with other ladies, personal shopping trips, and playing around on Facebook. Oh no! God showed me mightily over the course of the last 24 hours that the unnecesary is occasionally in the form of the housework. And I ain't talking some random project like paint the cabinets, organize the tool shed, or wash the dog's water bowl. No, I mean the normal stuff... dinner, laundry, making beds.
Yesterday Emory went back to preschool and I sighed with relief that life was getting back to normal. Our routine was back in place. I came home after the carpool run, tucked baby boy in for a nap and mopped the kitchen. Check. Made lunch for some friends who were coming over with their little ones to play. Check. Made the beds. Check. Picked up random toys in corners of various rooms. Check. Order has been restored to the Skocelai household. Then the phone rang and all H-E-L-L breaks loose.
A dear friend had a death in her family this past weekend and it was our church secretary had called to see if I would assist her in arranging meals. As I frantically tried to figure out why I was getting this phone call, I accepted the challenge. After all, a couple of quick phone calls and I'd be done, right? I got the food delegated, including dropping off a random bottle of Karo syrup to one of the ladies making a dessert. She had a plethura of pecans, I had some Karo Syrup, her house is on my way home from picking up Emory. Voila! "Lord, thank you that You ordained everything to fall into place so that I was not undone by this unexpected need today." I prayed on the way home. Mistake number two.
The kids are down for a nap, hubby is home on a half day and I've cheerfully put him to work, and I get busy in the kitchen. To cut down a rather lengthy story, the crsut wouldn't work, sending me to Publix at 5:00 right as everyone else was hitting Publix on their way home from work. I get busy in the kitchen (it is now after 5:00 and I'm hell bent on making this pie that will need time to set after it has been prepared.). Emory and Ethan wake up right as I'm at the critical stage of stirring and simmering the chocolate. I cannot stop what I am doing or the pie filling will be ruined and I'll have to start all over. So, I snap at my daughter to suck it up, life's hard and mommy's busy, and whine to my husband, "Can't you please do something with the kids?!"
Pie is done at 6:00 and I finally get started on dinner, which, by the way, includes an entree I have never made before. I had picked up a rotissiere chicken at Publix for later in the week. When the Spirit nudges that maybe I should consider that for dinner along side a can of green beans and instant rice, I snap back, "Go away! I can figure this out myself." We sit down to eat and I realize with a shock how horrible my attitude has become in the name of serving the Body of Christ! So, I asked my family's forgiveness and we enjoy a fun meal, bathtime, and bedtime routine.
I collapse on the couch, ever thankful that today is over and looking forward to a tomorrow of blissful boredom. Then, dearest cautiously asserts, "We're out of dog food." I wanted to bury my head and cry. Why? Because this means a Sam's trip with 2 kids and I promised Emory I would take her to story time and when in the heck will Ethan get his morning nap if I have to be out all morning? Eric can't promise he'll be able to get it because Wednesday is a surgery day and he frequently doesn't get lunch on those days. So, it's up to me. Woohoo! No problem, I work out the day in head, one that includes story time and baby's morning nap, but it's going to be a tight one!
I get home from the gym this morning to find out that the baby has uncharacteristically slept until 8:00. Of course he did. Now, he won't want to nap at 9:00 so how do we make story time? I figure it out again and realize we can make it to the 9:30 instead of our usual 10:30, but we'll have to come home and put him down before heading back out to Sam's. But what about lunch? I don't want to eat out, I want the picturesque meal at home with my kids!
I jump in shower, bustin' a move to get to story time in T-minus 45 minutes, and I realize I have a golden opportunity to cheerfully accept what God has ordained for me instead of chaffing against how things didn't go as I had planned. So, as I sudsed up, I gave the day to Him, and then yanked it back when I realized that meant going European for day number who-can-keep-track. Than, I sighed and gave Him the day again. Jumped out of the shower, threw on clothes, and start getting kids ready to go. Baby boy has had a blow out. The kind where I have to change my clothes too. "Really, Lord?" I struggled, but we're out the door and on our way with 3 minutes spare.
At some point I just decide that Emory is going to get a piece of pizza at Sam's for lunch and we need grapes, so I'll get those first and she can munch on those too while I shop. She doesn't care that we are not home for lunch, she does care if her mommy is snippy with her. Ethan doesn't really care that he's not been allowed to play with any of his toys today, he does care if his mommy is so busy with her list that she forgets to look at him occasionally and smile. Eric doesn't really care what we had for dinner, he does care if I am impatient with him.
It's all about letting go of what I want and cheerfully putting aside my list if God has better for me, not exacting a price from my family for getting in my way of getting stuff done. When will I learn that no one around here really cares what we do with our day as long as it is done cheerfully?
Comments
The tongue is such a powerful tool for nurturing or it can be a source of tearing down. I need to be so careful about the way I speak to my family. A good verse is that one on a Jamie Soles CD. (I thought it would be a good verse to recite to my kids, and I find it is very useful for myself as well.) "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips." Ps. 141:3
May God be merciful to us mothers to show us our sin, give us the grace to repent, and cause us to grow more into the image of His Son. He is able!