Where has the order gone? I love my things to be in order, and I love a clean home. Yet since having children, I feel like my home is in complete chaos! I am constantly burdened by the dirt, the toys, and the "stuff" that seems to pile up in the places I most want clean! I tidy up the kids' rooms several times a day, and they never stay that way for long. I fix lunch and stare at the stove that desperately needs a scrub-down. I find a moment to wash my hands, and the spots on the bathroom mirror call my name, followed by my children running into the bathroom to pull on my leg for something that needs more immediate attention than dirty mirrors. And then I am gently reminded of this Proverb:
Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean,
But abundant crops come by the strength of the ox.
-Proverbs 14:4
If I want to spend precious time with my precious children, my manger will never be clean. And if my husband and I want to reap the harvest of a righteous heritage, we must feed the oxen.
Thank you Lord for giving me oxen, and teach me to be a good steward of my manger.
I love your last two paragraphs... :) I read an article once that talked about our roles as moms and how it usually works that as we finish cleaning the floors then a little one usually walks in with dirty shoes... haha... but it really is just a sign that our home is full of life. If our homes were always perfect then they would be devoid of life. I like that. A home full of life does not mean a perfectly clean home because people are living there. :) Anyway...
ReplyDeleteHope you have a great day!