My husband took a week of vacation to finish some remodeling on the home into which we hope to move in the next month or so. Yesterday our oldest son, Jon, and a college student from church spent nearly the entire day digging out a window well hole. Who knew digging a 5ft. deep hole, 4 feet wide, would take so much work? Today when Jon got up, he said that for the first time in his life he awakened with stiff hands. That's what shoveling all day will do to a guy. The funny part was that apparently the boys didn't talk much, until my discipleship team girls showed up to see the house. Suddenly the guys got all talkative to each other. My D-team consists of 4 high school aged girls, with whom I meet weekly. They are all very pretty, too. It's amazing how a young man can get his second wind when in the company of women. LOL!
During this week of "vacation" I'm trying to spend my mornings catching up on housework and laundry, and my afternoons and evenings will be spent at the other house. Yesterday I hung curtains in the living room, cleaned the girls' bathroom mirror, swept the kitchen a bazillion times (diggin' guys drag in dirt), vacuumed, cleaned and sanded a bunch of heating vents, among other things. I've found that being a keeper at home means being at home... but when one has two homes and five kids, usually one place or the other will fall into a state of disarray rather quickly. This is why I can't be an evolutionist. The Law of Entropy is alive and well at my house!
What I'm finding during this stressful time of life is that it is more difficult to keep my thoughts under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Wow, does my flesh like to complain when it's tired. I have been fighting defeating thoughts with my remembrance of the Word. The Holy Spirit graciously brings to mind all He's done for me and many of those around me over the years. I remember one of the first Bible verses I ever memorized, Isaiah 26:3, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."
When I take control of my thoughts, forcing myself to keep my mind on Him, the end result is a much more calm, happy woman. It's amazing how taking the focus off myself and onto Jesus helps give me proper perspective. He truly is wonderful, isn't He? He didn't have to leave us the written Word, but He is gracious, and He knew we'd need constant reminders of His ways and words. It's of great importance for us to remember that we aren't passive victims of our own thought-lives, but rather we do have the ability to control those things upon which we dwell. The Bible says we're to think on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Sometimes this will mean turning off the news, or putting down the newspaper. But for me, most of the time, it will mean turning my thoughts from myself back to my Lord. I am amazed at how often "I" and "me" come up in my thoughts. Ugh!
Lord, help me to focus on You, to serve You in all I do. Even if it's digging holes or sweeping dirt.
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