Every little thing we do.



I have days where I wonder why I should even unload that dishwasher one more time.  Why even bother to clean the floors, clean up, organize, etc.  On these days I wake up in the morning, way earlier than I want to.  I am woken up by little faces staring down at me, whining for something and demanding I get out of bed.  I shuffle my way out of bed, carrying one of these little creatures to the living room in order to get what they want, feeling rather irritated and....TIRED!  I meet the little creatures demands and finally sit down with a cup of coffee to try and gather a thought.  I have a little bit of a headache.  Crap, I hate that.  The creatures start whining again.  Then they start fighting and arguing.  This persists throughout the day.  I work my way through mundane chores, being interrupted constantly by the little creatures demands and outbursts.  I feel like I hardly accomplish anything.  I put something together for dinner and no one likes it.  Everyone has a comment to make about it and then there I am, holding my tongue, trying to not to FREAK OUT!  Sometimes I do.  Sometimes I yell, make a snide comment or just take a really loud deep breath and hope they notice my irritation.  Well, clean up time.  Glad I'm cleaning up after this dinner that no one even liked.  My back hurts and I just want to collapse.  Somehow I manage to make it through the rest of the evening.  I finally get the creatures in to bed and I'm exhausted.  I'm mad.  I wonder why I do it and I feel depressed at the thought of having to get up tomorrow morning and do the same thing over again.

When I get caught in these cycles, it's usually an accumulation of a few bad days and circumstances.  But it is mostly due to my own attitude and self pity.  When I finally stop feeling sorry for myself and remember God, I think of this verse: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

There's no one like God to whip you back in to shape and tell you what's up.  This song keeps coming on the radio about all of these little things we do and how they do matter to someone...God.  Then I read a great blog post from Drops of Living Water about the same thing.  I love when God just slams me in the face with something like that.  Gotta love a good wake up call, especially when it leaves you feeling humble and renewed.  "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord," Acts 3:19.  Lord knows I need constant refreshing, especially when it comes to this subject.

Those little creatures I mentioned before...those are my two little gifts from God.  I can view them as a nuisance or a blessing, it's my choice.  My husband who leaves his socks laying around is also a gift, someone God chose for me.  Those chores, the thankless dinners and all the other unappreciated gestures?  Well, I can look at those as a burden or my job.  The job that God has put me in charge of.  I know that where I am is exactly where God wants me to be.  Knowing that, I should also know that every task I do to keep my home, raise my family and honor my husband are pleasing to God.  It doesn't matter if the task is scrubbing a toilet.  I don't have to save the world to please God.  God promises me this: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.

And you know what, most days I love my job.  I have nothing to complain about.  I am blessed.  As far as those bad days..or well, let's be honest...weeks.  Well, I'm workin' on it.  Constantly.  Well, along with a lot of other things actually. :)