Day 26 – There are certain jobs in this world that are pretty thankless. Things like doing laundry and the dishes just drive me crazy because it is never ending. It isn't like a job that you complete and move onto another task. As soon as I finish one load of laundry, I can pretty much count on one of my children to walk up behind me and dump a bunch of clothes into the hamper.
When I was younger and we didn't have very many clothes due to finances, I thought that might be a bad thing. As a mom, later in life, let me tell you – I'm thinking that 5-7 outfits thing might be GREAT. Very little laundry to do and mass appreciation for new clothes from the kids sounds like a wonderful plan. So, I whine periodically and feel frustrated occasionally and yet, why am I complaining?!
However, I am so very grateful and thankful to have clothes, to have the ability to clean them and to have more than one outfit. Today, while my two daughters were in chapel at school, they learned of a friend of theirs whose house burned down. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to wake in the middle of the night, run outside of my house with only my bed clothes and then watch the house burn to the ground. Nothing is left. I imagine that it truly puts everything in your life into perspective and you find out what you truly have left. The love of Christ is how we come into this world and if we choose to believe, it is his love and the promise of eternal life with which we leave. That's it and that is truly all we need.
How often do we sit outside our proverbial house and complain about various things while other things around us are burning to the ground? Whether it is our health, our relationships or you name it. Our focus tends to get skewed and off of God and onto material things. What are we without His love and sacrifice? We are nothing. I truly will sit every time I have to do laundry or the dishes and be grateful that I have the option rather than complaining from now on.
Philippians 2:12 – 16 says:
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
14Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe 16as you hold out[ the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing
Take heart my sisters and brothers and appreciate everything you have and know in your heart that none of it matters without Christ.
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