Friday, May 24, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
As Unto the Lord...
My life is not glamorous. I have six children 10 and under. Basically, I wipe bottoms, fill sippy cups, and clean spills all. day. long. Most of my friends have moved on. They don't change diapers anymore. They just take kids to and from various activities. Not me. I'm taking my kids to and from baseball games and practices, and I'm changing diapers in all sorts of awkward positions and strange ways in my van and in the stroller. It is crazy, and it is not glamorous.
Bare with me, I promise this is going somewhere wonderful, but I have to give the full picture.
I rarely feel beautiful. Make up, if put on, is quickly worn off. I rarely wear anything other than t-shirts, yoga pants, and tennies. The body, well, she ain't what she used to be. Getting dolled up and heading to Starbucks to meet a friend over coffee, it is a thing of my distant past. I don't leave the house much, and I don't feel like I'm very interesting. Unless you are passionate about how to keep up with laundry for a family of 8, then you just might find me fascinating! :-)
But, for the most part, my life is very routine, fairly organized, and not very exciting. This is great by me, but there are days when the SELF starts calling, and I feel like I am less than human! I was having one of those days....
I just felt like the old lady who lived in a shoe. I felt messy and tired and weak and overwhelmed. And, part of me just wanted to throw in the towel. But, Erik was out, and the little ones needed a bath before I could put them to bed. Oh, bedtime, glorious bedtime! :-) So, I plopped my littles in the tub just like that... one, two, three. And, I slowly knelt down, just as I always do, but something caught me....
As I knelt down, I turned my head to the side to reach for the bottle of baby bath, and I was taken aback.....
I saw my long hair falling gently over my shoulder at about the same time my knees hit the floor....
And, He hit me right straight to the heart.
Suddenly, I felt like the prostitute kneeling at His feet, my long hair spilling down, as I bathed his feet in expense perfume. Only it was really just lavender baby bath. :-)
But, I heard Him, as clear as day, say to me....
"This, my love, this is beautiful to me. This makes you beautiful to me. The way you love these little ones day in and day out. The way you serve these that I have entrusted to you. Whatever you do unto them, you are doing unto Me. It may not be glamorous by the world's standards, but it is so beautiful to me..."
And, I felt beautiful and graceful. And, I massaged their little scalps and rubbed their sweet little bellies and tickled their feet as I cleaned between their toes. And, I poured the water over their heads and watched it fall all over them. I felt their giddy joy as they kicked their legs and squealed over the water and the bubbles. My heart was full as I dried them and wrapped them warmly in their towels. And, I held them close and took my time putting them to bed.
I preach it all the time, especially during school time, to my older boys... to do everything as unto the Lord. But, this evening, this moment with my Savior, gave new meaning to all that. Suddenly the mundane felt beautiful and glorious because it was done unto Him. I was serving Him! And, I'm not a missionary in Africa, and I am not the first to volunteer at my church. But, I can serve Him all day, everyday, as I serve the least of these right here under my roof! And, it may not seem exciting or glamorous, but there is a worth in this sort of work that outweighs anything this world has to offer!!
Bare with me, I promise this is going somewhere wonderful, but I have to give the full picture.
I rarely feel beautiful. Make up, if put on, is quickly worn off. I rarely wear anything other than t-shirts, yoga pants, and tennies. The body, well, she ain't what she used to be. Getting dolled up and heading to Starbucks to meet a friend over coffee, it is a thing of my distant past. I don't leave the house much, and I don't feel like I'm very interesting. Unless you are passionate about how to keep up with laundry for a family of 8, then you just might find me fascinating! :-)
But, for the most part, my life is very routine, fairly organized, and not very exciting. This is great by me, but there are days when the SELF starts calling, and I feel like I am less than human! I was having one of those days....
I just felt like the old lady who lived in a shoe. I felt messy and tired and weak and overwhelmed. And, part of me just wanted to throw in the towel. But, Erik was out, and the little ones needed a bath before I could put them to bed. Oh, bedtime, glorious bedtime! :-) So, I plopped my littles in the tub just like that... one, two, three. And, I slowly knelt down, just as I always do, but something caught me....
As I knelt down, I turned my head to the side to reach for the bottle of baby bath, and I was taken aback.....
I saw my long hair falling gently over my shoulder at about the same time my knees hit the floor....
And, He hit me right straight to the heart.
Suddenly, I felt like the prostitute kneeling at His feet, my long hair spilling down, as I bathed his feet in expense perfume. Only it was really just lavender baby bath. :-)
But, I heard Him, as clear as day, say to me....
"This, my love, this is beautiful to me. This makes you beautiful to me. The way you love these little ones day in and day out. The way you serve these that I have entrusted to you. Whatever you do unto them, you are doing unto Me. It may not be glamorous by the world's standards, but it is so beautiful to me..."
And, I felt beautiful and graceful. And, I massaged their little scalps and rubbed their sweet little bellies and tickled their feet as I cleaned between their toes. And, I poured the water over their heads and watched it fall all over them. I felt their giddy joy as they kicked their legs and squealed over the water and the bubbles. My heart was full as I dried them and wrapped them warmly in their towels. And, I held them close and took my time putting them to bed.
I preach it all the time, especially during school time, to my older boys... to do everything as unto the Lord. But, this evening, this moment with my Savior, gave new meaning to all that. Suddenly the mundane felt beautiful and glorious because it was done unto Him. I was serving Him! And, I'm not a missionary in Africa, and I am not the first to volunteer at my church. But, I can serve Him all day, everyday, as I serve the least of these right here under my roof! And, it may not seem exciting or glamorous, but there is a worth in this sort of work that outweighs anything this world has to offer!!
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