I was very encouraged by a particular part of our sermon yesterday. It was about the Sabbath and how Jesus took ownership of and restored the Sabbath to open up the access to the presence of God and point to the eternal Sabbath. I am
not going to get in to the ins and outs of Sabbath keeping, except to say that
God created us to work 6 days and gave us the 7th as a Day of
Rest. When done for legalistic reasons,
the Sabbath can be a real drag, but when seen as part of God’s perfect plan,
the way He created us to live, it is a blessing.
Now I want to focus on the first part; “Six days you shall
labor and do all your work…” Deuteronomy 5:13
Our Pastor noted that we were created to work and that our
primary reason for working is not to bring home a pay-cheque, but to glorify and
serve God. I found this hugely encouraging
as a Stay-at-home-Mom. So often these
days, in our society, work is not valued unless it is for income. Many women
feel the need to “contribute” to the family by working, whether from home,
being an entrepreneur, doing a little something on the side, or even outside of
the home while they arrange alternate care for their children. I’m not going to talk about whether
you choose to work or not, make a supplemental or even the primary income. This is about validating that the unpaid work of a Stay-at-home-Mom counts!
I definitely work, and no one will deny the work involved in
raising children and maintaining a home.
But it still needs to be acknowledged. I am doing the work that God has called me to
at this stage in my life. And whether or
not I go back to work for pay when my kids are in school or become a volunteer
for my kid’s school, I will still be working.
My days are full and busy, that is mostly true. Does blowing bubbles with my kids count as
work? Does writing a blog (debatable ;).
Although the to-do list is never ending, there is a lot of
fun to be had at the same time. Do your
work faithfully and take it seriously, but enjoy it all the while.
On another note, I have been pretty in to reading other
people’s blogs lately and am just becoming aware of this phenomenon that is
blogging. However, reading about how to
be a “Better Mom” is quite ironic if I am taking time away from my family to
read. I need to be careful to guard my
time.
I also want to give a shout out to Moms with kids at home
who are baking another bun in the tummy oven.
You are doing your work on the inside – take it easy and let your
expectations down. You can’t do it all, so
don’t try and let other people help you.
This is a precious time.
Once again I want to say what a blessing the Sabbath
is. When taken as a day of rest and worship
after an honest 6 day work week, it is truly refreshing, renewing and rejuvenating.
Remember to do all you do for the glory of God and accept
his gift of Sabbath Rest. It is His
perfect will, how could you want more?
With a Bushel and a Peck of Faithfulness,
Stephanie
“Ora et Labora” – Latin “Pray and Work”
Linking up with GraceLaced today - what a great reminder to be content and humble, to see the fullness of God's grace in our everyday, ordinary lives - through Christ the ordinary is made extraordinary.
