All of us who are "married with children" find it hard to get away for a date, much less a weekend date together. But my husband and I were blessed with that for our 8th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. (It was actually a work trip for him that we added a date into, but you take every chance you can get with little ones!) His job takes him around to the NASCAR races as a Chaplain through an organization called Motor Racing Outreach. The race that week was near Chicago, a city I had been to once and jumped at the opportunity to revisit! Since he has been traveling all over the country for over 10 years now with the NASCAR circuit in some capacity, I have been a few places with him and we have had some awesome dates. But we ranked this one as number 1! We rented bicycles and rode up and down the shore of Lake Michigan through the city. Then we ate dinner on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building. In the picture above we are in front of the Buckingham fountain, which is the fountain seen in the opening of the tv show, "Married With Children."
This summer I have been doing an online bible study on the Proverbs 31 women through www.goodmorninggirls.com. It has really challenged my role in my home and encouraged me to continue seeking the Lord on being a more Godly wife and mother. I jumped into this study after spending 9 moths studying Acts and the Apostles with www.bsfinternational.org. Studying Acts challenged me to spread the gospel and be bold for Christ. But this study of Proverbs 31 is really what I needed during this season of being a stay at home mom to 2 young preschool aged children and a wife to a man who just took a role in full time ministry.
It is actually easier for me to stay busy "doing ministry" outside my home rather than inside of it. Don't get me wrong, I don't mean teaching my children the bible and spending time with them. That is something praise God I have done, since they were born. What I am talking about is HOMEMAKING. Being MARRIED WITH CHILDREN and homemaking. Keeping a home up with children interrupting before half the laundry basket of clean clothes has been put away. Then interrupted after you hang up two more shirts. Then multitasking to cook dinner at the same time. EEEK! What my old habits were was to just set the basket of clean clothes down to get wrinkled and throwing my hands up in the air and saying FORGET IT! I had just written off being a "good housekeeper" as something I wasn't good at; not my personality. I was good at other things, like teaching my kids the bible.
BUT GOD...decided in his grace to instruct me in this passage of His Word in a way I had earlier dismissed. He reminded me that making my home an environment in the physical sense a place of peace, comfort, ORGANIZATION and joy was part of the role He has given me as a wife and mother. He showed me that I needed to relinquish some of my desires to reach the world AT THE MOMENT to develop habits of becoming diligent with my home responsibilities. It was time to take a look inward and see after the dust had cleared from a whirlwind of 4 years of having infants and young toddlers who demanded my attention every second. They now finally are getting somewhat self sufficient and I had to let that excuse go to get to the blessing.
The blessing. The blessing near the end of Proverbs 31:28-29:
Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
"There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!"
When I think of these words of praise, I think of my Grandmother. Her husband holds her hand after over 50 years of marriage. He calls her honey, sweetie, and he looks at her like this:
My dear Arabella, becoming a virtuous and capable woman will not come easy, but to hear, "Well done good and faithful servant" WILL be worth it!
Seeking Him,
Amy
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