Wk3D5 LoveGodGreatlyI’m a do-er in this house.

We moms have a constant pulse on what the state-of-the-home is at any moment, don’t we? And we’re not afraid to hold our own little press conferences and announce it to anyone who will listen.

I’m a meal-making, schoolwork-checking, chore-assigning, hygiene-monitoring, laundry-folding, behavior-watching, clutter-sorting, schedule-planning, task-oriented kind of girl.

My brain keeps track of stuff like: who needs to be where and when, what character traits my children need to be working on, what the emotional state of each of my family members is at any given moment… down to the detailed bathroom habits of everyone living under my roof. For real, this is important stuff for the health, prosperity and happiness of my people. 

I’m an expert in critical information such as:

Child #1 likes: crunchy peanut butter and grape jelly on two pieces of wheat bread.

Child #2 likes: crunchy peanut butter ONLY on single slices of bread folded in half.

Child #3 likes: creamy peanut butter and raspberry jelly on white bread.

Child #4 likes: boiled eggs and pickles, and LOTS of them.

I regularly have crumbs on my floors that need attention, science experiments strewn all over my kitchen counter that need guidance, and six people who consistently require clean underwear. That last one is a non-negotiable, ya’ll. These are the things that keep moms up at night.

But in all of this striving, sometimes I neglect the abiding.

Is it good and honorable to provide for the needs of my family? Absolutely. But when I’m more focused on the tasks instead of the people right in front of my face, something’s definitely out of balance. And trust me, they notice. We find subtle ways to make sure they all notice.

You see, there’s this girl in my house who will one day have a home of her own, and she’s watching every move I make. 

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She’s taking in my attitude while I rush her to the next thing.

She’s listening to the tone of my voice when I’m impatiently responding to her needs.

She’s waiting for me to finish a task so that I’ll listen to what she has to say.

She’s longing for me to sit – just for a sweet minute  so that she can snuggle in close.

She’ll be grown and out the door before I know it. Will she remember my kind voice and extravagant love? Or will she remember a clean house and my completed to-do list and a mama who was never, ever satisfied?

There’s a girl in my house who watches every move I make. She’ll either learn to strive herself into a state of exhaustion, or she’ll learn how to abide in Jesus as the source of her strength. 

And she’ll learn it from me.

_______________________

There once was a single mom who had four kids. There was much on her plate – so much that she could never get it all done. But because Jesus filled her to the brim {and because she knew that the dishes would still be there tomorrow}, she stopped. And she listened. And she spoke softly and hugged tightly and loved extravagantly. And she was so very, very kind. So kind that her household and the whole town knew it.

And I watched every move she made. And because of her, I saw Jesus more clearly.

That’s what I remember. And that’s how a Godly legacy begins.

{Living in Community with our families} is more than meals and laundry and a thousand things left undone. Community equals legacy when Jesus is at the center.

One day my children will leave my home. One day I’ll breathe my final breath and I’ll leave this earth. And so will you.

What will they remember?

Oh Father, let it be…

Love.

Kindness.

Jesus in me.

“How blessed is the man who fears the LORD,

Who greatly delights in His commandments.

His descendants will be mighty on earth;

The generation of the upright will be blessed.”

~ Psalm 112:1-2 

At His feet,

*LET’S TALK: Are you striving or abiding in your home? How can you intentionally show love and kindness to your family today?

WhitneyD

WhitneyD

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