Faithful
I am always doing laundry. Or I'm ignoring the laundry because I get so sick of it. But there is always laundry.
When people say they are trying to get caught up, I know they mean that they are trying to finish their laundry. For those of you, like me, who can't comprehend what that looks like... dream with me....
Empty baskets. Everything is wash, dried, folded and put away.
I know, beautiful right? It 'aint happening in this house. At least not for quite a few years.
If you don't know me personally (which I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this actually knows me. I have the best supporters in my life!!) I am a SAHM Momma with 4 kids. Married to my guy for 12 years. In 12 years, you can live a lot of life. You can also create a lot of life, hence the 4 kids, haha. We also have 2 sweet babies I never got to hold in my arms but will forever be held in my heart <3 .="" p="">SO yeah, life happens around here. The good, the bad, and the really, really ugly.
I'm sure our story is similar to yours. We have seasons of earning more money, and seasons of earning less. Seasons of smooth sailing and seasons of rocky waters. Seasons of health and seasons of sickness. Seasons of joy and seasons of deep sorrow. This is life, this is what we signed up for when we made those vows 12 years ago. No one gets to jump ship!!
So, getting back to the laundry. As I was doing yet another load of laundry, I found a white shirt that had stains on it. Why they have white uniform shirts for children (especially my children) I will never understand, but it was one of my oldest's shirts. I had a moment to ponder... should I just fold it up and put it in his basket of clothes to put away, or throw it in the mountain of dirty clothes to be washed again? Embrace the stain, or get rid of it? If only I had some stain spray...
A few years ago, I would have gone up to the Dollar Store and bought a bottle so I could properly wash that shirt. But now, no can do. We are on a tight budget. We have to really figure what the needs and wants are for our family, and something as simple as Shout or a separate body wash for the kids, or a new dog color, those are all extras. Not needed.
Being in this position for the last two years, after a season of pretty much always having what we needed, has taught me so much. It has taught me priorities, responsibility (which I still really struggle with). It has taught me to teach my children these things. It has helped my tendency to spoil them, give them more than I had. But as I stood in the laundry room, in the house that my in-laws let us live in while helping us with the majority of our bills..... I thought of faithfulness.
God and I talk a lot throughout the day. I (as most of us are!) am in a constant battle in my mind with negative thoughts. I started to get upset that I couldn't go out and buy a bottle of stain spray. I was going to have to put this shirt back in my already giant laundry pile and wash it again, hoping that the stain would come out this time. Resentment. Why is it that "so and so" doesn't have to worry about this? No wonder they get to "fill in the blank here" or no wonder they have "blah blah blah."
And my Father, ever so gently, which is way more than my bratty self deserves, tells me.... "Be faithful with what I give you child. I love you. And he who is faithtful with little will be given much."
Because, see, God is like that. He treats me like a child when I act like a child. And not in a bad way. His grace is unbelievable. How would I react if one of my children were talking like that? Would I gently remind them that they are loved and taken care of? Probably not gently.... but God speaks to me the way I respond best. He erased those resentful thoughts and replaced them with His truth.
We had a season of much, and we were not faithful. I believe one of the reasons God has my family going through this current season of "less" is to teach us true faithfulness. And He may leave us here until we are all on board. And I am okay with that. Because while I am learning to be faithful, my Father is consistently faithful. He loves me, and He loves my family. He is the one who put us together! He has already promised to take care of us, and has done so, abundantly every step of the way. No matter how many times we mess it up.
Can you believe that? Can you fathom how GOOD God is? Grab it. Hold onto to that fact and don't let go. It may be all you have sometimes.... but its everything.
love yall!!
When people say they are trying to get caught up, I know they mean that they are trying to finish their laundry. For those of you, like me, who can't comprehend what that looks like... dream with me....
Empty baskets. Everything is wash, dried, folded and put away.
I know, beautiful right? It 'aint happening in this house. At least not for quite a few years.
If you don't know me personally (which I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this actually knows me. I have the best supporters in my life!!) I am a SAHM Momma with 4 kids. Married to my guy for 12 years. In 12 years, you can live a lot of life. You can also create a lot of life, hence the 4 kids, haha. We also have 2 sweet babies I never got to hold in my arms but will forever be held in my heart <3 .="" p="">SO yeah, life happens around here. The good, the bad, and the really, really ugly.
I'm sure our story is similar to yours. We have seasons of earning more money, and seasons of earning less. Seasons of smooth sailing and seasons of rocky waters. Seasons of health and seasons of sickness. Seasons of joy and seasons of deep sorrow. This is life, this is what we signed up for when we made those vows 12 years ago. No one gets to jump ship!!
So, getting back to the laundry. As I was doing yet another load of laundry, I found a white shirt that had stains on it. Why they have white uniform shirts for children (especially my children) I will never understand, but it was one of my oldest's shirts. I had a moment to ponder... should I just fold it up and put it in his basket of clothes to put away, or throw it in the mountain of dirty clothes to be washed again? Embrace the stain, or get rid of it? If only I had some stain spray...
A few years ago, I would have gone up to the Dollar Store and bought a bottle so I could properly wash that shirt. But now, no can do. We are on a tight budget. We have to really figure what the needs and wants are for our family, and something as simple as Shout or a separate body wash for the kids, or a new dog color, those are all extras. Not needed.
Being in this position for the last two years, after a season of pretty much always having what we needed, has taught me so much. It has taught me priorities, responsibility (which I still really struggle with). It has taught me to teach my children these things. It has helped my tendency to spoil them, give them more than I had. But as I stood in the laundry room, in the house that my in-laws let us live in while helping us with the majority of our bills..... I thought of faithfulness.
God and I talk a lot throughout the day. I (as most of us are!) am in a constant battle in my mind with negative thoughts. I started to get upset that I couldn't go out and buy a bottle of stain spray. I was going to have to put this shirt back in my already giant laundry pile and wash it again, hoping that the stain would come out this time. Resentment. Why is it that "so and so" doesn't have to worry about this? No wonder they get to "fill in the blank here" or no wonder they have "blah blah blah."
And my Father, ever so gently, which is way more than my bratty self deserves, tells me.... "Be faithful with what I give you child. I love you. And he who is faithtful with little will be given much."
Because, see, God is like that. He treats me like a child when I act like a child. And not in a bad way. His grace is unbelievable. How would I react if one of my children were talking like that? Would I gently remind them that they are loved and taken care of? Probably not gently.... but God speaks to me the way I respond best. He erased those resentful thoughts and replaced them with His truth.
We had a season of much, and we were not faithful. I believe one of the reasons God has my family going through this current season of "less" is to teach us true faithfulness. And He may leave us here until we are all on board. And I am okay with that. Because while I am learning to be faithful, my Father is consistently faithful. He loves me, and He loves my family. He is the one who put us together! He has already promised to take care of us, and has done so, abundantly every step of the way. No matter how many times we mess it up.
Can you believe that? Can you fathom how GOOD God is? Grab it. Hold onto to that fact and don't let go. It may be all you have sometimes.... but its everything.
love yall!!
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