How I Got Over Myself

Posted by Barbara | 0 comments

Some days are like this, yes? You wake up determined to feel sorry for yourself and all the hard things you need to do. You see the “to-do list” and even as you are scratching one item off, three more get added.  The workload of a stay at home, homeschooling mom is daunting. Add to that the burden of those who work from home as well and you have a potential recipe for a pity party.  Here is how I have determined to teach my brain (and my heart and my soul) to reconsider this day and the tasks it holds in a way that will leave me rejoicing, rather than pulling the covers over my head in surrender.

Today:

• Instead of grumbling about all the meal prep I have to do, I will rejoice that I have the honour of eating three meals a day with my kids.

• Instead of complaining about the dishes that need washing, I will give thanks that the water flows freely from my tap.

• Instead of getting frustrated when I need to repeat instructions to my child who just.isn’t.getting.it, I will praise the Lord that He is showing me clearly the area we need to work on today.

• Instead of longing for the day when my house is spotless and easily maintained, I will be grateful for the ingenuity and creativity my children exercised while making this mess.

• Instead of resenting my interrupted Bible reading time, I will thank the Lord for the chance to model ‘being in the Word’ for my kids.

• Instead of being irritated that I can’t sit and pray about a particular issue for a good, long, quiet stretch of time, I will see it as a chance to develop the discipline of “praying without ceasing” and have an ongoing conversation with the Lord all day.

• Instead of wishing my clingier children would give me some space, I will rejoice that they still find me to be someone worthy of a hug.

• Instead of planning on hiding in order to get some peace and quiet from the chattier of my children, I will be glad that they still want to speak to me, and still value my opinion.

• Instead of murmuring over the basket(s) of laundry awaiting me, I will thank the Lord that none of us ever need to be naked or cold.

• Instead of fretting about the bills, I will praise the Lord for the chance to trust Him to be our provider.

• Instead of waiting for the day that the kids have grown up and moved out so that I can “do something big for God,” I will stand in awe before Him wondering how He saw fit to gift me with this HUGE thing for God and His kingdom, and I will work at it with all my might.

• Instead of saying with sadness, “this is too hard,” I will say with joy, “His power is made perfect in my weakness!”

• Instead of getting angry with those people at the store who inevitably will see me with my crew and gasp in horror, “ARE THEY ALL YOURS?” I will be sobered, realizing that there is a watching world, and we will be noticed, and what they see in us will look a lot like Christ.

• Instead of feeling sorry for myself when “nobody serves me,” I will be glad to pick up my chance to be like Christ who came, not to be served, but to serve.

And so much more…

Will you join me in this today?  What else will you choose?  What perspective-shifting statements will you make?

Barbara Postma and her husband, as they homeschool their 7 children, are finding out that no two children are alike! Between lessons and lunches, Barbara blogs at Fuel by Barbara.