There's an inspirational talk by Nichole Johnson called "The Invisible Woman" in which she talks about how most of parenting, most of mothering goes unseen except by God. She's right.
It can only be felt when the finished product, the person/persons the child or children become or by the way a home is, such that the very air of the house welcomes the husband and the children and the extended family and friends.
We are all called to love so completely that the everyday chores like laundry and Christmas cards and vacumning and homework help are baseline, like the three squares and the nagging about tooth brushing and showering and whatnot. These tasks simply are what must be if we would love seemlessly. We are called to be translucent, so that Christ is revealed.
However, the world loves to trumpet all these acts as Sysphean drudgery, proof that we are oppressed, proof that we are allowing our SELVES to be caged in a house when we could be out doing so many things that would be so much more blog worthy than feeding a baby an orange, helping a daughter into a velvet dress or putting away the sheets. The world would have us proclaim our despair at the never ending lists and the never ending demands.
But this is Advent. When the world sees darkness, we are to reveal light.
And so again, this season we're reminded, that if we do this out of love, if we serve with humble hearts, even a stable can be a place of warmth and beauty and heavenly light. We are called to make room in our inn, to clear out our stable for Christ and hope that we're graced enough to be an ox or a donkey or a sheep in the scene.
With that in mind, this week's little victories that are as always, only baseline.
1) addressed the Christmas cards. All but 25 went out, as I ran out of stamps.
2) tied stockings to the stairwell.
3) went to Reconsilation last Thursday night. Afterwards, my daughters put up the tree.
4) The laundry is in their rooms. I'll patrol later today to put it away, but for the moment, it's not exploded all over my living room.
5) saw a friend on Friday and we stopped to have hot chocolate and visit.
6) called a good friend of mine I hadn't spoken to in a while.
7) planned a date for my husband. Ordered tickets.
Have a blessed Advent!
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3 comments:
Loved your write up on motherhood, very ecouraging. It is so easy to feel invisible sometimes.
Wow -- a truckload of amazing successes. Yay for connecting with old friends, though :).
right on as usual!
let's see. my list hmmmm
got the house decorated inside and out
stopped on the way out the door to read The Night Before Christmas to my oldest. was tickled pink 3 days later when I saw that his entire Christmas program at school was based on that story with songs added.....
baked 144 gingersnaps in one afternoon! then had a glorious time with new church friends at the cookie swap party!
all in all I'd say this has been one of my better weeks!
:-)
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