my family, my ministry

Monday found me on my hands and knees, scrubbing our bathtub.  Cleaning the tub is one of my least favorite chores (along side window washing).  I was sweating and my back was hurting from leaning over for too long. I was miserable and so ready to be done!

But as I worked I realized that this was my ministry.  All of the cleaning, organizing, and cooking that I do in a given day is a blessing to my family.  I don't work in vain.  I know that my heavenly Father has not called me to a life of missions in a foreign country -or even a state in my own country.  He has called me to missions in my own home. 

I work towards providing a comfortable, clean, tidy, peaceful home for my family.  I've thought about all of the different homes I've visited.  Some are so cluttered and messy that I never feel comfortable.  Instead I'm itching to get up, throw away trash, wash dishes and move the newspapers off the couch so people can sit down while they visit.  Other homes leave me feeling refreshed  and encouraged since the house was so inviting I could focus on fellowship.

I'm not saying that my home is perfectly clean.  My windows are generally smudged with little hand prints.  There are dust bunnies under most of the furniture and cobwebs creep up faster than I can dispose of them.  I do, however, keep the house vacuumed, the dishes washed, the floors mopped and the rooms tidy.  Hannah and Sam put away their toys when they're done playing so there's no danger of tripping over them.  I also like to burn a candle or incense so that the house will smell fresh and clean.  Each evening we have a delicious home cooked meal. 

My goal and desire is for our home to be a place where my husband and children can relax, sit and chat, enjoy a delicious meal, play, learn, and praise our Redeemer & King.  This goes for our extended families and our friends as well.  The world that we live in is so chaotic and crazy.  My mission is to provide a peaceful retreat for those that I love -and those that need to be loved.