As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Tonight, I sat and thought about what to write. Then, Ephesians was put on my heart. So, I turned in my bible to Ephesians and started reading. This is the second time the Lord has put this book on my heart so clearly and vividly. The first time was during a Women's Retreat my church was hosting. I went to the prayer room and prayed that the Lord direct my time in there. "Ephesians" came to mind and I started reading. It was exactly what I needed in that moment! Tonight, this scripture is again exactly what I need!
This week has been great. Let's just be honest, my life is FULL of blessings. Good jobs, a roof over our heads, 4 beautiful, healthy children, food in our bellies, warm beds to sleep in and the list goes on and on and on. But..... this week has also been hard. I have been challenged to balance all that busy parents balance these days! Working part time from home while the kids are in school, and then remote, and then in again; trying to stay on top of household chores (even though we split those among the entire family *see post here), and then constantly helping with all the arguments the kids get into in a day. They miss their friends. They miss the pre-Covid world. While we have made the most of it and have focused on the many blessings over the past 11 months, it has also taken a toll on us in some ways. I especially feel it! No free time EVER until they are all in bed. Then, I have from 9:30pm until I fall asleep to do whatever I want. But, without a babysitter most of the time, I work! I'm not telling you all of this for sympathy. I KNOW I AM SO BLESSED!!! But, I'm trying to be honest about my daily challenges and how I sometimes struggle to find "The Joy in the Chaos!"
Ephesians 4 tells me to "be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." There are days where I am not humble, I am prideful. There are days I am not gentle, I am harsh! There are days where I don't even know what "patient" is! Those days are the hardest, the ones that I feel the most sad, the ones where we don't feel the love we are supposed to be showing one another.
The days that I am gentle, patient and kind, those are my favorite days! The kids tend to be less defensive and more willing to talk. Things feel lighter, easier and just so much more JOYFUL!
So, remember what Ephesians 4 tells us. Choose to be completely humble and gentle. Choose to be patient with those around you; whether it's kids, spouses, other family members, co-workers. The Lord will bless you, and you will be the Light in someone else's darkness! Remember there is one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all!
Blessings to you!
Janel
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