"Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise."
Proverbs 6:6 NLT
Today seems to be the perfect circumstance for focusing my efforts on diligence. My list for today is long, and the time for each chore & activity is short. My flesh desires to be quick tempered, and complete each task rushing to the next, but my heart says, be in each moment. Don't rush through preschool drop off or the trip to the grocery store, but in the minutes see the children, see the choices, and be diligent! Take the efforts, and give them cheerfully. If I make a lovely chicken&dumplings meal from scratch, but act terribly from the 'stress' of getting it all done, who am I serving? Who will be able to feel the gift of the work & be glad? (not my kids that's for sure!)
I must slow, not linger, but work hard. Like the ant. Each chore, each act, must not be belabored, but moved through cheerfully!
My favorite author for godly parenting advice is Rachel Jankovic. She has two amazing books, Loving the Little Years & Fit to Burst. They have impacted me in such an amazing way, but her words on teaching children to be diligent have stuck like glue.
I'll do my best to summarize her (for in diligence, I must finish this task, and move on to the next! yikes, as much as I'd like to linger...) She says the children can be told, "clean your room" & they have two choices: to complain & lay themselves over the bed moaning, or to jump in. Isn't it encouraging to see your child choose to jump in?
Don't I do the same thing?? See the kitchen that must be cleaned, the laundry, the bed changing, the bathroom cleaning... Do I jump in or do I moan a bit beforehand? Thanks Rachel - such a great kick in the pants for those days that I am not quick to jump in.
Lord, continue to show me wisdom to see the opportunities to take slow & linger with friends. To see the moments that I must say 'no' to other activities to make myself busy for my family. To show my boys how to jump in to the work, and not to become overwhelmed by it. Thank you Lord. Amen.
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