My husband sent an email home recently. It had the rest of his scheduled paid time off for the year. When I saw it, it made me very happy. I love it when he is home with us. Not to mention, it gave me something to look forward to – days of vacation and fun and family and friends and….
Days not like today. Today there is school work and laundry and cooking, let alone, settling arguments, convincing people to eat their veggies and changing dirty diapers. This is my day. Now that I’ve put all of that out there, I’m considering going back to bed.
Sometimes I think I’d like a PTO day or two. Days where I’m not responsible – where I don’t have to give an account for anything. Now don’t get me wrong, we all need days off and moments of well deserved R&R. However, in God’s economy, days away from doing what He’s called us to do – those are only days without pay.
For me, this is where I need a perspective change. All of my days are gifts from His hand – no matter how hard or easy they are. And when I pass one by, without living effectively for my heavenly Father, that means I have one less to use for the purposes of building His kingdom. When I find myself dreading the day ahead, its usually because I have given up my responsibility of building His kingdom, right here in my own home.
It is a daily turning away from my own desires, towards Him and what He has for me:
from Hebrews:
12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
When I feel myself letting go, or giving up I have to remember this : Every moment with my children at home, with Christ at the center, is a kingdom building moment. No matter what that moment is: picking up toys, assisting the piano practicing, loading the dishwasher. But it can also be the moments that I enjoy: a cozy morning snuggle, baking a batch of cookies, singing and dancing to our favorite music or reading our favorite books.
And it seems – with these thoughts, my need for a PTO day has vanished.
“Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We have only this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand… and melting like a snowflake. Let us use it before it is too late.”
Marie Beyon Ray
daily portion 