I remember as a little girl my mother reminding me of the things that mattered most. She would gently point out to me that friends would come and go but family would be faithful and remain.
As I embark upon new adventures I want to keep this in mind to help me keep a proper perspective of life. Whether it is ministry, hobbies, homeschooling or blogging I want to always remember that while these things are not done in vain, that these are things that definitely come and go. People come and go out of our lives but it is my family and the Lord that remains.
With that at the forefront I want to make sure I am pouring my best into my family-- my husband and my children. My family is to receive my first fruits and not my 'leftovers'.
There are many ways we give our family 'leftovers'. Choosing our friends over them, being preoccupied with some new endeavor that we neglect them. Shopping too much and not scheduling to balance our time out. Saying yes to too much ministry and not learning the fine art of saying 'no'.
I try to keep it in perspective this way, when I am on my death bed will it have mattered that I had done x,y and z? Will it have mattered, for example, all the hours that were squandered on certain pursuits? I imagine that as I lay on my death bed what will matter is did I serve the Lord right with my life and did I spend enough time with my family and give them my best.
Yes, indeed, my best.
If you'd like to read more on this topic, you might enjoy my article 'The Beauty of Balance'.
7 comments:
Very good comments here and at your link. Thank you for sharing these things that are truly important.
I think that one of the most dangerous messages of our culture is that we can 'have it all'. Nope. We have limited time and resources, and therefore must handle them wisely!
Lovely post.
I check your blog everyday but I think this is the first time I've commented here.
jo :)
I think I am spending plenty of time with my daughters and then my 3 year old made some comment last week that made me feel guilty and let me know that she does NOT percieve that I spend enough time with her. We can even be too busy at home, in the same room with our family!
I thought of this today as I made cookies for our church members who go visiting those who have visited our church, or those in need. I couldn't say "No" when asked for some by my kids. I'll just make an extra batch. They do deserve the first fruits! Thanks for sharing!!
Good points. Sometimes I find myself pulled in directions that I would rather not take, even though the causes are worthwhile. I would much rather be at home attending to my family.
Enjoyed visiting your blog today! Perhaps you'd enjoy a visit to my site at www.cmomb.com or my blog at www.homeschoolblogger.com/cofeeiv We have much in common! Michelle Duggar has been a guest chatter at our forum for the past two years in celebration of our Anniversary's. What a delight she is to visit with on the phone. She and I have much in common, as well. I am going to bookmark your blog and visit often.
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