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Top Priority: YOUR daily work OR your Husband’s?
This time of year is very challenging because of the multitude of calls and orders we have coming into the store. I've never been the type of person to do well under a high stressed situation. I like everything to run smoothly and this time of year that rarely happens. The store is stacked with boxes of books waiting to be inventoried, calls flood our home beginning early in the morning along with all the other duties of living on a small piece of land like animals needing to be fed, lawns mowed, fields and weeds kept under control, fruit trees, vegetables and flowers watered. No different than other homes, I'm sure, but oftentimes the workload between my business, my husbands business and our home seems like an impossible load to carry.
So, as usual, I began my day with an invisible list (along with a physical one) in my head of the myriad of duties I needed to perform before the day was over. And as usual, my dear husband had his long list of duties he needed to finish before he 'officially' started his work day. One of his duties included washing his diesel. I knew that he should be resting because of some health issues before he went to work so I offered to help him wash and dry the truck. He said that he didn't need any help but I knew he was just being thoughtful of all I had to do. I knew in my heart that he would gladly welcome my assistance, but, frankly, I was relieved that I was let off the hook. As it was, I had way too much on MY list to do.
I went through my morning duties and continued to work on the laundry and some mending that needed attending to but I found it difficult to concentrate. My heart just was not at peace. I felt this nudging, whispering, tugging. I pushed it aside and continued to plug ahead.
Again....unrest.... that gentle tugging ....! I sensed it was the Lord seeking my attention. His Spirit was nudging me to help my husband with his truck!
****BIG TIME SIGH****
"BUT, Lord", I thought, "I have a ton of work to do that probably won't be finished by the end of the day and if I go help him it will put MY schedule behind. Surely , Lord, you don't want me to get behind in my duties and my husband said he didn't need my help." So, I continued sewing... but....again.. unrest.... tugging..!
I set down the sewing, grabbed some old rags and headed for the truck. As I headed out the door, towels in hand, the Lord spoke this scripture to my heart... "but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.( Phil 2:3,4) Ahhh, Lord, I see! I see what I have been doing. I had been thinking that MY schedule was more important than my husbands. I was esteeming myself better than my husband by thinking that what I had to do was more important than what he had to do. I lacked a servants heart. I was looking out for my own interests.
Once I made the decision to obey God's leading, the Lord gave me grace to joyfully help my husband. I was able to serve him with the same heart attitude as if I were serving the Lord. You should have seen how this ministered to my precious, tired man. He was so blessed that I was helping him. And you know what? I'm sure that I finished all the duties that really needed to be done for that day without getting behind.
"Lord, secure this lesson deep in my soul and heart. Renew my mind. Help me to look upon my husbands priorities as more important than my own. Help me to excel in serving him. Show me the true meaning of what it means to be a godly helpmate, suited and adapted to fit my husband. Help me to see these opportunities as a chance to die to myself so that your very life within me can be manifested in my home and to my family. Amen."
* Phil 2:3-8
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