Posted in Biblical Thoughts
|
I am in the process of reading a wonderfully, uplifting book entitled, Home-Making by J.R. Miller. It was a book that caught my eye when I noticed another blogger was reading it. In homemaking, each member of the family plays an important role to achieve the fullest happiness and blessedness of the home. This book goes intricately through each person's role within the family. I've been so blessed by reading it that I thought I'd share a few passages that meant the most to me and the vision that I have for our family. "Where selfishness prevails there can be no real happiness. Indeed there is no deep, true and holy love where selfishness rules. As love grows, selfishness dies out in the heart. Love is always ready to deny itself, to give, to sacrifice, just in the measure of its sincerity and intensity. Perfect love is perfect self-forgetfulness. Hence, where there is love in a home, unselfishness is the law. Each forgets self and lives for the others. But when there is selfishness it mars the joy. One selfish soul will destroy the sweetness of the life of any home. It is like an ugly thorn-bush in the midst of a garden of flowers." It doesn't seem to matter what the topic is, selfishness always seems to be an underflying current in many conversations today. Some women claim they can't homeschool because it would take too much time (in otherwords, it would cut into personal free time). Some women could never be at home with their children all day - they would drive them nuts ( in otherwords, it would cut into personal free time). How about the question asked of families with many children, "If you keep on having children when do you get time to yourself? Miller goes on to say, "It was selfishness that destroyed the first home and blighted all the loveliness of Paradise; and it has been blighting lovely things in earth's homes ever since. We need to guard against this spirit. Seflishness in parents will spread the same unhappy spirit through all the household life." For myself, selfishness has always been a strong struggle. There are days that I would love nothing more than to be able to sew from sunrise to sunset, without an interruption inbetween. Is that possible in a house with 5 children, soon to be 6- nay I say not! I've learned that to overcome this selfishness, I need to include my children in all that I do - sometimes it goes smoothly, other times it's not so smooth - like when I have a 16 month old on my lap while I'm trying to sew and she wants to keep sticking her finger under the needle, or presses every button on the machine in the middle of stitching. But, I'm learning patience during all of this, she is learning to listen to momma's instructions and OBEY and my sewing is eventually getting done - all in God's timing - not on my own accord. You see, God has a time frame that He already has orchestrated and unbeknownst to me, it flows perfectly according to His will. Does it flow according to mine - NO - Never. But, rather than destroy my home, the spirit of my home and my children's spirit, I chose to work within His parameters which allows my selfishness to dissolve. I pray that others would see the destruction that selfishness does on their own spirit as well as the spirit of their homes; repent and turn away from these selfish desires. They must live the lessons that they wish to teach. |
Comments
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by
|
|
|
|
|
Posted by