Summer Holidays!
For parents this is often met with mixed feelings. On good days you love it but on bad days…it can be a challenge. Not having the rush of the school run and packed lunches to make is a relief and the calendar is less squeezed, with weekly activities taking a pause for the summer. For me, getting out of the house each day is a must with two energetic boys. I love exploring new places with them, especially where we live in the beautiful Lake District. Not being restricted by a time schedule is wonderful and having time to ‘just be’. Our children are a gift from the Lord and it is important to be thankful each day for the smallest of things. However, there is one thing that can drive me crazy in the summer. It is the never-ending mess! I came across something the other day from the Gospel Coalition, which I will quote below:
“Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox” (Proverbs 14:4). Without oxen, you don’t have crops. Abundance comes from the animal that makes the manger dirty. If you want the abundance, you must embrace the mess. If I were to get rid of the children and the husband, I would have a perfectly clean home. Sparkling counters, floors freshly vacuumed and mopped, everything in its place with zero clutter. But what’s missing? The wonderful husband God has provided for me. The precious children, who are a treasure from the Lord. Sure, I could have things immaculate. But how lonely! We may not have a home that is always spick-and-span, but there is a richness in our home. There is life. There is abundance.
Laura Smith, Schools’ worker
Recent Comments