I hate laundry...
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Second post this week. I'm on a roll. Don't pass out on me. I need you to stay with me for a minute. Okay?
Recently, I was folding my children's clothes. I hate laundry. It's from the devil. Really. I just know that when we get to heaven there will be NO MORE LAUNDRY to wash and fold. I just KNOW it.
So, since I dread folding laundry, years ago I decided to use that as a time to pray over my people. As I fold each little piece of their clothing, I pray. I pray over their arms, their legs, their feet, their fingers, their toes...all of it.
It kinda works. It takes my mind off of the dreaded task of folding. Eventually, I start to enjoy folding their stuff. Not really. But, it does help.
As I was folding their laundry this week, I kept thinking about the house that we are about to move into. We purchased it back in November, and we are in the process of renovating it. In the meantime, we are in a rental house.
The house that we are about to move into has an enormous laundry room.
This laundry room is probably bigger than the kitchen. I am not kidding you. The kitchen is tiny. Really. It is.
Does God have a sense of humor or what? He knows I hate laundry. He knows I spend a lot of time in prayer as I do laundry. So, what does He do? He picks a house for us with a tiny kitchen and an oversized laundry room with THREE windows in it. Do you think He's trying to tell me something?
Good grief. I should have been more prayerful as I cooked so He would have blessed me with a bigger kitchen!
During this entire moving process, the Lord has been really stretching me in contentment. Ever been stretched there? Oh my. It's a painful process.
As we have been renovating, it has been easy to lose my contentment. This house will be different. It will be smaller. It will be older. It will be different.
Don't get me wrong...we love this house. It is perfect for us in every way. However, as I scroll through pinterest and house magazines for ideas, my stomach can drop. It can easily make me lose my contentment.
As I see pictures of over-sized kitchens, high ceilings, and upgraded everything...I can start to lose my joy.
In our SHINE reading, we are in the book of Genesis. Abraham is teaching me a whole lot about contentment at the very moment. Good ol' Abe.
There's a lot to learn from Abraham.
One thing in particular the Lord pointed me to was Abraham's contentment. God asked him to leave his life, his home, everything. Abraham did.
God told him that he would have many children one day. However, that day did not come until he was 100 years old. 100!!
Yet, Abraham stayed content. [His wife Sarah was a different story.]
This passage right here took my breath away. Will you read it with me?
So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” Genesis 13:8-9
The back story here is that Lot was Abraham's nephew. They traveled a lot together. However, quarreling took place between their herders that accompanied them. So, Abraham decided to part ways. He offered Lot the first choice in which land to travel and settle.
Lot, of course, chose the land that looked the best. He wasn't a dummy. Lot chose the land that looked the most beautiful and prosperous.
Abraham gave Lot first pick.
Really, Abraham was older and more the leader of this pack so he should have gotten first choice.
However, Abraham had a heart of contentment. He knew without a shadow of doubt that God would provide for him and his people. He didn't bat an eyelash over Lot's choice.
But godliness with contentment is a great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6
It is no wonder God chose Abraham for such a mission. God chose him to be the father of his people.
Besides Abraham's faithfulness, he was full of contentment.
I believe the two go hand in hand. It's hard to be discontent with a heart full of faith.
We either trust God with what we has provided, or we don't. Simple as that.
He knows what we need. [obviously He thought I needed to do a lot of praying in that mega laundry room!]
He also knows what we don't need. [obviously not a huge kitchen]
So, we trust Him. We thank Him. Even for the small kitchens.
We must also guard our hearts and minds from anything that can steal our contentment. Be careful what your eyes see and lust after. Be careful what you scroll through on the internet. Be wise before using a search engine. Pray before logging in and logging on. Pray before perusing certain magazines. These things can strike a match of discontentment quick!
Let's be like Abraham. Willing to give to someone else the better piece because we know God will provide for us.
This verse will keep us on target and on track to contentment. Paul says it so beautifully here:
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13
folding laundry over here,
jill
Receive SHINE by email: Go here.
Follow us on Instagram! @shinegirlsshine
Second post this week. I'm on a roll. Don't pass out on me. I need you to stay with me for a minute. Okay?
Recently, I was folding my children's clothes. I hate laundry. It's from the devil. Really. I just know that when we get to heaven there will be NO MORE LAUNDRY to wash and fold. I just KNOW it.
So, since I dread folding laundry, years ago I decided to use that as a time to pray over my people. As I fold each little piece of their clothing, I pray. I pray over their arms, their legs, their feet, their fingers, their toes...all of it.
It kinda works. It takes my mind off of the dreaded task of folding. Eventually, I start to enjoy folding their stuff. Not really. But, it does help.
As I was folding their laundry this week, I kept thinking about the house that we are about to move into. We purchased it back in November, and we are in the process of renovating it. In the meantime, we are in a rental house.
The house that we are about to move into has an enormous laundry room.
This laundry room is probably bigger than the kitchen. I am not kidding you. The kitchen is tiny. Really. It is.
Does God have a sense of humor or what? He knows I hate laundry. He knows I spend a lot of time in prayer as I do laundry. So, what does He do? He picks a house for us with a tiny kitchen and an oversized laundry room with THREE windows in it. Do you think He's trying to tell me something?
Good grief. I should have been more prayerful as I cooked so He would have blessed me with a bigger kitchen!
During this entire moving process, the Lord has been really stretching me in contentment. Ever been stretched there? Oh my. It's a painful process.
As we have been renovating, it has been easy to lose my contentment. This house will be different. It will be smaller. It will be older. It will be different.
Don't get me wrong...we love this house. It is perfect for us in every way. However, as I scroll through pinterest and house magazines for ideas, my stomach can drop. It can easily make me lose my contentment.
As I see pictures of over-sized kitchens, high ceilings, and upgraded everything...I can start to lose my joy.
In our SHINE reading, we are in the book of Genesis. Abraham is teaching me a whole lot about contentment at the very moment. Good ol' Abe.
There's a lot to learn from Abraham.
One thing in particular the Lord pointed me to was Abraham's contentment. God asked him to leave his life, his home, everything. Abraham did.
God told him that he would have many children one day. However, that day did not come until he was 100 years old. 100!!
Yet, Abraham stayed content. [His wife Sarah was a different story.]
This passage right here took my breath away. Will you read it with me?
So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.” Genesis 13:8-9
The back story here is that Lot was Abraham's nephew. They traveled a lot together. However, quarreling took place between their herders that accompanied them. So, Abraham decided to part ways. He offered Lot the first choice in which land to travel and settle.
Lot, of course, chose the land that looked the best. He wasn't a dummy. Lot chose the land that looked the most beautiful and prosperous.
Abraham gave Lot first pick.
Really, Abraham was older and more the leader of this pack so he should have gotten first choice.
However, Abraham had a heart of contentment. He knew without a shadow of doubt that God would provide for him and his people. He didn't bat an eyelash over Lot's choice.
But godliness with contentment is a great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6
It is no wonder God chose Abraham for such a mission. God chose him to be the father of his people.
Besides Abraham's faithfulness, he was full of contentment.
I believe the two go hand in hand. It's hard to be discontent with a heart full of faith.
We either trust God with what we has provided, or we don't. Simple as that.
He knows what we need. [obviously He thought I needed to do a lot of praying in that mega laundry room!]
He also knows what we don't need. [obviously not a huge kitchen]
So, we trust Him. We thank Him. Even for the small kitchens.
We must also guard our hearts and minds from anything that can steal our contentment. Be careful what your eyes see and lust after. Be careful what you scroll through on the internet. Be wise before using a search engine. Pray before logging in and logging on. Pray before perusing certain magazines. These things can strike a match of discontentment quick!
Let's be like Abraham. Willing to give to someone else the better piece because we know God will provide for us.
This verse will keep us on target and on track to contentment. Paul says it so beautifully here:
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13
folding laundry over here,
jill
