Full-Service Home

Something my Husband and I learned as adults is that the skills we have acquired over the years are not for our own benefit.  They are to be used to serve others.  It's been interesting as we try to instill this thought into our own kids.  God has been good to give us many good opportunities for this.  Especially here at home, since we've begun this "full quiver" journey.  I am a complete control freak, and would do all the cooking and cleaning if I could.  I enjoy it, and especially enjoy seeing it done "right."  ;-) 

But since we had Third Son, and after I got pregnant with Second Daughter, things have changed.  I can't keep up with things as I would like, so the First Three have had to step up and get busy.  All the years of teaching them to do chores and simple cooking are now having to be used for more than just a way to earn allowance for themselves.  They now have to go above and beyond their regular chores.  They are fully capable, if not always fully willing.  And so we have come to a new phase of the learning - using the skills they have to serve others with a cheerful heart.  It's been interesting to watch the kids as they go beyond their regular chores into actual service in the home and see how far they will go before they start complaining.  Our goal is to teach them to go all day, if necessary, with the same good attitude they started out with.

I can relate to that!  Yesterday was a busy, busy day for us and I am a little sore around the bottom part of my tummy from being on my feet so much and sitting in uncomfortable chairs.  On our way home from church today I thought, "I am going to do nothing but lay on the couch all afternoon!"  If I only could have shut my brain off after that thought, I would have been okay, but then I remembered that First Daughter has to make a dessert to her AWANA meeting at church tonight.  She can do it....she just needs a little supervision because she'll be making a new recipe.  I also remembered that I need to run to the store to get some canned goods for the AWANA food drive.  That will use up the afternoon because First and Only Husband and kids will leave for AWANA around 4:30, and then it will be Third-into-everything-Son and  me.     ;-)  My first thought was to groan, and I did.  Then I had to straighten up and decide to go about the day with a better attitude than that!  So here goes......