The onset of Spring always brings my senses to tingling in anticipation of doing some needed home repairs and organizing. Our family along with the rest of the nation received an earlier than expected spring break when for health concerns it was mandated for all schools, most businesses, and other institutions to close temporarily to combat the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing. One thing I couldn’t distance myself from was my children since we would all be home together during this time from work and home doing our best to not catch cabin fever, get bored, not snappy, and stay productive towards our responsibilities at school and work. I decided during this time to reflect on my personal definition of home in what Christ would have for me to share with my children during this time of uncertainty within the worldwide epidemic of this unfortunate health pandemic the importance of home, gratitude, and obedience.
Home Is Where The Heart Is
The world feels shut down with COVID-19 having us to stay inside our homes. There are mandatory curfews in many cities, normal everyday establishments being closed, restricted store hours of operation, schools closed, work offices making drastic changes for employees, and churches for the first time in my 30 something years of life closing their doors from Sunday service to online services. All we hear is, “Go home or Stay Inside!” I personally feel that home became a forgotten place for many of us. Home became a place of boredom in the wanting to escape to better places of excitement, bright lights, fine dining, and outside entertainment. Gone were the days where we sat at the table in conversation as families for the exchange of smartphones and tablets to connect with strangers. I’m guilty to of snapping a picture of a meal so that all of my social media”Followers” and “Friends “could get an imaginary smell of my delicious home cooking. Maybe this is the time that God brings us all back to the table to talk. Could our slow down be God’s way of changing our focus from the outside to managing the inside of our homes and our hearts? Is this God way of telling us as a nation to take a proactive and diligent role of responsibility for our children’s education, and look at our educational system makeup differently when it comes down to academic success? Is this a cry out from the Lord to his children not to just attend church, but be the church at home and everywhere we go in sharing and being examples of his word?
It’s The Little Things That Count
I never thought I would look at toilet tissue like a lump of gold until I went to several stores for a week, and there was not a pack of tissue on the shelves! I always preferred bar soap since it brings fond memories from childhood bath time, and now it’s the go to from hand sanitizer being almost extinct as many stores are fighting to stock up even the simplest of everyday supplies. I find in moments like these that’s it’s the little things that count when we find ourselves in need or there’s scarcity that bring the most value in bringing out moments of gratitude. A dear sister from my church and I meet weekly here at my home for small group bible study. She always brings the kids and I treats. She brought her usual love offering two weeks before COVID-19 hit home for our city she brought tissue, disinfectant spray, kitchen items, snack goodies for the kids, and some more items that were a blessing that came in handy during stock storages at the local grocery store. We’re also grateful during this time to share as a family in spending time together in enjoying our home, backyard playground, and being our own guests in getting to know one another more. It also makes me more grateful for the loved ones in my life who we equally check on together in knowing someone out there is thinking of us, and we too have some to check on in love.
Do What You’re Supposed Do
I observed my son working on his home package from school with so much determination to complete it because he wants keeps his grades up since making honor roll. It inspired me to take many things in account in my disobedience and procrastination in areas I need to work on. I will admit that as a mom I can be hit ot miss when it comes down juggling everything with home maintenance, my work load, and being a blogger. My life has very few moments of pause to slow down from moving from one thing to the next in each scenario mentioned earlier. I know I can multitask; I’m not to bad at multitasking, but I thought maybe in this particular moment it’s for me to be obedient in not trying to pile on so many things to conquer in a day to multitask in balancing one thing at a time in alignment God’s plans for the day. I’ve let go the glorification of being busy just to say I’m doing something. My children and I know we’ll have to be obedient in following through with our school and work assignments just like we were as homeschoolers a few years back. I know I have piles of paperwork that have been sitting in a drawer that needs to be filed. I’ve used this time to clean, organize, and refresh things around the house. I regrettably had some major home repairs recently that were actually minor maintenance issues that were later costly at our home because I decided in disobedience to place things to the back burner. I ate the words that I oftentimes tell my children, ” Do what you’re supposed to do.”
Lovingly through God’s guidance take care of home, value home, honor your homes, and know family is home.
Purpose Filled Mommy with Minimarie 