Canning and Countdown

It is already the tenth of August, and I am wondering where the summer went. Yesterday flew by, with canning of plums and dilly beans, and the making of plum butter, which turned out yummy! Heather came over to work on her business plan, Rachel and Mike dropped by to pick up Trenton, and all of them stayed for supper.

This would all have been fine and easy to handle if it weren't for the fact that a pipe leading from the water heater burst yesterday morning, so I had no hot water all day. I challenge anyone to work in the kitchen with messy, sweet plums and sugar and vinegar (for the dilly beans) without hot water!

I got it done, boiling the kettle many times and sending the children upstairs for hot water (we have a separate water heater upstairs because our house used to be duplexed), but by the time supper was over I was frazzled, with absolutely no energy left for anything.

So, the dishes (for 16 people) did not get done, and are sitting there calling my name. It is never a good idea to leave a large stack of dishes for the next day, but it is understandable under the circumstances. So I have to complete yesterday's work before I get to today's list...and that list isVERY long. Sigh.

Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Don't worry about tomorrow. Live in the day. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

My task for today is to please the Lord, my God. That is my purpose. In order to do that, I must tackle the many jobs on my list and manage my family with love and grace and kindness, and without frustration and anger and malice. I know that God orders my steps, and that the burst pipe was no surprise to Him. He knows I have papers to write and assignments to complete and a garden to weed and harvest and school work to plan for my children. He knows my list of things to do, and I am sure He smiles at my much-working and kindly teaches me to rest in Him.

Come to me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and ye will find rest for your souls.

God, You are my all in all. In You I find rest; in you I find purpose. As I begin to do the necessary things, the urgent things, and the pressing things, please, Lord, help me to do them with the attitude that I am serving the Lord of glory. There are not just dishes to wash and laundry to hang on the line, but lives to impact and children to train in the way they should go. Let me go with a sense of Your presence, Lord, and with an awareness that every moment counts. Let me keep at the forefront of my mind that I can bring glory to You when I wipe a nose or fold an article of clothing. This is what I was created to be: a servant to the most High God. This little part of this great earth is not mine, but Yours, and I am just the manager. Help me to do that managing with wisdom, with grace, with diligence and patience. In Christ's name I pray. Amen.