A bad start to the day {labouring in my own strength}

Wakening up in the morning is sometimes hard work.

Do you know that feeling?

The alarm goes off.

"I REALLY must get up, but I will just shut my eyes for a few seconds."

Hmmmm.

An hour later, I woke up again, and jumped out of bed. Thankfully, with a busy week behind us, the children were still asleep.  I crept downstairs, and popped a load of shirts in the washing machine, before I owuld head to the lounge to read my Bible.

Then a child appeared.

She knew the drill. Mummy was reading her Bible, so she sat beside me.  Tapping something against her leg, noisily.

"Please, can you stop doing that?"

Who can concentrate with tapping?  Not me.

Then another child appeared, and I had to sort out the "who gets to have a turn sitting mext to Mummy" issue.

Then a 3rd child appeared, and the same issue arose.

All whilst I am trying to keep my train of thought on the chapters in Luke, which I was TRYING to read, even if I couldn't note down any thoughts.

Then the smallest "appearer" started to whine about breakfast.

"Please wait, Mummy is nearly finished".

But the whining carried on, and he wouldn't believe me, and I had to sort out his disobedience just THREE verses before I was going to finish reading my chapters.

His whinging and moaning carried on, not happy with anything I was doing.  Simeon was brought downstairs, and that extra, toddler element, of the day began. Only noises and basic words to communicate.  Oh, that, and shrieks of frustration.

Tummy ache was mentioned (a sure stress-inducer to my day....)

Older children had to be woken.

Squabbling started, about sharing a frying pan to fry eggs for 2 children.

I had to bring coffee to Robert, and I happily escaped, with the noise of whinging, squabbling and general grumpiness disappearing behind me.

"I would just love to go back to bed, and shut the door on the day", was my thought.

I'm tired, it's my 3rd trimester, and I forgot how you feel as the days get closer to impending child birth.

But then, the verses I read this morning came back to me, with clarity.  It was the chapter in Luke, where Jesus tells Peter, and the other men, to go back to the boat and cast their nets out the other side. They had been fishing all night, and caught nothing, and they couldn't quite understand how simply casting their net out the other side, could possibly yield them a greater catch.

They obeyed.

They hauled in so much that they couldn't lift the nets!

I had started out my morning like those fishermen, from thousands of years ago.  I had been starting the day in my own strength.  I was relying on my own efforts, my own mindset, my own energies, to get me through the day.  I was already failing, and it was only 9am!

But the Lord was showing me I still had to go back out there, and haul in the "catch".  I still have my responsibilities as a mother, no matter how hard they may seem. If I go under God's guidance - His strength, His wisdom and His grace - then I can haul in a better "catch" than I had managed so far this morning.

I need to enter EVERY day, remembering that I am going forth, as a wife and mother, under the instruction and direction of the Lord. It is HIM I am labouring for, and not for myself.  If I remember this simple, but important truth, then my day will be more successful than the beginning of this one.

Not only are we doing a practical work, in our lives, but we are also reaching our children for the Lord.  They are watching to see how WE behave - how WE deal with problems - how WE respond in a crisis.  All of these are opportunities to show the love, grace and kindness of the Lord to our children.  We are being soul-winners in our own home, and there is no greater work we can do than THAT.

The Lord followed that incidence with the command to "follow me".  We need to be following after the Lord, and keeping our service for Him at the forefront of all we do, every day.

Are you having a hard day, wherever God called you to be?  Remember that you are going out in GOD'S service, and He will help you to bring forth fruit for your labour.

1. There’s a work for Jesus, ready at your hand,
   ’Tis a task the Master just for you has planned.
   Haste to do His bidding, yield Him service true;
   There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.
   • Refrain:
     Work for Jesus, day by day,
     Serve Him ever, falter never; Christ obey.
     Yield Him service loyal, true,
     There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.
2. There’s a work for Jesus, humble though it be,
   ’Tis the very service He would ask of thee.
   Go where fields are whitened, and the lab’rers few;
   There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.
3. There’s a work for Jesus, precious souls to bring,
   Tell them of His mercies, tell them of your King.
   Faint not, nor grow weary, He will strength renew;
   There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.