Joshua 1:9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Big, huge roaches in my kitchen are discouraging to me. I spend the majority of my day, in the kitchen. This morning was the 2nd morning, in a row, that I have had a giant roach ON MY COUNTER! (I just had another heart palp.)
I live in a 30 year old house. We are the 4th or 5th owners, I forget, and the first, from what we can tell, who have cared about this place. We have been here 5+ years and have given this house a ton of TLC, poor thing needed it.
So, over the last 25+ years a family of roaches has set up residency and I guess the previous owners welcomed them because it has been a battle for us since we moved in. We got a bug guy after a roach fell on my prego-with-baby-girl-head one morning while I was snuggling in my bed with Max. Yes, you read that correctly, on my head!!!
For whatever reason, roaches get me discouraged and down-in-the-dumps when it comes to my house. We have spent so much money on the structure of the home, along with new windows, 1 new HVAC system, the list goes on and on. But of course, something that is put on the back burner, and rightly so, is the interior decorating that is so desperately needed.
But let's be honest, do I need granite counter-tops or a new HVAC upstairs? How about granite counter-tops or leaky siding?
I, at times, struggle to be happy and content in this house, where I spend the majority of my life taking care of my family. I am a homemaker. So I'm in my home a lot.
Until this week, I haven't seen one of those big nasty roaches in months and months and months.
Let's go back to last week. I had thought and made the necessary changes to stepping up my homemaking. I strive to keep bettering myself when it comes to my roles as wife, mother, homemaker. I know how uber-quickly I can become lazy, so my pushing myself is not because I'm so driven and down-right fabulous, it's quite the opposite!
I journaled and told the Lord a few changes I was going to make and what my desire is. I also shared some things with my hubby and he was of course, so kind in his words to me.
Since then I have been so excited at the time-management choices I've been making the last days! I am seeing the positive results which spurs me on to keep on keepin' on!
BAM! Yesterday morning, a Monday morning no less, a roach on my counter-top. BAM! This morning, a roach in my cabinet where I keep all my plates and bowls. Ya know, the plates and bowls to put my kids breakfast on. Nice.
I called Scott with a shaky voice asking where he was in the hopes he was still in the subdivision and could come home and rescue me. He was almost to the interstate.
So I went to the garage and dug through the paper-plate-paper-cup bin and came up with some leftover Thomas the Tank Engine party plates. The Lord was walking right beside me this morning as the kids giggled all through breakfast at the Thomas plates! I grinned as I witnessed this, thanking Him for these smiles and grins in the midst of my overwhelming frustration.
Scott called me back with some much needed, sent straight from Heaven, insight. He reminded me of our conversation last week about my sprucing up in homemaking, and how these recent roaches is the enemy trying to discourage me. He went on to be my much needed cheerleader, encouraging me to get my eyes of these earthly circumstances and to focus on Him.
And that, my friends, is what I have chosen to do. It's a choice.
I will not be discouraged! That is what the enemy wants and I refuse. My heavenly Father's words to me say that He will be with me wherever I go. At this time in my life I'm not going to China or Honduras or the Middle East, I am going downstairs to prepare a nutritious meal for my family, then I will take Max to school and in the carpool line we will recite Psalm 91, then I will go back upstairs to fold laundry and change sheets on beds.
Thank you my most wonderful Father for walking with me. I need you and I love you. Forever your girl, Lisa
5 comments:
I love this post as our home was literally roach infested when we bought it. I killed one on Sunday night myself, in front of my dishwasher. This is a VERY old home and the roaches probably feel more at home here than we do. Nevertheless, I. TOTALLY. GET. IT!!!
Your home is gorgeous, inside and out and it is perfect for your family of 4.
I am proud of you for keeping your chin up in the midst of "the enemy." (Both seen and unseen) And, if you weren't so vigilant with your cleanliness and dutiful nature, the roaches would be worse.
I always blame a weird sighting on climate change and we them bomb the attic. We let the bug guy go though, because his little can didn't make a hill of beans difference to those darn black roaches... :)
Love you, sweet girl. You shore are a blessing to me!
Bek
Eek! I don't know if I've ever seen a roach! You are a brave woman!! I know the odd times where we've had ants or a few wasps in the house, I freak out. Hope you can get rid of them for good!
Oh the timing of this post for me. Not because of the roaches, per say, but because of the enemy trying to distract me from staying focused on Him. YES, i needed to hear this.
Like I have told you time and time again, you are truly my mentor. I know God speaks through you straight to my heart. You inspire me, always.
love, and more love~
Jill
hooray for CHOOSING to trust Him! It's a moment-by-moment choice, isn't it!?!?! He's so gentle with us.
Great post, Lisa. I totally understand your frustration because I am living it now, too. I try so hard to have a nice home for my family, so when things start crumbling around me, I take it personally. Thank you for the reminder that I have a choice as to how I react.
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