Schedules

I thrive on schedules and routines. Over the past few years, I've developed various ones to help me accomplish all that the Lord has called me to do as a wife, mother, and housekeeper. Menu-planning, a cleaning schedule, and a daily/weekly schedule have been great tools to help me stay on track.

When life is going "well" for me and I'm following my schedules, it's easy to start to feel like I'm earning God's love and doing pretty well pleasing Him. At the end of the day, when my house is clean, my laundry is folded and put away, I can fall into that trap of thinking that God is extra pleased and happy with me because of all I've done and accomplished.

But I've been really challenged and convicted by what happens when my schedules and routines are derailed! Houseguests. Illness. Holidays. All of those things quickly set all of my best plans off-kilter!

Recently all three of those things happened to me: We had a wonderful houseguest who stayed with us over Thanksgiving. I hosted Thanksgiving. And then I came down with a terrible flu. All within days of each other. Yikes! What schedule? What routine? My life and my house for a few days was kind of a disaster!!

And that's when my guilt and doubt creeped in. I felt guilty because I was thinking that I couldn't be pleasing God like I had been the previous week when my house was in order. I felt doubt that God still loved me just as much as He had just days before, when I was "preforming" according to my routines and schedules. I totally found myself trying to emotionally work myself back into God's love and acceptance for me.

And this is when the Gospel shone its bright light in my life. Reminding me that God's opinion and love of me do not change. On my "best" days He does not love me anymore than on my "worse" days. There is no condemnation in Christ. His death on the Cross has paid for my sins. I do not have to earn nor work hard for his love. There is no condemnation in Christ!

What freedom and joy this has brought me over the course of this week. As life has slowly returned to normal and my house has once again been "tamed" into submission. But with those joys of obedience, has also been a reminder in my heart that this obedience is because of His love. Not to earn His love. How freeing! How wonderful!

PS the great pics on this post were taken by our friend Isma...more to come! They were taken as he was walking home from our house. Just couldn't take the credit for the excellent photography!