Day of the Weak

Breakfast was late...mostly because even though I used to wake up at 6, I can't seem to drag myself out out of bed much before 7am these days. I finally baked something in the new oven, in my new loaf pans...but I didn't grease them well enough, and the bread got stuck. Donny is giving up his naps just as his pregnant mother is starting to really need them. The children threw their pot roast on the floor instead of eating it. The impending bills are beginning to loom, leaving Don and I wondering where we can find a money tree. And even though, at 11am, it seemed like I had all the time in the world, it's now 8:00pm and I have a load of laundry to fold, a husband to feed, a kitchen to clean, and a shower to take. And the children are still awake...telling me they are hungry.

It wasn't a bad day. It was just a day. A day that suffered because I was too lazy to wake up early, or spend time teaching the children, or sneak in some alone time with God. A day of harsh words and tones with no beneficial results. A day that could easily leave me discouraged, wondering why I even attempt to get my children to obey or my household to run smoothly. It would be easy to skip the laundry, the dishes, and the shower, and just curl up on the couch for that coveted nap.

But no. Tired and discouraged though I may feel, I'm too stubborn to let my children's misbehavior and some minor kitchen disasters ruin my day. I will feel better with a clean body, a clean kitchen, with all the laundry put away, and the husband fed. And then it's time for a date with my Bible. I know what I was lacking today, besides the obvious perfection. My prayer life, my Bible study, and my devotions with the children have been neglected, to say the least. As the saying goes, "Seven days without prayer makes one weak."

My much needed daily schedule, like the proverbial diet, starts tomorrow - or at least, sometime after I get it all figured out. Tomorrow, start with small steps: set the alarm for 6, read some Bible snippet before day commences, have breakfast ready prior to the moment when husband needs to leave for work. Read Bible with children. Pray with children, and for children. Remember that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And thank God that each new day is a new chance to grow strong in Him.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:29