I woke up at 6:38am this morning and popped out of bed. I found my way to the living room where my plush pink blanket was awaiting me. I draped it over myself feeling warm and snuggly, and dropped to my hands and knees. I bowed and began to pray.
Peace filled the atmosphere. I was relieved. I felt prepared for the day instead of entering the day with anxiety. I walked into the kitchen, put water in our kettle, and prepared some tea. I brought the tea with me to my husband’s office where I sat down at his desk and played games for about 90 minutes, before the house began to stir.
At 8:50am, I crawled back into bed to kiss and caress my husband before he would have to get up for work. He had asked me the night prior if I could make him breakfast. Of course I will, had been my response. So, before he got up, I asked if he wanted it before or after his first meeting of the day. He wanted it after.
Timing things perfectly, I waited until he went into his office before I began preparing. I found myself in the kitchen again, and things were fresh, in place, and clean. The ease of motion, clarity and joy I felt was unmatched as I sliced (turkey) sausage and measured rice. And then I thought to myself, in an ‘aha’ moment,
“I should retire my kitchen every night if it makes life this much easier!”
This was something I aimed to do within the first 6-8 months of living with my husband. It usually took me about 1 hour every night if I had made dinner that evening. But now? 15 minutes tops!
I realize that I stopped retiring my kitchen at night because my practices were inefficient and tiring. I mean, really, who wants to spend a whole hour every night just cleaning the kitchen??? No wonder I started letting the dishes sit until the next afternoon.
With some prayer to keep my house clean (which you can listen to me dive into in this podcast episode), YAHUAH showed me what needed my attention the most. It certainly wasn’t my kitchen– it was my heart and my mind. And with a renewal of my heart and mind, He is giving me the wisdom to care for my home in a way that is pleasurable, NOT burdensome.
Nothing makes homemaking easier than ASKING Yah to make it pleasurable to me.
I mean think about it. Is He NOT the Lord of Lords? Is the earth NOT His footstool? Isn’t He Almighty and All Powerful? What’s too hard or too minute for Him?
If we ask for a pleasurable and streamlined experience in homemaking (which is a VERY GOOD THING TO ASK FOR), then that is what we get. He bestows goodness upon His children and doesn’t withhold good things from those who seek Him.
In fact, asking for pleasure and joy in homemaking has made me smile more, worry less, increased intimacy between my husband and I, made me more compassionate towards my family, and has blessed me to become a more consistent early riser (something I am working on).
Joy changes everything.
And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before Adonai. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of YAHUAH is your strength!”
Nehemiah 8:10
Joy can be a source of strength.
I know you’ve had those days, weeks or even years wherein it felt like you would fall apart, but it was simply having access to YAH that held you together.
I would have fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of YAHUAH in the land of the living. Wait on YAHUAH; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on YAHUAH!”
Proverbs 27:13-14
Through many trials, I would have fainted, but it was my belief on YAHUAH, that I would see His Goodness and His Mercy WHILE STILL LIVING, that gave me the courage to wait on Him. And He surely delivered on His Word.
He tells us to do all things unto Him. But should a Lord as great as He, with as many servants as He has, accept an offering given in grumbling, reluctance, and bitterness? Nay
If our homemaking, femininity, and motherhood is what we put on His Altar, we owe it to Yah to do so with joy, for joy is a SIGN of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)!
You may not see the immediate joy. Sometimes it comes from worship, sometimes it comes from prayer. And other times, such as in the case of waking up to a clean kitchen and peaceful home, you won’t see the joy actualize until you follow the path of wisdom for a few steps.
Why? Because joy is a FRUIT of the Spirit. Something that takes time to grow. Something that needs care, pruning, watering, and lots of patience before you will have a full harvest.
Nothing makes life easier to bare than having His joy.
I invite you today to seek Him for His joy in homemaking. You wont just find relief, you’ll also find order. And where there is order, there is peace. And where there is peace, the Covenant is fulfilled 🙂
