I've been thinking about the subject of homemaking lately as it relates to the modern age and to my faith in Christ.
You don't have to be a wife or a mother to practice the skill of homemaking. You don't have to stay at home full time, and you certainly don't have to don an apron or wear a string of pearls around your neck! In truth, I've been "making a home" since my teen years--whether it was my bedroom, dorm room, apartment, or house--by creating a peaceful, clean, and beautiful space within which to live, study, and work.
Let me be clear--this is not a lifestyle blog, and I have no intention of turning it into one! There are a TON of those out there, as well as many, many books and webinars on the subject of homemaking that are waaaay more thorough and insightful than my little blog post here, dear friend! The reason I wanted to talk about it today, however, is that homemaking intersects with faith in a major way.
So many things fall into the category of "homemaking"--so many things, in fact, it can make your head spin!
Cleaning the house.
Cooking the meals.
Meal planning.
Laundry.
Managing the family calendar.
Establishing holiday traditions with the kids.
Decorating.
Hospitality.
The list could go on and on!
And while I do all these things as a homemaker (some better than others, mind you!), my spirit also cries out to include the things that are not on this typical list.
It seems that so much of our attention can be spent doing all.the.things (and for many, that includes a home-business or working outside of the home!) that we can very easily miss the heartbeat of homemaking. We can spend our days decorating a comfortable and inviting space, preparing delicious meals, tidying our home, and yet tear apart this very place by our words, selfish attitudes, passionless marriages, and our disregard for teaching God's Word and praying in our home.
One Scripture that has convicted me over the past few years as it relates to homemaking is from the book of Proverbs. It speaks to how we as women can actually tear down our homes, sabotaging the very thing that we strive to build:
"The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Proverbs 14:1
Oh, I know I have done it, dear friend!
I've invited a family over to enjoy a meal with us, all the while, barking orders to my kids and husband to get the house clean and meal ready in time. I've scoured the house, only to struggle with frustration and perfectionism when my kids clomp into the house from outdoors, or when they've endeavored to clean the bathroom...ahem...their way (hand over the toilet brush, and no one will get hurt!!).
So, I'd like to spend today's post exploring the subject of homemaking from an aerial view.
But first a disclaimer: personally, I cringe when I write blog posts like this one, because it might seem like I have it all together. Let me assure you, I don’t. I need Jesus every minute of every day. But perhaps I’ve been placed in this position--on your Facebook feed or in your inbox--for such a time as this. Maybe you need some encouragement. Maybe you need a resource or a fresh idea. Maybe you’ve never thought of homemaking in the context of prayer or teaching the Bible to your children. In today's post, I will try my best to direct you to previous blog posts here at Risa's Reflections, as well as to other online resources that discuss the particulars, for those of you who'd like to learn more. I'll discuss categories that we all traditionally think of as "homemaking," as well as areas that we might not, at first pass.
Since this blog post is already pretty lengthy, I'll post the particulars in a second post for the day, so don't run away!
May we bring honor and glory to Him as we faithfully step into the impactful role of homemaking that God has created us for!
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