The "I shoulds..."

Oh my, the last couple weeks have flown by! I've not forgotten about this blog... just had some busy days around home :) I wasn't sure what to write about today so I think I will just write about what I've been thinking of lately.

I don't know if any of you out there are stay home mom's, but as a stay home mom or "homemaker" as I like to call it I find myself with inner struggles at times. I am 100% certain God wants me home right now and I absolutely love it. However, I sometimes let myself start to believe the lies our culture throws at women. I have had my moments where I thought "I should have a career" "I should make more money" "I should have more education" "I should lead a big ministry" "I should..." "I should..." 'I should...". I trust you all have your "I should's..." in your own lives. And, like many home-makers I know we are usually very capable people if I don't say so myself! Many of my home-making friends are very talented, gifted, smart, educated, and highly driven women. I believe Satan knows that and uses these "I should" moments to distract us, at least he does with me.

However, to indulge in these distractions would keep us from home-making at our best. I've been thinking about this a lot lately as I learn more about David. David was a shepard. The youngest of many brothers and his job was to watch the sheep. This left David with hours of quiet time and peaceful afternoons out in the open grasses and hills. I'm sure David could have done many of his father's other jobs, but he was sent to be alone with the sheep. Kind of like many women I know today. They could also do many jobs, but they've been placed at home with their own flock. Well, as I learn more about David I have come to see this... David was doing the job he'd been given at that time in his life. His father needed him for that. This season in his life gave him much time to connect with and learn from God. He was not distracted by a more hectic job and was able to let his heart be shaped as he spent one on one time with his Lord. David was being prepared for much bigger roles to come and he did not even know it.

Lately I've been trying to learn from David and use my time with my "flock" to engage more with God. This home making business is not always a quiet or peaceful place to be, but it is a place that requires me to focus my time and physically be present, which naturally makes my heart and mind follow. Did I mention that David was a good shepard? He tended to his sheep very well. He was not distracted by other things and he was a hard worker. And when the time was right God called him for other things. Yes, David was a wise boy. I want to throw my "I should's..." out the window, but I know they like to creep back into my thoughts every so often. Reading about David has shown me that these days at home right now are much like his peaceful days spent in the pastures and on the hills. I am a home-maker and my flock of children need me for this time in their lives. I pray God will mold my heart during this time and I pray I keep my focus here so I can meet Him daily in ways that David met with him during his flock watching days. Maybe God is preparing me for something after this season of life, but even if He's not, at least I can go through this time knowing I am not letting distractions keep me from tending to my children and home and most of all, keep me from some wonderful learning moments with my Lord.

What about you? Do you play the "I should" game? My prayer for you mom's today is that you would have a heart more like David's when he was just a humble shepard boy. Throw your "I should's" out the window and let this be a day to meet up with our Lord on your own quiet little hill! I hear that is best done when the sheep are sleeping :-)