Honey

Go here for other posts in this series of 31 Days of serving others.......

Day 4......

Proverbs 16:24 "Gracious words are like a honey, sweetness to the soul and health to the body."

Her eyes resembled that of someone whom did not get enough sleep. She just took on a job after being a stay home mom and wife for 5 years. It has not been a smooth transition for her. She has had to rethink how daily task are to be accompished. She has had to search for a childcare provider. One that would love her babies as she would, one that is close and one that is reasonable. After all going back to work for the family should benefit the family. You can't put a price on peace of mind. It is hard! Somedays are long and others well longer. She loves her husband and she loves her children. She continues to plan meals along with cleaning the house. She has had to learn to shift responsibility yet let go of the "not so important" stuff. Every night she reads to her children, gives them baths, talks about Christ, asks them about their day, lays their clothes out for the next day and makes their lunches including hers to save money. She misses them more than anything but knows for a short while this is the path that God has laid before her.

So why does she think she is a bad mom? She is comparing her success as a mom as to whether she CAN stay home with them. It is her desire. It is her husbands. However, finances have been very tight and the end in sight seems far off. They prayed over it. They lost sleep over it. Should she go back? If she does, now where do the kids go? Who will love them like us? These are NEVER easy decisions to make or to FACE. For now, by God guiding her, she is to be in the work place.

The service that the Lord put on my heart to take to hers were these WORDS....."you are a great mom! You A.R.E. a great mom! You love your family. You made the best decision for now. Your kids are happy. They know Christ and they are LOVED. Don't listen to the enemy! He wants to steal your JOY. Serve where you are and KNOW that GOD is going to see you through this job. Hang in there! KNOW this, Christ is watching over your babies and he is guiding you. YOU ARE A GREAT MOM!" She sobbed. " No one has told me that latley. I needed to hear that. Thank you." I hugged her, she sobbed and from mom to mom we get it. We get it because moms everyday make sacrifices whether we work full time, part time or in the home. At the end of the day we are all moms trying to do the best we can with what has been given to us. Praying in our secret places of our hearts that we too are doing the job that Christ has given to us and that we are doing it well.

Words are powerful. From the tongue they can build a nation and destroy it. Oh friend they can also encourage, love and build a bridge for someone. Words they are not to be taken lightly.

Proverbs 12:18 "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

I Peter 4:11 "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ."

.........and here I thought when my dad told me "you can catch more bees with honey than vinegar" was some strange chinese proverb he had gotten in his fortunate cookie for lunch. How are your words? Are they dripping with honey?

* all photos are borrowed from simplystunning*