Thank God for dirty dishes,
For they have a tale to tell!
While others go hungry,
We are eating very well!
With home, health and happiness,
I really shouldn't fuss.
By the stack of evidence,
God's been pretty good to us!
For they have a tale to tell!
While others go hungry,
We are eating very well!
With home, health and happiness,
I really shouldn't fuss.
By the stack of evidence,
God's been pretty good to us!
Have you ever gotten to the place where you dreaded doing dishes and even found yourself murmuring and complaining either out loud or in your heart? I have to admit I have from time to time. I found this poem to speak volumes. I did have a sister in Christ to say to me one time that we should thank God for dirty dishes and dirty laundry and dust on the furniture and dirt on the floor. I immediately thought she was nuts till she explained it to me what she meant by her statement.
The Holy Spirit smote my heart and made me realize that my murmuring and complaining was wrong. The Bible does say in Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings." I have to say that I have personally not arrived in this area of my life. Do any of you still find yourself still murmuring in your heart? Maybe you don't say anything out loud so others can hear you...but may I remind you that God hears you when you say it in your heart.
May we all be thankful for the things that God has given us and not murmur in our hearts about those things. Things don't always go as we would like them to and we don't always enjoy the things we NEED to do but we should get to the point where we do enjoy it and do it with a worshipful heart. When you wash those dishes or dust that furniture...sweep and mop that floor and wash that laundry...do it as unto the Lord and thank Him that you have food to eat to dirty those dishes. Clothes to wear to dirty that laundry and a house to live in that gets dusty and dirty. When we get this Christ-like attitude then we will find ourselves enjoying doing them.
28 comments:
Sis Julie Thanks for the reminder that we have so much to be thankful for in going about our daily lives as a wife and if you have children as a mother. I don't think that I will ever look at house work the same anymore. Praying that your husband and Krisitna have a safe trip and a good meeting this weekend and into next week. Praying that you are feeling better as well.
sis. diane....That poem sure opened my eyes! Thanks for the prayers!! I'll be a lot better in a few days.
I hope you don't mind but I'm going to print this out and hang it up on my kitchen wall. I'm also going to make a link to this as well.
Thank you for this post.
sis. theresa...That is perfectly fine. I'm glad it was a blessing to you.
My grandmother had this poem painted on a plate in her kitchen since before my dad was even born. I remember reading it when I was at her house so often in my youth. When I got married, she made me one, too.
motherofmany....I wish I had come across it a lot sooner!!
Amen....we have so much to be thankful for...compared to most of the world, we are a spoiled people...and yes, I have been known to MORE than complain....shame on me...and I mean it.
Deby
That's a great poem, Sis. Julie
sis. deby...I have too!!
bro. nick..thank you!
Prayer seems to be the best solution for murmuring in my life. We women are the more verbal gender, and we often need to relieve our stress through words. When I catch myself complaining, I try to remember to go my knees. (Not always successful tho!)
Hugs, e-Mom
e-mom....prayer should be what we all do in any situation we feel like murmuring and complaining about. Unfortunately...I'm not always faithful to do so either.
Sis Julie -
This was a wonderful post! - describes me, me, me, sometimes! Thank you for this special reminder!
Thanks also for your other posts this week. They have been a blessing. I have come by but not posted. You and your family are still in my thoughts and prayers and I pray all is going well with the revival, and that you will be feeling ok this week-end.
sis. pamela...my husband and Kristina leave this morning for Florida to be in the revival beginning Sunday. So far I'm feeling fine. But I won't be in a day or so. I'm going to hate not being there with them for the revival but everyone understands that I just can't. Thank you for your prayers!!
That is a great poem..I would also like to print it if that is ok with you..
sis. michelle...that is just fine.
What a great lesson!! I remember carrying Adam down the hall when he was about 2 years old. He caught a glimpse of himself in an antique mirror and wanted to touch his image. His little hands were dirty and it left such a nice hand print on my clean mirror. It took me years before I cleaned off that precious little hand print, Sis Julie! I'm sure that people thought I was a horrible house keeper when they saw my dirty mirror, but this Momma didn't have the heart to clean it! :-) It's all in how you look at life!!!
Great thoughts. I had read the poem before but I still find myself falling into murmuring and complaining sometimes over the silliest things. I tell you, if we change our attitude about so many things, we truly will be "more than conquerors." One thing I've learned to do is to pray for the person who owns the article of clothing I'm ironing!
sis. kate...I used to be a fanatic about my house being spotless. And I'd worry when someone was coming for a visit and the house wasn't just so. I finally realized that if things don't get done as I'd like that it isn't important. Not that I leave my house a mess or dirty. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I'm not worried about people seeing things not exactly perfect. Afterall...they are coming to see us and not our house and how it is kept. I do want my testimony to be a good one but I don't fret if I don't get the minor things done.
sis. pam....I do the same thing. And when I use something that was given as a gift from someone...I try to remember to pray for the one that gave it to me. I count it a blessing to have an opportunity to pray for others and that is one way I do so.
I have not "arrived" there either. My dreaded chore isn't so much the dishes as it is the laundry. Thank you for the reminder!
~Kristi
sis. kristi...I have to say I once dreaded doing both of those things but now I truly enjoy doing them. I know...I'm weird...but that is the Lord helping me in those areas. I also HATED ironing once until I learned to pray as I was ironing for one that I'm ironing for. It really does help me to enjoy doing them. I have not arrived though...I still find myself murmuring and complaining from time to time about some things. He's still working on me!!
Very good poem, Sister Julie. I agree....we are so blessed, all of us, to have food to put on those plates, and furniture to dust, etc. Thanks for the reminder!
Sis. Julie,
Just stopping by to let you know that I chose you as one of my recipients for the "e-for Excellent" award!
I appreciate your godly testimony!
sis. janie...You're welcome!! I know I needed to be reminded.
courtney....WOW!! Thank you very much!! I'm so thankful that God would choose to use me in any way He chooses.
Hi Julie,
Theresa made good on her promise to link to you -- that's how I found you. This is the kind of blog I meant to write when I got started... somehow mine has become more about me than about the Lord. :o( (Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it... prone to leave the God I love!) This is a blessing, and I am glad you are out here with these instructional, devotional, heart-sharing posts.
I'm a KJB, IFB pastor's wife, too. Come over and have tea sometime.
Sally
sis. sally....thank you for stopping by. I'm glad you found a blessing here. I'll come visit you at your blog soon.
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