Insignificant greatness and staggering good

This blog is a place for me to celebrate and dwell upon beauty.

It's also a place to reframe the difficult things:  to remind myself of God's promises and His goodness in my life; to adjust my perspective.

Can you spot the kid that's not mine?

The addition of a friend last Friday doubled the size of our pre-K class!

A homemaker ought to cultivate order and beauty in the home, for the sake of a smooth-running home and enjoyment of good things.

That's Jeddy on a skateboard clinging to the side of the motorized tractor as Ada floors it straight toward the garage and Lizzy rides in the bed.  Jeddy is wearing a helmet because, safety first.

As with all valid pursuits, the unholy trinity of the world, the fallen flesh, and the devil conspire to corrupt and twist homemaking until we are enslaved by the pursuit of worthless goals.


Enter the wars of Pinterest one-upmanship and deep insecurity.


The corruption is complete when the homemaker is demoralized and miserable, enslaved by fear of inadequacy, and defeated by piles of dirty dishes and a mountain of laundry.  Joy has been entirely stolen.

When the infant church was scattered by the outbreak of persecution from Jerusalem, the deacon Philip went to Samaria.

Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him...because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.  But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.  Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and...he was constantly amazed.

-Acts 8:9-13

We've moved on from worms to millipedes.  These clever subjects found the rotting fruit immediately.

The story of Simon helps us understand the war for the homemaker's heart.  Like Simon, we all want "to be someone great."  We want the people to be "astonished" at what we can accomplish.


My laundry is always done.  My dishes never even get dirty.  My children's faces are clean and you could eat off my floor.  Furthermore, I've taught my 5-year-old Latin, Greek, physics, and tai chi.  I'm featured every other month in Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and Shape magazines.  And I grow my own quinoa.  


Astonishing!  You're amazing!  How do you do it?!


That's what our faithless hearts long to hear.


Tell me I'm great and I amaze you, and I will know that I'm good enough.

Captured a rare moment of Caleb neatly lining up his crayons rather than throwing things.

Thankfully, the people of Samaria experienced an astonishment transfer.  In the end Simon himself was "constantly amazed," not by the greatness of Philip...but by the goodness of his news.


Simon...claiming to be someone great...they...were...astonished.


They believed...the good news about...Jesus Christ...he was...amazed.

When I long to be someone great, the level of order in my house, the demonstrable brilliance of my children, and the quality of my dinners define my success.  I'm proud.


But if the place is a mess, the kids are intractable, and I forgot to thaw the meat, then I'm not at all great, and my faithless heart drowns in guilt and defeat.


Thank God there's something more amazing than my mad skillz at domesticity.  It's the goodness of Jesus to me, a sinner.


I, who yell at my kids when they tarnish my greatness.


I, who think I can impress God with my competence.


I, who would rather pay just a little bit of my own way than accept that Jesus must, and did, pay it all.


I, who would blaspheme God if Instagram would worship me.

Date night in:  highly recommended.  A bed sheet (in need of ironing) standing in for a white tablecloth, microwave dinners artfully transferred to real plates, candles and a bottle of wine--atmosphere for a fraction of restaurant prices!

We...were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).

-Ephesians 2:3-5

Such good news for sinners.  Amazing!  Astonishing!  The very God I've offended is the One who saves me.  Such goodness makes all human greatness irrelevant.


When I believe this, I can delight in a beautiful home as a reflection of my good God.  And in the mess, I can rest in knowing His goodness to me doesn't change.


I am freed from pursuing pathetically inferior greatness, because my heart is lit up with astonishment at the true wonder.