Menu

Why Care?

Why do you get up in the morning? Do you love your job? Do you thrive with the challenges of the day?

I can sympathize with a friend who once told me, “I get up to let my dogs out. That’s it.”

The boys had finished with school, the sun was calling us to go outside. We got our gloves (we have stinging nettle all through our garden) and went to the garden. One look told me that we could be there until nightfall and still not make a dent in the weeds. Why bother? We all put in an hour of weeding (that’s all that I could do), and called it a day.

But the thought kept growing in my mind, Why Care? I certainly didn’t, or I would have been more disciplined and stayed out there longer to make it look good.

Sometimes I look at my house with the same attitude. Why bother? It’s a mess. I’ll just shut the door and not use that closet. I’ll just go to another room and not see the dirty dishes. I’ll just…how far can you go before the mess catches you and hits you in the face?

Why care? The answer must be better than to get up for my kids and my husband…because sometimes getting up to listen to one more page of c-a-t, cat, d-o-g, dog is not enough.

I recently read the book Story Craft by John R. Erickson (better known as the author of Hank, the Cow Dog).
He states that authors have a responsibility to write books of beauty because we are made in the image of God and we are to reflect His beauty.
As the saying goes, “God doesn’t make ‘junk.’”

Guess that means we aren’t to be satisfied with ugly, either.
Or my messy house.
Or my weedy garden.
I recognize that in the daily routine of growing children, my house was commonly messy.
I understand the Proverbs “without the oxen the manager is empty.” When you use big animals, you’re going to have a big mess to clean, but it works for you to do a bigger work, so it’s worth it.
Or when I do remodeling, or painting, the mess is bigger before it gets better. That’s to be expected.

Now as my little children have somehow gotten bigger than me, I must re-evaluate what is essential for my time and efforts. The boys clean the house. We are down to only two at home during the day. It’s amazing how the dirt level has gone down (exponentially). So I don’t enforce cleaning some things every day anymore. But that makes it easier to get sloppy in enforcing any ‘clean.’ (Is that why babies of the family tend to be less ‘disciplined’? Their mothers have lost all their energy!)

But one hour of weeding with only three people is not as effective as with five people. We still make progress, but I find myself wondering, do we need this big garden?

Why care?

Some days I feel like I just slop together a meal. It’s gone in 15 minutes anyway. So does it matter?

My motivation goes back to what Erickson said, being made in God’s image and reflecting His beauty. Isn’t that why we notice the beauty of a flower? Or the ugliness of…my closet?

We, as moms, are made to make our homes reflect our God—His order, beauty, and clean. We reflect Him.

I am inspired when I shop with my sister to stores that she likes. They bring calmness, creativity, peace. I like to go to her house where she has tastefully decorated things. It’s like going to an expensive hotel, only feeling at home.

Why care?

Because you can create that feeling of peace, calmness and beauty in your home, too.
It must first start inside, where the attitude says, “I do care, because God made me to be like Him.”
That attitude influences what you do in your corner, your closet, your house, your yard.
You can find the beauty because God has put it there.
You have to let go of the clutter, of what you think is important, and see Him.

Why care?
Because God cares.

 



No comments found

Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.

Receive weekly articles by giving your email address below:

Faith
Find more articles about faith here:
What Were You Thinking?
Who Are You Watching?
Boundaries for a Better Life
God's Boundaries
Memories of a Hero Mom
The Ripple Effect
How Do We Think Like Jesus
Litany of a Waiting Woman
Ever Cook a Frog?
New Year's Reminders
They Galled Her Gammy
When God Speaks
A Russian Christmas Story
Be Thankful
Be Grateful
Are You Tired of the Same, Old Thing?
  (reprint)
Laughter—Why Laugh?
Mom
Are You Disturbed?
Unity of the Brothers
Encouragements To Declutter
Do You Have Too Much Stuff?
Too Much Stress
Getting Past the Noise—The Value of Silence
Are You Scatterbrained?
How Good Are You?
Looking for Something Good To Read?
A Cup of Cold Water
I Will Trust When I Cannot See
Encouragement—What Is It?
Being in God's Presence
"Einstein and the Professor"
When God Is Silent
Do You Crave Beauty?
Using Stories to Discipline
The Danger of the Wrong Story
Using Stories to Teach Lessons
God is in charge of the future
November Dare Joy Challenge
Ungratefulness
Developing an Attitude of Gratitude
Looking for Jesus
What Do Your Prayers Reflect?
Life's Little Pleasures
Daniel—Greatly Loved by God
Take Every Thought
Jars of Clay
What Do Your Words Reveal about Your Heart?
How Do You Get Strong Faith?
Too Busy for God's Word?
How Do You Think Like Jesus?
Reflections from a Mom
Pain—What's It Good For?
Why Marry?
Consider the Robin
One Life Who Made a Difference
What Day Are You Living In?
Interrupted by God
Is Jesus Really the Answer to Everything?
Are You Beat Up?
What's Your Hurry?
Are You a Manipulator?
Are You Salty?
Are You Condemned?
Trying to Understand?
Do You Expect Answers to Your Prayers?
Do You Eat Your Stress?
Need Focus?
Going through Trouble?
Immanuel—God with Us
Looking for a Relationship?
When God Says, "No!"
What Do You Do with Left-Overs?
How Great Is Your God?
Are You Needy?
How Do You See Sin?
What Do Your Words Mean?
Is Evil Overwhelming You?
Those Aha Moments
Is Your Soul Happy?
Are You Ignored?
Looking for the God Moment
Do You Know Truth from Almost Truth?
I Believe in Jesus—What Now?
Do You Have Your "Son"-Glasses On?
Less Is More
Singing His Praise
Are You Trying To Do It All?
What Do You Do with All These Prayer Requests?
Have a Problem?
Do You Know How to Pray?
Looking for God in Every Moment
Are You Receptive to God's Blessings?
Tell the Senate: Mothers Aren't Birthing People
Is Your Life Complicated?
How Do We Fight Evil?
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Giving Up or Taking Away
the Bible is simple
Are You a Dripping Faucet?
What's Your Testimony?
The Final Move
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Are Your Prayers Answered?
I Choose Joy
What Have You Learned from Your Hardship?
Who Are You Trying to Change?
What's Your Five-Year Plan?
The Danger of "Aloneness"
My Colors
Are You a Whiner?
Are Your Works Approved?
Do You Think You're Stressed?
Is Your Soul Feeling Ragged?
God Speaks to the Heart of the King
What about the Details?
Have You Felt the Long-Suffering of God?
How Does God Lead You?
Do You Have Enough?
Don't Carry More than You Need
Cast the Seed
God Is Faithful
Are You Deceived?
Are You Essential?
Are You Safe?
Are You Tired of the Same Old Thing?
Does the World Make Sense?
Have You Seen God's Majesty?
Do You Feel Judged?
If You Only Had One More Day To Live
Are You Understood?
Do You Long for the Word of God?
Slow Down and Smell the Dead Leaves
Are You Hospitable?
Our Heritage Is Bought by Blood
Are You Disturbed?
Are You Depressed?
I Did It My Way
Finding the Simple Life with Meaning
The Simple Life
Do You Have the Right Words?
Did Your Dream Die?
On the Other Side of the Fence
Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence
Confessions of a Desperate Mom
Saving for Tomorrow
A Wedding Remembered
Who Will Stand in the Gap?
Are You a Protector or a Ruler?
Who Are You?
Are You an Image Bearer or a Wad of Cells?
Are You a Watchman?
Where Do You Find Meaning?
The Lamb of God as Told by a Scribe
What Love Is This?
Remember: The Symbols of Passover Explained
Tea and Rest
Do You Have Peace?
What Makes a Marriage Work?
When Life Is Awful
Are You Strong Enough?
Rules
Seasons
Be Faithful through Suffering
Do You Know the Word?
Wake Up! Strengthen What Remains
Are You Spit in God's Mouth?
Is Jezebel in Your Midst?
Do You Stand Against Satan Himself?
Are You Tired of Being a Mom?
What in the World Is Happening?
It's Not My Story
How Would Your Faith Compare?
Are You Sinking?
Are You a Rule Follower?
Useful for Him
An Intimate Moment with Mary
The Worldview that Makes the
   Underclass

Thoughts to Ponder
What Does It Take To Know the
    Heart of God?

See the Story in the Stars
Do the Scriptures Burn You?
Being in His Presence
Contentment: It's Not for the Timid
How Secure Are You?
How Do You Respond To Stupid People?
The Earthworm Is My Hero
Heart Issues or Issues of the Heart
Things Aren't Always What They Seem
More faith articles are found here:
alt
under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Or here:
alt
under the Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Articles on Suffering can be found  here, 
alt
under Table of Contents. Also available in book form.
Special Days
Remember: The Symbols of 
   Passover Explained
    

Aug 12, 2017 The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
July 4th, Freedom
What Is an American Soldier?
Valentine's Day: A Day of Love?
Memorial Day-A Day To Remember
Veterans' Day-To Honor Our Men
Fall Colors
First Thanksgiving Day
    Proclamation

Christmas: Stories behind the Songs
Christmas: Stories behind the Songs, part 2

Click on book cover for details.

alt

alt


alt

alt
Tell of My Kingdom's Glory
Three Book Series
alt

alt

alt