The Best Laid Plans ~ Part Two in Homekeeping Series

What if I told you there is only ONE secret to keeping your family and home?

What would you say? What would you pay?

Thankfully, this secret is really not-so-secret and there is no charge! The debt was paid by our Redeemer and as a woman of God you have the grace covering to accept this secret and strive to live it out daily. Oh, it won’t make the mountains of laundry and dishes disappear and it certainly won’t stop little Johnny from spilling his apple juice on the freshly mopped floor, but it will definitely give you peace and joy as you deal with those things—so long as you remember it.

There are many systems for organizing your home, decluttering the junk and cleaning. There are even more charts to use in your Home Management Binder. These are all great tools but even the best laid plans of men (and women) go astray without a firm foundation.

So, what is this secret? What is this foundation?

PRAYER.

Someone (I’m sorry I forget who) said prayer is not a monologue, it’s a dialogue. So often we are stressed out over the little trials of life that we don’t take the time to do more than ramble off an almost thoughtless, “Lord, I need help” as we bend over a mess or take care of a sick child. We forget to listen to the Lord and discover how to get that help.

We forget that the Lord is more than our Redeemer, He is our Father. We tend to box Him in to Sunday morning—or worse (something a LOT of us women tend to do) think that He doesn’t need to be bothered by the “little” things.

Let me tell you something, He knows the number of hairs on your head. I can only imagine that wiping spaghetti sauce off the wall has to be more interesting.

Psalm 28:7 tells us, "The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."

Do you start each day hitting the floor running or do you go to your Father and ask Him for strength and direction? Do you trust Him to help you when you’re weary, frustrated or just plain overwhelmed? How often have you cried out for help?

This verse tells us that the help we long for is right there when we rely on His strength and trust in Him. It’s not about physical matters, but about your heart and mind.

Why?

Because when we rely on His strength and trust in Him to direct our steps our hearts rejoice GREATLY. Did you see that? Not just a bit, but greatly. When we turn over our day to Him we can rest in the knowledge that He has purpose and plan for us even in the last dirty sock to go into the washer. We can praise Him through song and through our actions all through the day because we serve a God who cares about every little aspect of our lives. He cares and He’s right there with us.

So, I encourage you to begin each day in prayer--a conversation--with your Father.