From Matthew Henry:
In a word, quietness of spirit is the soul’s stillness and silence from intending provocation to, or resenting provocation from, any with whom we have to do…
It is for want of meekness that we are so impatient of contradiction in our opinions, desires, and designs; that we must have our own saying, right or wrong, and everything our own way; that we are so impatient of competitors, not enduring that any should stand in our light, or share in that work of honor which we would engross to ourselves; that we are so impatient of contempt, so quick in our apprehension and resentment of the least slight or affront; and so quick to imagine injuries where there are none or none intended…In a word, the wilful doing of anything to disquiet others, slandering, backbiting, whispering, tale-bearing, or the like, is too plain an evidence that we are not ourselves rightly disposed to be quiet.
The Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit
“Let our wintry state suffice us for coldness and indifference; when the Lord creates a spring within, let our sap flow with vigour, and our branch blossom with high resolve. O Lord, if it be not spring time in my chilly heart, I pray Thee make it so, for I am heartily weary of living at a distance from Thee. Oh! the long and dreary winter, when wilt Thou bring it to an end? Come, Holy Spirit, and renew my soul! quicken Thou me! restore me, and have mercy on me! This very night I would earnestly implore the Lord to take pity upon His servant, and send me a happy revival of spiritual life!”
In one of the books I was reading recently, there was an offhand comment about how there are really only two kinds of women: the princess and the pioneer. I was struck by the wisdom and insight in this observation, and the more I thought about it, the more it seems to really sum up how women generally handle life. We either are the kind who are willing to roll up our sleeves and dive into the business at hand, even if it is something we have never done before; or we are looking around for the people who are going to be taking care of us.
A while back I mentioned something about snoopervising and I promised to write something about it. Well, here it is.
When my kids were little, I liked to have an idea what they were up to most all the time. Not hanging over their shoulders, but just keeping one ear open and one eye on what was going on in the back yard or in the back room. Still, I missed plenty, and some things I will never know. But when they were playing cannibals and missionaries in the back yard, I didn’t really mind, unless we had company, and then I might suggest another game.
They had one “tricky” game that involved making the youngest a “queen” who was carried to the front yard on a homemade litter of sorts or pulled in a wagon with great pomp and circumstance. They would leave her with a bell to ring any time she needed her “servants,” while they headed off to the back yard to play without any interference. Now I may have known about that game, but I’m not sure I was clued in to the very shrewd motives behind it!
So even though my kids went to play at other kids’ homes or yards, I always wanted our house to be the center of activities so that I could do the snoopervising. And when they were in junior-high and high school and even college, I pretty much continued to try to make our house the party house for the same reason. If my kids wanted to have their friends over, I was all for it. Yes. By all means. I enjoyed the hospitality, but I also enjoyed getting to know their friends and being up to speed on what was going on.
Many of you may be in the plum middle of a glorious spring. But we are still trudging along under a thick mass of gray clouds that occasionally drop rain or snow on us. I’m not kidding! And though I have seen a few daffodils around town (poor things), my forsythia is still holding off. Granted, my hilltop is very vulnerable to the chilly winds, so my neighbors a few blocks to the south do have some blooms on theirs. And even though we are used to this sort of thing, it really has been a longer-than-normal winter, and I am detecting signs of cabin fever.
It’s harder on the little kids who are looking longingly out the window, eager to be out playing in the yard. Or, rather, it’s harder on their moms, who are eager to send the little rascals outside to play in the yard. This is one of those times that mothers need a double dose of grace. And sometimes we all need to just open the windows anyway and air the place out!
I recommend bringing as much sunshine in as you can, so I buy grocery store tulips every chance I get. And even when it’s chilly, it’s better to bundle everyone up for a walk than to sit inside wishing. Fresh air does wonders, and it helps the little ones nap better. It rejuvenates mom, and so does a little fellowship with other moms. There is something very comforting in the companionship of other moms who are going through the same Continue reading ‘Cabin Fever’
I think sometimes women feel the need to justify their desire to make beautiful things with their hands. So I have a perfect couple of verses for you! Here it is in Exodus 35:25-26: “And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen. And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.”
The NKJ renders wise hearted as gifted artisans, and I am certainly not able to explain why. But in Exodus 28:3, where it speaks of the gifted artisans also, God refers to them as “whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom.” So I don’t feel I am taking a wild leap to say that women whose hearts have been filled with wisdom (wise-hearted women) are stirred up to make things. And though we no longer are making things for the tabernacle like the women in Exodus, we are making things for our homes, our children, our friends and family. And this is wise and good. Continue reading ‘Wise-Hearted Crafting’
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