What you do in your house is worth as much as if you did it up in heaven for our Lord God. We should accustom ourselves to think of our position and work as sacred and well-pleasing to God, not on account of the position and work, but on account of the word and faith from which the obedience and the work flow. ~ Martin Luther

Monday, July 23, 2012

The What IF game


The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.
- G. K. Chesterton

 A secret to thanksgiving is really quite simple.  Think of something you hate to do.  Then think about not being able to do it.

For example:

Standing at the sink doing (yet another) round of dirty dishes in hot soapy water-when you really just wish to be rinsing off your sweat in a cool shower.  

But then you think, as you stand there, hands in suds... What if I didn't have hands TO wash?  What if I didn't have RUNNING WATER?  What if I didn't have food to put on the plates that I am presently washing?  What if I had to make my own soap in order to wash these dishes?

Or this one:

Changing a nasty stinky diaper for the hundredth time and realizing that you have been changing diapers for the last ten years straight. 

But then you think:  what if I had no children to put these diapers on?  What if my children were so ill that each dirty diaper was a triumph?  What if I had no money for diapers?  What if I had to handwash cloth diapers?

Or what about this:

Spending hours over a hot canner in the summertime.


But then you realize it is because of ABUNDANCE that you are doing this.  What if there was no food to can?  What would we eat this winter?

Of course, not everyone cans, not everyone gardens, not everyone has children.  But it works no matter what your circumstances in life.  Go on---try it.  Pick a bad circumstance in your life and think about what would happen if you didn't have it (or the tools to deal with it.)  It works like a charm.

:::: Counting the many blessings in my life, one by one :::

A "tough guy" baby... #883... a one year old with muscle definition
#884... a boy who will become a strong man
#885...  a leader

  Dozens of eggs to use up...and fast.  #887...egg shucking "helpers"
#887... funny little chickens out back
#888... an abundance of farm fresh eggs
#889....a new batch of pickled beet eggs
#890...fingers to shuck with
#891... a stove to boil on
 
Loads of wood (literally) to split before winter....




# 892...a boy who is old enough to help (how can this be?)
#893...lessons on how to work hard
#894...a fine example for a boy
#895...a woodsplitter that makes the job easier
#896....woods of our own to get trees of our own to get logs of our own to get wood of our own.

a VERY hot day of huckleberry picking....

#897... children who work alongside Mama without (too many) complaint(s).
#899... hours of kerplunking
#900.... access to free wild huckleberries for the taking
#901... a well earned swim in the lake
#902...lake mermaids and lily crowns



sweaty, dirty afternoons...
#903... days of unadulterated PLAY
#904.... children outside DOING instead of inside WATCHING
#905... after dinner hose-showers

a poor boy who gets stung daily...
# 906... the last few baby cuddles I will get from him.
#907... that he comes to me for comfort.
#908... a boy that is not allergic

toys, hats, shoes thrown everywhere, every day. 
# 909...clothes, when some people have none
# 910... clothes, that I didn't have to sew, or sheer, or weave or grow.
# 911...a woolen hat on a summer day that looks *almost* like hair
#  912...toys for my children to play with and shoes.  Luxuries to many.


a living room destroyed.

#913... a living room tent town
#914... imaginations being exercised
#915....four children playing together without bickering
#916...an hour where I knew right where every child was
# 917...lots of pretty blankets

Still diaper-changing...
#918... that darling belly button


 holy experience

8 comments:

Bonnie said...

I was going through my what-ifs earlier, and then your post!

That look on Judah's face in the picture with you and Adele cracks me up : D

Such goodness to be thankful for, and lots of loverly pictures- you spoil us!

Anonymous said...

it is with an entirely refreshed perspective that I now close this laptop and head into the kitchen to handwash the sinkful of blessings that's been beckoning all day ~ thank you, rebecca!

b in va

Unknown said...

I love, love your list. YES! We have SOOO much to be thankful for...I've had a broken dryer for weeks now and I've actually come to enjoy drying EVERYTHING on the line...the hot, hot weather has been perfect! Ones perspective changes EVERYTHING!

Your Judah looks so GROWN UP! He is precious!

Phyllis said...

I play the What If game all the time!! It is nice to know that someone else plays it, too.

Amanda said...

...and truly this is what the good life is all about.

taking a pause and a big sigh as I read your gifts...and scroll these precious,precious photos.

summertime is so fine.

:-)

Bonnie said...

Not related to this post at all, but I've seen parts of the 2005 Little House and after watching an hour last night, it struck me that you look and awful lot like the actress who plays Ma! (except they always make her look unkempt- which from the books and Laura's description, I'd say was not true.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I52UdYigjC0&feature=related

With your computer issues, I have no idea if you'll get to see this. It's not bad, they take lots of liberties with the story (of course), but very realistic in the cold, mud, rain, etc.
Anyway, just thought I'd mention it. Hungry monkeys to feed now, then off to the library!

Rebecca said...

She played on one of the Janette Oke movies too. I don't remember which one though!

(Your suggestion was my 20 minutelunch-time watching for today! So thanks!)

Mrs.C said...

I've felt this same way many times. Reminding myself to be thankful for the breathes I take and the miracle it is to even move a finger. I've also dealt with very difficult pregnancies. I determined to be more thankful and do more when I could. When you are unable to do basic life skills, you are humbled in so many ways. I am a mother of five and with each pregnancy I would have died without the use of medicine & etc to keep liquid and food down. So all of this to say it is a daily reminder that there is always something to be thankful for. I've been asking my children before bed to tell me three things they are thankful for as well as reminding them throughout the day how we must be thankful for what we have and what others do for us. It's easy to teach that to others, but I must also look at myself. We all have so much to learn, but we can do it!! We have the tools!! Have a sweet summer day Rebecca, Mrs.Clark