Many Hands Make Light Work

I'm not sure who coined this saying, but we are learning, from experience, that it is true! Kendal is still with Grandma Brenda and Granddad. Since Kendal, Kelsey and I(Marcella) are the main workforce in our home, we are really scrambling to fill the gap left by Kendal's absence.


The good news is that, in Kendal's absence, we are more effectively employing the hands of all the other children in our home. Isaac, Daniel and Anna have been helping a lot! Even little Mary stood on a chair and washed dishes with Joy. Afterwards, of course, Mary needed her dress changed, the floor was wet and the dishes needed rinsing again. But it was worth it, to see their enthusiasm to help and to have an hour of peace! Joy has climbed on a chair several times to take her turn scrubbing the skillet left over from breakfast.


We also realized that not one of the families that we admire, follow, read about or learn from, were ministering to other families when their children were all little! So far as I can tell, the books are being written by people who are old enough to be grandparents, or are already grandparents. The families that travel around giving workshops to homeschoolers are also comprised mostly of young adults and sometimes a few children. Very rarely are there any babies or toddlers in the families who are leading the way. Although I am sorry for her struggles, I am relieved to know that one mother, who has had a huge influence in helping homeschooling mothers, was suffering with depression for many years when her first four children were coming along. So it's not just me and my friends who are finding this life to be very overwhelming at times. Phew!


We feel so inspired by the instrument-playing, smiling large family who ministers in prisons, nursing homes, and in their neighborhoods. However, when we begin to wonder how we could fit those activities into our life, I feel discouraged. Right now we can't! We are thankful to get through Bible study, three meals, school and laundry smoothly. But we are gradually working towards a different season of parenting when we will have more young adults. In four years from today, if the Lord tarries, our children will be 18, 16, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, and 4 (plus ?). That is a completely different group that what we had when Mary was born: 12, 10, 8, and so forth. Of course each season brings new learning opportunities for children and parents. That is what maturation and sanctification are all about. They both require time.


I'm trying to be more patient with myself, my husband and my children. We have much for which to be thankful. God is faithful and we must not doubt His work in all of our hearts.

We're not ever THIS far off schedule, but a late lunch clean-up does sometimes run into dinner preparations, and Daddy's return home...where did the time go? This cartoon is from Todd Wilson at familymanweb.com: