It’s the last day of the month. There are so many things I had hoped to accomplish this month:  sew presents, work in the garden, and organize things in the house. A few are done; most are not yet.

Tomorrow starts a new month, and I will continue to work to accomplish my goals. I’m grateful for the reasons I had to be interrupted: a hungry baby, a child who needed to talk, a child who needed extra help with schoolwork.

I think often of this quote from C. S. Lewis:

C.S. Lewis Quote The Prudent Homemaker

That sums up motherhood pretty well, doesn’t it? Our children need us constantly.

While I was searching for that quote, I came across this one, and it struck me even more powerfully this morning:

Interrruptions The Prudent Homemaker

A couple of weeks ago in Sunday School, we were talking about Jesus, and about the woman with an issue of blood for 12 years who needed to be healed. She had faith that if she could just touch Jesus’ clothes, she would be healed. As the Savior passed by, He felt virtue go from Him and asked who touched his clothes. He stopped and spoke to the woman. The woman was healed.

After that, people were constantly trying to touch Christ wherever He went. 

Can you imagine that every time you went somewhere, people were reaching out to touch you? How hard it would be to accomplish your daily tasks, and how difficult it would be to find peace.

I thought about this, and then I thought about my daily life.

As a mother, there are little hands reaching for me all day–baby hands that tug and pull and pinch–and little voices (and some big ones!) that call, “Mom” all day when I try to go to the bathroom, get dressed, put laundry on to wash, step outside to water a plant, or stand in the kitchen to make a meal.

As we seek to find peace this busy time of year, let us remember that the reason for Christmas is the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. As we strive to be more Christ-like, let us seek to have the charity that He has, to give of ourselves where we are needed. Let us speak with patience when we are interrupted, for it is those very interruptions that are truly important. In so doing, may we truly find peace within ourselves to help those around us.

May we love as He loves.

 

What are you thankful for today?

 

 


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48 Comments

  1. Today I’m thankful for my health. I’m sitting in the waiting room at my doctor’s office for a checkup and I’m very happy to be in pretty great health. Many people have poor health or don’t have insurance to treat their conditions, and that’s something I always try to remember when I take my health for granted.

  2. Today, as always, I am thankful for my children and their children.
    My house was full of kids and noise last week. This week we are back to “normal”.
    I am mother to 4 children.
    I am grandmother to six kids whose ages are 25, 24, 17, 12, 9 and 9. It was loud and crowded here.
    My best friend lost her firstborn this time last year. She has one son and 2 grandbabies left.
    Today I am thankful for my children, their children, all the noise, laughter and love in this house.

  3. What a lovely thing to read.

    I’m thankful we are all finally healthy though I need to coax medicine into the children a few days more.
    I’m THANKFUL my husband took the morning off to bring our eldest to the dentist. What a zoo it is when we all must go. I’m thankful we can get our son’s teeth coated to help avoid cavities in the future. I’m thankful (?) the children are enjoying rediscovering treasures while I clean out the craft closet.

  4. So thankful that even though our first grandson was born 4 weeks early Sunday by emergency c-section, both mama and baby are recovering. He’s currently in the NICU ward but each day he’s improving and getting better. Breathing tube was removed yesterday and my son and daughter-in-law finally got to hold him for the first time. ❤️
    She loves your blog too!

  5. I am very thankful for your amazing blog. I come here to read all the posts and comments as this is my relaxation time. Thank you for all you do Brandy. I am thankful to celebrate 45 years of life next Tuesday. I was born premature at 1.5 lbs in 1971. There were no ventilators or any fancy equipment at that time. But God had great plans for me. I am a pediatric cancer survivor and also an adult cancer survivor. God and I have walked so very rough roads together in my short life,but never once has he forsaken me. I am grateful for my health and the peace that now comes with that. I am thankful that He has led my to China twice to adopt my girls as infants who are now 9&12. I have been so blessed.

  6. This morning I am thankful for safety from the storms that passed through Alabama overnight. Very sadly three people were killed in the county next to us.

  7. I’m thankful I read your post today, I needed those quotes! I’m thankful for our warm house with an efficient furnace. My grandparents didn’t have that luxury when they were young.

  8. I am thankful for my life today. I’m pretty happy! I’m in a healing period of my life after some difficult years, and although obviously nothing is perfect, I’m really enjoying this time in my life. It’s allowing me to heal from the past and gain strength should storms come in the future. I’m very thankful for that!! And for my husband who has played a large role in it all.

  9. Thank you for this post! This was THAT reminder for me for what ist really important in life!

    Claudia from Austria

  10. Brandi, thank you for shining the love of Jesus into my day today. We are across the country, but your words today were a beautiful blessing to me. I am grateful that you choose to share your life, your hope, and your love with this community. It impacts me personally and i am grateful to “know” you.

  11. What a lovely surprise to see those wonderful quotes! I love C.S. Lewis’ writings, and Marcia Lebhar is a wonderful woman as well as the wife of my bishop.
    I’m so thankful for my health, as I have an auto-immune disease, but thankfully, it’s in remission and has been for several years. I’m thankful that as the Christmas season approaches, my church keeps me focused on the spiritual instead of the secular.
    And, a bit silly, but I’m thankful for “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!” coming on again. I’ve watched it since I was young.

  12. Thank you Brandy, this was a perfect post for today. 🙂
    I’m thankful for my health and my family. Every day. I’m especially thankful for *faith*. What a gift.

  13. I found out this morning that my cousin and dear friend lost her 1 year old yesterday to an accidental drowning. He was the much loved baby of a family of 8. It seems that your post coincides with hiw I am feeling today. We just have them for such a little while and they are our precious work.

  14. What lovely quotations.

    I’m thankful that Johannes Gutenberg developed the movable type printing press so many years ago. I cannot imagine life without books. To think they used to be luxury items that only the very wealthy could afford . . . .

  15. Thank you Brandy! This post has been a balm to my weary heart today! I was getting my two youngest daughters ready to head to the doctor this morning and my husband was getting our sons ready to leave with him when our 2.5 year old son puked all over the kitchen floor. He couldn’t go to daycare today and I was up in the air about taking the other toddler & baby to the doctor. I ended up taking all three and it went ok but Oh my! Talk about interruptions and things not going according to my own plans! This post couldn’t have come on a better day!!!

  16. I needed this! And am so thankful for your blog. And my daily life 🙂 Every morning in the car on the way to school we talk about what we are grateful for—gracious abundance!!

  17. So, so beautifully put. Thank you for sharing this today. This is something I need constant reminder of. Patience is not a gift I come by naturally, and my poor kids are my teachers. Good thing they are more patient with me than I am with them sometimes. I look forward to every post, although I do not comment often. Thank you Brandy!

  18. Today I am thankful for so much and so many – but, it is the cementing of direction and purpose for the next stage of our life that I meet with relief and gratitude…a process that lasted exactly as long as my commitment to daily contributing thanks. I very much appreciate your site and this blog!

  19. I am from Alabama also. It is a terrible tragedy, and all the four children who were critically injured in an overnight daycare that was hit by a tornado. Today, I am grateful that my four grown children are alive. I have said that before, and I will say it again for two of my children, especially, their lives have hung by a thread at times. I am so grateful all four of my kids are alive and I hope and pray that the four critically injured children recover.

  20. I am thankful for my wonderful mother. I can talk to her about any and all sorts of things, she always has time for me, helps with my kids, etc. We spend a lot of time together and I am grateful for every minute of it. She turned 77 yesterday and is in pretty good health but you still never know how much time you have left with someone. She has helped me in ways immeasurable, and I hope my kids feel the same way about me.

  21. Oh Brandy, so true, so true! Thank you for this beautiful post.

    I live in East Tennessee and the past two days there has been a historic level firestorm about one hour from me in one direction and a devastating tornado about an hour in another direction (in my SIL’s community). I am sad that so much was lost including a few lives, but thankful so many were spared. What I’ve seen in both communities are many people going out of their way to help those who have suffered loss and who have no home, no business, or no barn for their animals. I’m thankful to hear of firefighters battling a raging fire while knowing their own homes were burning. Thankful for every First Responder out there, for all those in uniform who daily put other’s lives before their own.

    Your post is a beautiful encouragement to all of us moms and caregivers, but also a reminder that every single day we should take the opportunities before us to be a blessing to someone else.

  22. As always, i am thankful for my children. While raising them, my husband was better with them at the toddler stage, while i was better at the teen stage. Between us, we did a fine job for which i am eternally grateful.

  23. Thank you so much Brandy for this Thanksgiving series of posts throughout the month. It has been strong reminder of how much bounty there is in my life.

  24. Motherhood was not a gift given to me, but I am thankful that God blessed me with an amazing husband and a sweet rescue dog that help fill that hole. I’m very lucky.

  25. I am thankful I did NOT have interruptions today and finally got to clean the bathroom floor. But as you noted, interruptions are different opportunities, and those I had the last two days. Today was the time for cleaning and I’m happy it is done.

  26. Today I am grateful that I find joy in life and happiness to be alive. There have been times in my life when I struggled to feel joy and happiness. I’m grateful those times are now a distant (though still painful) memory.

  27. What a beautiful post! This is exactly what I had troubles with today with my 4 children. I was so short tempered and easily annoyed today because of all the ‘mom I need this and that’, etc. Reading your post today – I can’t help but feel – Jesus had me visit your blog today knowing I was going to read your post and this was him working through you for me to feel comfort in these words and to know that ‘interruptions’ is what my real life is and to be patient. God truly does work in mysterious ways! Thank you so much for posting this. I will remember this tomorrow!

  28. I’m thankful for this series this month. It has been a blessing to daily record at least one opportunity to be thankful. Blessings Brandy.

  29. I am thankful for Jesus, my Lord and Savior. He interrupts me often with His thughts, His truth, His guidance, His commandments. When I welcome His interruptions I receive so many blessings.

  30. There are many, many times when I am frustrated by the interruptions. I needed to hear this to remind me about the power of the moment and being in it. Way more important than any task I might have to complete

  31. She doesn’t live near me, but comes to do women’s seminars at my church on occasion, as well as with the bishop, and will be here in January to teach again. I will be sure to tell her that you quoted her and loved her words. She’ll be so pleased.

  32. I was thinking… If people reach out to “touch you” everywhere you go, you must be so full of love that people cannot help themselves. Oh! To be seen that way in other peoples’ lives. (I am sure that is how your children see you, Brandy.)

  33. Ingrid, many blessings to you, your grandson and his parents. I am a mother of a 27yo preemie, there were ventilators, but few medications to help my daughter breathe. After surviving several set-backs, she made a turn for the positive. She is now an ICU nurse. God has a plan for your tiny one. God Bless.

  34. What a beautiful, profound message. My teenagers ‘mum’ me all day long too. Feeling the love tonight watching Harry Potter with my gorgeous 17 year old daughter. Brandy I’d love it if you sent more messages like this. Lives are busy and sometimes we need to be reminded of what’s important. Lots of love, Christine sending greetings from Australia xx

  35. This was a lovely post Brandy! Thank you so much for taking time to share it. I often remind myself when I find a day simply will not go as planned to stop and pray and ask God to use my day as it is needed. Often I discover that He stretches my time just enough to get to the very important things even though I had to wait.

  36. So beautifully written! As a FT working mom of 2 young children (6 & 2), I struggle with having enough patience.

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