Love through me, Love of God!

by Crystal Paine

I woke up late this morning. Jesse had stayed up until 3 a.m. stuadying and working on his legal project and forgot to set the alarm clock when he went to bed. So, I was shocked when I rolled over in bed this morning and looked at the clock and (gasp!) it was past nine o'clock !

Something about getting up late always seems to get the day off to a bad start for me. I know it shouldn't automatically put me in a bad mood, but I really struggled with feeling overwhelmed and frustrated this morning. My house was messy, I still had dishes to wash from before we left on our trip last weekend (I know, I know! I should have washed them before we left, but I ran out of time!) and lots of laundry to do that hadn't been done since we'd returned, Kathrynne seemed to be especially needy, and Jesse needed the house to be quiet so he could study.

I thought to myself, "If anyone who reads my blog could see me and my home right now, I'm sure they would be horrified." But, such is life. I'm not superwoman -- far from it! Every day there are struggles, every day there are numerous things to trust the Lord about, and a myriad of reasons to realize I can't do this in my own strength.

Being a wife and mother is not glamorous work. It's not a job for the faint-hearted or the quitter. It's work, it's sacrifice, it's a labor of love. And when I think I don't have anything left to give, I can pray with Amy Carmichael:

Love through me, Love of God,
Make me like Thy clear air
Through which unhindered, colours pass
As thought it were not there.

Powers of the love of God,
Depths of the heart Divine,
O Love that faileth not, break forth,
And flood this world of Thine.

Crystal Paine is a 24-year-old homeschool graduate from Topeka, Kansas. She is the blessed wife of Jesse and joyful mother of Kathrynne. Visit her site, Biblical Womanhood, for books, articles, encouragement, and inspiration!

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