Do not despise the day of small beginnings...

Pictures sometimes lie to us. If you looked at the photos in my last post you may have gotten the wrong impression of me and of my family.

At this moment in my life we live quite spaciously--in a 6-bedroom, 4-bath, three level home. But things could change at any moment, and they have been very different in our past.

In 1997 we lived in a rented house (owned by my parents) that was just 935 total square feet. There was no garage, no storage shed, just three small bedrooms, with a "dining room", kitchen, living room and one small bathroom. There were 11 of us at the time. It was small, but we were filled with gratefulness. My husband's boss, who was of the "name-it-claim-it" ilk told us we were living like those in a concentration camp--stacked like a cord of wood in a shed.

We homeschooled back then, too. Our dining room space was exactly 8' x 11'--and it had one dinning table, two large bookshelves, a small desk and above, on the wall, a huge blackboard. Adjacent to the table was a console sewing machine on which I must have sewn 20 or more jumpers for myself and my girls, among other things.

But our memories of that old house are fond ones--some of our best memories, in fact.

Then the Lord gave my husband a better job, and his new boss had a "house anointing" and prayed that we would be able to purchase our first home. Soon we found ourselves the proud owners of a 1,500 Sq. Ft. 4-bedroom, 2-3/4 bath home with a family room and sun porch--we felt as though we had moved into a spacious castle!

As we continued to blossom and bloom we were rewarded with three more wonderful children. We slept 6 in one bedroom, 4 in another, our eldest son bunked in the open den, while the baby stayed in our bedroom with us. Four years later, the Lord directed our steps into our current home, which is 3,553 square feet (including a finished, garden-level basement).

We watched this house as it was being built. There we stood, holding hands in a circle, next to the newly laid foundation--giving thanks as we dedicated our new home and neighborhood in prayer.

But the true foundations of our home were laid long, long ago, when we first knelt together in my mother's basement and dedicated our relationship to the Lord Jesus.

It is dangerous to compare ourselves to others. It makes us discontented, and can keep us from hearing God when we most need His guidance!

Others can inspire us and give us a glimpse of the many miracles God can work in the lives of ordinary, even challenged, families, but that 'glimpse' should never be held up as our "gold standard". We should realize that each family is a unique expression, and while what we do works for us, it only works because it is born out of obedience to the leading of God's Holy Spirit.

Another thing to remember is that I, and others like me, don't share everything that is going on to the whole world in cyber-space. While things may be peachy in one area, there may be challenges in another; there is no perfect life on earth, no perfect family, no perfect Christians. That is what makes walking with Jesus as our Savior and Lord so wonderful--as we rest in Him, He completes the work as the Author and Finisher of our faith!

So, while I may have a dedicated school-room today, and all sorts of other provisions, that is not what gives me true meaning and joy. Knowing daily that I am in God's will for my life, walking with imperfect and even stumbling steps,--this is what gives me joy. Having lots of children is His great blessing, but it has also been part of His stripping and pruning process as well, which, will continue until I slip off this mortal coil and find my ultimate rest in His presence at long last!