Homemaking is more than doing the laundry and putting food on the table. By the same token, being a homemaker is more than being a glorified maid. Look at the word "homemaker". Its really two words. You are responsible for making your house into a home. The flow of your household first flows through you. You set the current.
Before you are married and have a house of your own to transform, it can be hard to practice homemaking. However, as homemaking first begins in you, practicing homemaking should also first begin in you. Here are five attitudes you should adopt before marriage.
- Calm
It is important to have a calm atmosphere to greet your family at the end of the day. If you are running around in a tizzy trying to get dinner on the table or tidy the house before settling down for the night, this will not promote an atmosphere of calm. When you are married, you will not want to fly at your husband for a hurried greeting. I am not going to go so far as the 1950's expectation of being a good wife and say that you should take the hour before your husband gets home to relax and beautify yourself. Sometimes that isn't practical. But make it a priority to greet your husband calmly at least. You can still practice this now. When anyone in your family comes home, greet them calmly. Also remember that arguing and bickering with your siblings is not cultivating an atmosphere of calm.
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. ~Proverbs 15:1
2. Positivity
I will be the first to admit that I am not a very positive person. In fact, I'm quite pessimistic. Faced with almost any situation I will think of at least two negative points of view before I even remember to think positively. This is a bad habit and poisonness to the kind of atmosphere we are trying to create. Practice mental discipline and stop yourself from negative thinking. Instead practice thinking positively. Be concious about thinking and speaking positive things. Speak blessings instead of curses.
3. Giving
I'm not talking about money here. I am talking about giving your time and energy and going the extra mile. Sometimes the best memories are made for yourself and those around you when you step outside of yourself. Honestly, this is something else I struggle with. However, when you start changing your mindset into a more positive one, I fed it gets easier to to take the time to give of yourself. One night last week I was getting lunches ready for the next day. I could have gone with something simple and just made muffins for my family but I chose to make half moon pies instead. Why? Because the knowledge of what a happy surprise it would be for my family to find something special in their lunch drove me outside of my own needs. The more you practice giving the more natural it becomes in you.
4. Humility
Homemaking, is in essence, serving. Serving is humbling if viewed correctly. To be entrusted to care for someone or something is an honor, one I think we take for granted too often. No matter how small your homemaking role is currently, there is always room for humility.
5. Love
Why did I include love when it could have gone under humility and giving? Because it is important that while we practice these other attitudes, that we practice the way we carry them out. If we only give or serve because it is our duty then we haven't learned anything at all. Every one of these attitudes must be carried out in the spirit of love or else it is an empty motion.
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
~ 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
I hope, as always, that this blog has encouraged you. I would like to challenge us all to seek God on which of these attitudes we should put into practice in our own lives.
I would love to hear your thoughts!
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