I work

The other day I was on the phone trying to make an appointment for a specific day and time.  The woman asked me if I work. With hardly a pause, I replied "Yes"

A couple minutes later a trickle of doubt came to mind.  I know what the woman meant.  Do I get up, get out of the house and go to a place that rewards me for my time and effort with a paycheck?    If she asked in that way, I would have to say no. 

But if you define work as a full schedule of responsibilities that others are depending on you for, a backlog of projects demanding time, and a detrimental effect for days if I have to take off work. . . then I work.

I am not trying to say my life is the same as a mom who works outside the home.  They are different, but they are both hard.  I am thankful for the privileges and perks that come with being a stay-at-home homeschool mom.  But I would be lying if I said there weren't days that I wished I could be in a place where toys are not perpetually strung across the floor and have lunch with adults that have other topics besides legos and star wars. 

So, lady on the phone, I may not work in the way you do.  But my time is valuable and limited, like you.  So, yes.  I work. 

Sun or a star?

Typical homeschool lunch conversation today- what is the difference between a sun and a star?  Despite my sons' doubts, Mother came through with the right answer.

In their essence, a sun and a star are the same thing.  In their function, they are different.  A sun has something (or many things) orbiting it.  Every sun is a star, but not every star is a sun.

As I sat here, trying to be faithful to my 5 minutes of writing, it occurred to me that this is a good metaphor for what the "selfie" craze is all about.  Obsessively tweeting our every move, seeing what all our friends are doing via instagram, etc.  Are we all trying to be suns?  Are we trying to have others orbit around our daily doings?  Do we think that the details of our lives are the most interesting thing for everyone else to hear? 

Hmm, I am starting to sound like an old person.  Obviously, by having a blog for the past 8 years, I have my part in all this technological self absorbtion.  Ahem.

BUT- what is our center?  What is the most important thing, the thing that gives us meaning and direction? 

We may think we are a sun. I have enough people dependent on me to make me think I am the center of it all.  In fact, we are not suns. 

We are stars that shine bright, but we orbit the Creator that IS the light.  He is the beginning, end and center of it all.

God revealing Himself

Today is Theophany/ Epiphany.  Whether you are talking about Christ's Baptism or the Magi, its all about God showing us who He is. 

When I think of baptism, I think of a woman's baptism I attended several years ago.  This woman had been forced into prostitution when she was just 14.  The men who took her changed her name so her family would not be able to find her.  They kept her prisoner for years and used her for their gain. 

When I met her, she was probably in her 40s.  She was a mother, she was no longer a prisoner.  She had found some people who helped her walk the road to freedom.  And most importantly, she found God. She found the Healer. 

And she took a new name.  Just a simple, common name.  But one that was of her choosing.  I don't think she knew this, but she chose the name of an ancient Christian queen.  A name that means "bright shining light". 

I don't live near her, but I happened to be visiting her church the day of her baptism.  For all the sermons I have heard that baptism is about rebirth, it never was clearer than that day.  All the shame, the torment, the darkness was left in that water and what came forth was a bright shining light.  She rose up as a new woman, made whole and covered from head to toe in grace.

So that is what I think of on Theophany.  God breaking through the cloud of death and destruction that usually surrounds us.  Our salvation revealed through a man in a river.   The goodness and mercy of Christ poured out on a woman who knew so much pain.  We too can have new life.