Life can be so busy at times that it distracts us from the blessings that are hidden throughout our days. Being a homemaker, I can easily get caught up in the mundane tasks of everyday life and lose sight of how beautiful this life really is. With all of the cooking, cleaning, scheduling, and taking care of my family, I can forget what a blessing it is to be a homemaker. There are times where I feel like I’m not doing all that I should or I feel like I might be missing out on something by staying home, and I lose sight of what it is I’m doing and why I’m doing it. In times like this, when anxiety starts to take over, and steers me in the opposite direction then what God has called me to, I am reminded of one of my favorite Bible passages:
Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
There is a lot in this passage but I want to point out something specific: it tells us to not be anxious and to always pray but it also gives us a remedy for anxiety, did you catch it? Rejoice! We are to rejoice always, pray always and be thankful in our prayers. It can be hard at first, when you’re very anxious, to find anything that you think counts as a blessing to rejoice over but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be big to be a blessing. Start looking in the things you do everyday and eventually you’ll be able to see them everywhere and in everything!
These are a handful of blessing that I’ve found in my life as a homemaker:
- The breeze blowing through an open window on a beautiful spring day.
- The sound of crickets in the evening.
- Discovering new herbs growing in the yard.
- That first sip of hot tea in the morning, clearing out my throat and waking me up.
- The sound of birds singing, earlier and earlier in the day as summer approaches.
- A refreshing glass of meadow tea on a hot summer day.
- The feeling of fresh clean sheets at night.
- The satisfaction of hearing a jar lid pop as it comes out of the canner.
- Having friends over with their kids so they can watch the cows.
- The smell of fresh baked bread, knowing that I made it.
- Trying a new recipe, and my husband saying how good it is.
- The warmth of the dishes on a cold day as I pull them out of the dishwasher.
- The settle quietness when it snows.
- Afternoon coffee on my porch.
- Reading a good book as I take a long, hot bath.
- Wednesday evenings with my mother.
- New pens to write in my planner or journal with.
- Watching the barn cat with her new kittens.
- Rainy days at home with no errands to run.
- When my husband brings me home more snail shells, because he knows how much I like snails.
- Last minute trips to the woods to do some foraging when my husband comes home from work.
- The shine of my floors after I’ve mopped them.
- Fresh flowers on my dining room table.
- Staring at the moon through the bedroom window as I fall asleep.
- The quietness in the evening after dinner is done, and leftovers are put away, with nothing else to do.
- The sound of my husbands truck down the road, as he comes home.
- One of my plants blooming a flower or growing a new leaf.
- A dining room full of people that I love.
- A made bed welcoming me.
- The satisfying sound of dirt crackling as I vacuum.
- The warmth of a fuzzy blanket wrapped around me on a cold day.
- A new hexagon that I crocheted for the blanket I’ve been working on.
- The sound of leaves as the wind blows.
- The feeling of the cool grass on my bare feet.
- The smell of laundry after bringing it in from drying on the line outside.
- The satisfaction of crossing something off my “to do” list.
- Making a new piece of decor for my home.
- The vibrant purple of the purple dead nettle mixed in the green grass growing in the field.
- The sound of little cat feet running across the floor.
- The excitement felt when learning to do something new and it working.
- The feeling of new, uncut fabric I’m getting ready for a project.
- Finding a new show to watch with my husband.
- Fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables.
- The smell of the leaves in the fall, as I walk through the woods with my husband.
- Thunderstorms in the summer time.
- Finding new mushrooms in the woods that we can eat or use as medicine.
- When most of the dishes are done, and my kitchen is clean (the dishes are never fully done in my house).
- Having dinner already made and in the freezer.
- Sitting in the sunshine on a beautiful summers day, soaking up its warmth.
- Walking through a used book store.
- Getting to play with new makeup
- Finding a new treasure for my home at a thrift store.
- Watching the seeds I planted sprout.
- A freezer full of food.
- Grilled cheese and soup.
- Brand new canning jars.
- Walks around the yard.
- Flowers in unexpected areas (this one is from my mother).
- A fresh coat of toenail polish.
- Those sacred moments while doing devotions and praying.
- The sound of mourning doves first thing in the morning.
- Watching ants build an ant hill.
- The warm glow of a candle.
- Flowers you can make jelly with.
- Finding baby birds in a birds nest.
- Sticking my feet in the cool water of the creek.
- Drinking tea while outside in the woods, squirrel hunting.
- Watching the butterflies flutter through the yard.
- The glow of lights on the Christmas tree.
- Watching barn swallows fly through the barn.
- Dirt underneath my fingernails from gardening.
- A cup of hot chocolate on a rainy day.
- Smooth, round stones perfect for skipping on the lake.
- Watching movies from my childhood.
- Watching movies from my husbands childhood.
- Finding new music to listen to.
- The way the sun shines through the leaves on the trees.
- Hammocks and porch swings.
- Blowing on a dandelion that went to seed.
- Having a little extra time to do something creative.
- Cute new stickers for my journal.
- Sitting on the porch with my husband in the cool of the evening.
- Fresh picked wine berries.
- Good friends to talk to.
- The way the tall grass moves in the breeze.
- Finding new ways to eat up leftovers.
- Ice-cream at the end of a long, hot summers day.
- The satisfaction of dusting a piece of furniture and bringing it back to life by doing so.
- Finding new ways to organize and decorate my home.
- The sunset and sunrise.
- Pulling fresh baked cookies out of the oven.
- Surprising my husband with a new weld cap that I made.
- Getting to talk with my husband about our day.
- Watching the cat play on her cat tree.
- Finding new ways to style my hair.
- Listening to my husband play the music he likes.
- The smell of black locust flowers on the breeze (this one is from my husband).
- My cat snuggled up next to me on the couch.
- Finding cool bugs under rocks and logs.
- Sassafras tea (this one is from my husband as well).
You may notice a little bit of a theme going on with my list. It’s full of the people I love, and the things I love: nature, creativity, baking… This is where I find the most blessings throughout my day, because this is where I enjoy investing my time. I could easily go on and on with this list but for now it stands as a reminder to myself for when I’m anxious or overwhelmed, to slow down and enjoy all of the little things that come together to give me a blessed life.
We are not made to be on the go all of the time, we are created to need rest. So today I want to encourage you to take a moment to slow down and find the blessings that surround you, that you may not have ever noticed before. They’re small, and often overlooked but together they form a beautiful life!
What is one small blessing that you’ve found hidden in your life? Keep in mind yours may not be the same as mine, but that’s the beauty of it: your blessings can encourage me to find my own blessing in my life, and see things from a different perspective; and vice versa.
