A kick up the butt!

Dare I say it, but I have actually been rather bored lately. We've had a lot of rain and Hugo and I have been housebound and really, there's only so much you can do in a little apartment in the city before you run out of ideas to occupy both yourself and your little one who has cabin fever. I usually embrace rainy days by baking, which I did at first. But again, there are only so many cupcakes and banana breads you can eat before you're a bit sick of it all! I am not one to put the TV on. I'm not saying it's a bad thing and I'm not saying I never do, but our family has made the decision a long time ago to not resort to the TV during the day. In fact, we rarely even watch it at night, maybe a DVD every now and then, but other than that the television pretty much just looks pretty sitting on the cabinet in our lounge room. Actually, it doesn't look pretty at all. Anyways, having said that, I resorted to the TV yesterday (just trying to paint a picture of how desperate and bored I was!). To my delight, but probably not Hugo's, Martha Stewart's show was on and I parked my little bum down on the lounge with a hot tea and anticipation. As silly as it sounds, I get inspired by things like this as I love to cook, bake, sew, craft, create and all those homely creative things. And I was expecting to get inspired by Martha...but as I watched the show, a sense of discouragement came over me. The more I sat there and watched her prepare and bake a perfect turkey the more depressed I became in my own ability to be the homemaker I desire to be. Then it hit me (yes, you CAN receive revelations from watching Martha Stewart!)...I hold on to a vision in my heart - one of a warm, loving home overflowing with laughter and love; this home is filled with my big family (most members yet to be born!) as well as countless visitors flowing in and out of our guest rooms and, of course, friends, family, newcomers and strangers sitting around our long table joining in the festivities and philosophical conversations of life, the communion of brothers and sisters over food and wine (...and wine, and more wine). In other words, we have a desire and a vision to have a home and family that overflow in love and life and who host, entertain, encourage and inspire all kinds of people. I know it's not every girls dream, but can you understand how the homemaker in me is drawn to someone like Martha?! (Stewart...not sister of Lazarus...although there's a fine line.) So here I am thinking that this show will inspire me to see this vision flourish, but instead, it put me into a pit of discouragement. While in this place I felt helpless and the thoughts entered my head "you'll never have this life." Lies of the enemy - he loves to attack the heart of our vision, doesn't he! This feeling that entered my heart and mind was that this picture I hold in my heart is 'for later, in the future, years down the track.' But in reality, if I want to see that vision and dream come to fruition and become a reality in my life, then it has to start NOW. It may not look in full like it does in the image in my heart, but it needs to begin somewhere in order to grow into that picture. It's not going to just happen overnight. Although Martha may be able to pull the perfectly cooked turkey out of the oven that she just put in three minutes ago, the rest of life isn't so simple and instantaneous.It all starts today. One little thing. Step by step we make the decision to be proactive, to take hold of something, anything, and begin today. I may not have the big house, with my six kids, my 'It's Complicated' kitchen with a long wooden dining table overflowing with countless friends and family, covered in platters of food and bottles of red wine, but I do have my husband, my son, my little dining table and a darn good kitchen for a city apartment. I do have the ability to do what needs to be done today. And I DO have the ability to get up off my butt, turn the television OFF and go and do something that will set off the domino effect that will eventually, after years of obedience and perseverance, see this vision fulfilled.So I prayed. "God, what can I do today?" After resting in his presence, meditating on his Word and spending time in worship, I had a list of things I could do TODAY that could see the very beginning of this vision coming to pass in my life. He put mom's and bubs on my heart who I can invite out for a picnic, families who we can invite into our home for a meal, neighbours who I can bake a loaf of olive and rosemary bread for, couples who we can meet up for drinks with. Even more simple than that, he reminded me of a list of things that I said I would do that I still haven't done yet! If I want to create this environment of love and overflow, then I better get cracking on making it happen NOW! It's what we do today that determines what we will do in the future.So it's not all doom and gloom sitting watching Martha and wishing I had the life that I dream of. I can have that life, and I will. But it's not going to magically fall into my lap and it's not going to happen overnight. It's going to be a journey of progress and growth, moment by moment, day by day, year by year. One day I'm certain I'm going to place the huge turkey on the dinner table for my 20 guests and have the epiphany that this is it, THIS is that vision I held in my heart all those years ago! It will creep up on me because I'm simply taking every day as it comes. Then before I know it, I will have arrived at my destination.We all hold desires in our hearts. I'm talking about the ones that God places there, the ones that are so strong, that we are so passionate about, that we totally cannot shake off even if we try. These are part of our calling, and we each have individual purposes and plans that make up the big picture of his Kingdom. We each have a part to play as this body. Sometimes the magnitude of these dreams and desires is overwhelming and we feel so far from it. We wonder if it will ever come to fruition in our lifetime. We wonder if we were just hearing wrong, or that's not really what God has spoken to us. Don't let discouragement overtake you. Don't let the lies of the enemy take ground in your thoughts. Remember, it's one step at a time. What can you do today to be proactive in partnering with God to see his purposes and plans come alive in your life? Maybe you too need to get up, turn off the TV (or any other distraction) and start with the little things. After all, a lot of little things will lead to the big thing, and before you know it, you'll catch yourself looking around at your life and circumstances and seeing a beautiful resemblance to the vision you held in your heart all these years ago.