Yes, that is Mr. Miyagi...

Ah, those were the days, weren't they? Chances are, if you're a child of the 80's you remember this scene word-for-word. (Oh, and please pardon the expletives!)

Well, watching this movie again today, I was struck by something Mr. Miyagi said. (I feel slightly ridiculous saying that, ha!) But, in this scene he says, "Not everything is as it seems." in response to Daniel's feelings that he's being taken advantage of. That spoke to me... or rather the Lord spoke.

You see, I've caught myself saying something similar to my Lord. And, just as "eloquently", I'm sad to say.  I've selfishly wondered, "What is the purpose of my staying at home with the children?". Or, "Am I really meant to clean toilets and fold laundry for the next 16 years?". (Just a word of advice I've been given: Don't calculate the days, minutes, seconds, etc. as if counting down the days of a prison sentence... it's not really productive and doesn't do anyone any good!) ;) Oh, I'm joking... well, sort of. 

Oh, I know that feeling of, "Is this really all I was made to do?", isn't exclusive to stay-at-home-moms. We all find ourselves in situations where we look (figuratively) toward the sky and ask, "Really??". Like the time I was coming down the stairs, after just being vomited on, to find the other child pooping on the carpeted living room floor... I'm pretty sure I looked up that day... pretty sure. 

But then, last week happened...

You see, we had a pretty serious health "scare" with our youngest. You know, those moments when everything comes frighteningly into focus? And, the "stuff" on the periphery doesn't really matter anymore? That's where we were. Back to the basics... and, back on our knees. It's odd, really. But somehow, along the way, it had all just become meaningless. Keeping my home... raising my children... "helping" my husband-meaningless!? Until that moment...

In that moment, I realized something: God is in vomit and poopie diapers. He is!! I may not have realized it, but He has been using these years of selfless (and selfish) acts to refine me. You see, I was completely clueless how to make a home, raise a child, or be a good "help-mate". These things did not come naturally to me and I struggled in these roles! And, just like Daniel, I too felt that my true "gifts" were being squandered (yea, I'm working on that whole humility thing...). And, I was beginning to feel bitter.  

But-praise God, he "crashed" my pity party and gave me some perspective! I may not think that what I am doing right now, means anything. But it does. It means something to my children, to my husband, to my friends, but most importantly, to my Lord. He has placed me here for a reason... Oh, it's not glamorous or earth-shattering... but it is awfully refining! And, when news of our child's potential illness wanted to crush me-I prayed. When I wanted to lose hope and sink into despair-I cried & prayed. 

You see, by putting me in a role that I knew nothing about, my Lord was helping me to practice a "posture of reliance"... total and complete reliance on Him. And, while I thought that all of my true potential was being wasted (seriously, who am I??) my Lord was teaching me that my highest and most valuable potential is in Him.

My prayer for us today is this: That no matter what we are doing-working at a computer, cleaning up toys, or stacking boxes-we would realize that, "Things are not always as they seem.". God is working-out his purposes in our lives-with a purpose! No life is meaningless and no one purposeless. For God said this, in regards to the way things appear to man: 

 "But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Loving and praying for us all today!