Such a Time as This

     For years I thought I was born in the wrong century.  My love for old-fashioned things, simple living, and homemaking have always made me feel that I could relate more to previous generations than my own.  Being at home, sewing, gardening, preserving food- these are not things most people my age find exciting.  Surely I would have fit in better in another era.  

     I know that now, with all of the chaos and trouble that is ensuing in the world today, we may be especially tempted to long for "the good ole days," a bygone era when things were better, more simple.  We may despair at the times and circumstances in which we currently find ourselves, as the news is certainly discouraging.  We may feel helpless, powerless, as we see things happen beyond our control.

     Even so, we must remember that every period in history, however we may imagine it to have been, had its share of trials and challenges.  No era has been perfect, no time untouched by sin.  There is nothing new under the sun. 

"Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this."

~Ecclesiastes 7:10 

 

    The truth is, I was born for such a time as this, and so were you.  God makes no mistakes- He created us to be on this earth at this particular time, and He has a purpose for us.  God has given us a task, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of the hardships we may be facing, and He has equipped us to do it.  Let's not lose hope because things look grim.

"See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time because the days are evil."

~Ephesians 5:15-16

    Dear ladies, our duty to care for our homes and families has not changed.  It is no less relevant, it is no less important, than it ever was.  To love our husbands and children; to nurture our marriages; to train our children in the way that they should go; to make our homes a refuge from the world; to be a beacon of light and hope and wholesome goodness- these things are vital, not antiquated.

    Whatever the world may say of the homemaker's occupation, we must not underestimate the impact that it can have.  We are not powerless; our work does matter.  Let us take this opportunity, as this is what God has given us, and do everything we can to make the most of it.  Let us redeem the time and use our uniqueness for God's glory.  

    Perhaps the old-fashioned ways that make us strange in this modern world are needed now more than ever.

"The real things haven't changed.  It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong."

- Laura Ingalls Wilder

*Photos were taken at the Little House on the Prairie Museum in Independence, Kansas (the official homesite of Laura Ingalls!) during our vacation this past summer.