A serious case of the "don't wannas"

It has been one of those weeks. You know the kind. I had seven loads of laundry to do, dishes piled high in the sink, and half-melted puffs stuck to the floor next to my son's highchair.

Sometimes I look at all there is to do and just want to flop onto the floor and surrender. Why? Not because the task is oh so difficult, but because I know in less than 24 hours it will all need to be done again.

I guess it's a fact of life. It's the mundane that keeps the world on track. I would be in a mess of trouble if the garbage man didn't want to do his job or if the plumber decided he "just didn't feel like it" today. Sometimes it's tough as a stay at home mom because you never really have time off, vacation days, or sick days (I know working moms have the same trouble too). Sometimes I think it would be nice to get out of the house for a bit so that I wouldn't be constantly reminded about all there is to do (or feel guilty for not doing it).

I need to get over what I call the "June Cleaver Complex." I'm never going to be super-wife, because honestly, I find no joy in scrubbing toilets and washing sheets. In my house, we live in survival mode: There are just enough clean clothes to wear and the dishes are finally washed and put away just about the time that the cabinet is bare. I would love to have an immaculate home and to cook gourmet meals for my family at the end of the day. The problem is that I often lack motivation.

I try to think of my role as "Stay at Home Mom" as an actual job. Sure, there is no pay, no vacation time, or mandatory fifteen minute break (although if someone could find a way to implement that I would be your fan forever), but it is just as important as a job outside the home, if not more so. How does that play out into real life? For me that means that I need to do my best in everything I do just like I would do if I was trying to impress an employer in the hopes of a promotion.

I'm reminded of Colossians 3:17 that says "Whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

A monk named Bro. Lawrence wrote a book centuries ago called "The Practice of the Presence of God." He talks about how washing dishes in the monastery could become an act of worship. It's all about your attitude. That's something I'm learning every day, and something I seriously need to work on.