AAAHHHHH!
This is the word that I would use to sum up September. Grammatically it's not correct, it doesn't even make sense, but if you read it out loud, you will hear the angry and frustrating sound I repeatedly murmured for the past 28 days.
Everything seemed....AAHHH!
I started this month with an expectation for sunshine, blooming flowers and ice-cream. September is supposed to be Spring in South Africa, or so I thought - but the grey clouds, awful rain and cold wind just don't want to go away....AAHH (to read with frustration)!
This was also my month to shine in the Communications world, to speedily rise to the top, without any effort or hardship, to pass every test with flying colours. I didn't think I had unrealistic expectations for myself :) ....but after preparing the monthly feedback reports and looking at the outcome, I regrettable have to admit....I am not there yet. AAHH (again!)
To make matters worse, I failed miserably at home as well. As a wife, I wanted to be upbeat, make a change, only say nice things and support my husband with coffee in the bed and breakfast :)....... But again, this month ended up being one fight after the other....with no coffee in bed and no toast on the table! Double AAAHHHH!
I was also demoted from Superwoman status.
It all happened after parking the car in the drive-way, walking through my garden of weeds and dead plants, into my kitchen with dishes stacked sky high and my husband sneezing in my ears because of the dust in the house, and me standing in the midst of the chaos, feeling overwhelmed and out of control. I wanted to be a superwoman, able to manage a career, kitchen, garden, washing, church, marriage, a social life, myself - I mean I don't have an excuse....I don't even have kids! But we ended up getting someone twice a month to help with the house and someone to tend to the garden...... which still makes me feel AAAAAHHHHHH!
The feeling of utter frustration came after my building plans for September didn't quite go according to my expectations.
I love building, whether I'm building character, people, dreams or a nation :) I love the concept of building something! On the other hand, I don't like delays, alterations or dreams not coming to fulfilment. And most of all....I hate waiting! The people of Babel most probably felt the same way. One of the biggest building projects on earth were well underway without delay. They were focussed and on schedule, unstoppable! No wonder the building had to be magnificent! Envision a tower that almost reached heaven. It was similar to the new 838 metre Sky City Tower in China, only much higher.
But imagine the disappointment when they couldn't continue building it because God interfered with their plans. At some point, God stopped them from building their own man-made ideas. It was driving them away from their God-given purpose -which was not the ultimate building plan of God! His plan took pre-eminence above the building plans of men and therefore the project had to be ended. I sometimes wonder whether the Tower of Babel would have been able to stand against tornados, strong winds, volcanic eruptions, snow, heat or tsunamis. Maybe God knew better.....and didn't want to get people killed under a rubble of bricks!
Which brings me to an irony for the AAAAHH month of September.
Prov 14:1 Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
I was pondering on the Scripture the last couple of weeks. As a wise woman I know I have to build my house, thank goodness! But how do I tear it down with my own hands?
One morning the Holy Spirit revealed the answer to me.
I tear my house down when I build things that is not in the building plans of God. The Building Handbook of Jesus Christ is the Bible - anything outside of it is foolishness.
Foolishness will end up, like the Tower of Babel, in a high brick building, meaning nothing - and contributing to no-one. It will be man-made, which will inevitably end up in confusion and frustration, causing the AAHH feeling in our lives. Sometimes we continue building a tower, just to one day wake up and find our plans interrupted, even ended. It had to be stopped! But to build a house according to God's plan will mean safety, security and shelter from the storms of life without interruptions. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to be a wise woman, and to build a house instead of tearing it down. I can honestly admit, that this month has been one of those months - a prime example of trying to want to build the right thing, but failing miserably. I found myself continuously tearing things down, instead of building my foundation on the Word of God.
One of these "tearing down moments" happened yesterday evening. I take my assignment to be a good homemaker, contributing to a loving atmosphere in the house, encouraging my family, and creating moments of joy and peace very seriously. It's always something I work towards, which is not always possible, especially when you have one of THOSE days. I had a tough day at work (writing month end reports) and I went home AAAHHtterly discouraged. We had plans the evening but with my spirit down I knew that it wasn't a good idea to go out and share my depressing day with people. My heart was filled with frustration.
My poor husband tried his best to cheer me up. But when I realised he won't be able to help me, the evening ended up in a huge fight, many tears and silent treatment. I wanted my way - all the way! I wanted to be pampered, comforted and encouraged - but in a certain way, a selfish way. Unfortunately my husband couldn't read my mind which made me more frustrated! Doors were slammed, the volume was turned up and accusations were spitting like fire out of my mouth. I was literally tearing the house down!
In that moment I chose not to walk in love- because I had a tough day! I wanted to choose myself above my assignment as a homemaker...and the whole evening ended up in chaos. Foolishness teared down the unity between my husband and I, the love in our home and peace we normally experience - things that God was building into our lives!
I wasn't building my home the way God instructed me in His building Handbook:
1 Cor 13:5: Love is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
AAAHHHH!
What can I say - September was a frustrating month!
Luckily we are coming to the end of rain and grey clouds, and hopefully October will be full of sunshine, joy and love.....if I keep building my house on the Word of God!
So, are you building a godly house of wisdom, or a foolish tower of Babel?
This is the word that I would use to sum up September. Grammatically it's not correct, it doesn't even make sense, but if you read it out loud, you will hear the angry and frustrating sound I repeatedly murmured for the past 28 days.
Everything seemed....AAHHH!
I started this month with an expectation for sunshine, blooming flowers and ice-cream. September is supposed to be Spring in South Africa, or so I thought - but the grey clouds, awful rain and cold wind just don't want to go away....AAHH (to read with frustration)!
This was also my month to shine in the Communications world, to speedily rise to the top, without any effort or hardship, to pass every test with flying colours. I didn't think I had unrealistic expectations for myself :) ....but after preparing the monthly feedback reports and looking at the outcome, I regrettable have to admit....I am not there yet. AAHH (again!)
To make matters worse, I failed miserably at home as well. As a wife, I wanted to be upbeat, make a change, only say nice things and support my husband with coffee in the bed and breakfast :)....... But again, this month ended up being one fight after the other....with no coffee in bed and no toast on the table! Double AAAHHHH!
I was also demoted from Superwoman status.
It all happened after parking the car in the drive-way, walking through my garden of weeds and dead plants, into my kitchen with dishes stacked sky high and my husband sneezing in my ears because of the dust in the house, and me standing in the midst of the chaos, feeling overwhelmed and out of control. I wanted to be a superwoman, able to manage a career, kitchen, garden, washing, church, marriage, a social life, myself - I mean I don't have an excuse....I don't even have kids! But we ended up getting someone twice a month to help with the house and someone to tend to the garden...... which still makes me feel AAAAAHHHHHH!
The feeling of utter frustration came after my building plans for September didn't quite go according to my expectations.
I love building, whether I'm building character, people, dreams or a nation :) I love the concept of building something! On the other hand, I don't like delays, alterations or dreams not coming to fulfilment. And most of all....I hate waiting! The people of Babel most probably felt the same way. One of the biggest building projects on earth were well underway without delay. They were focussed and on schedule, unstoppable! No wonder the building had to be magnificent! Envision a tower that almost reached heaven. It was similar to the new 838 metre Sky City Tower in China, only much higher.
But imagine the disappointment when they couldn't continue building it because God interfered with their plans. At some point, God stopped them from building their own man-made ideas. It was driving them away from their God-given purpose -which was not the ultimate building plan of God! His plan took pre-eminence above the building plans of men and therefore the project had to be ended. I sometimes wonder whether the Tower of Babel would have been able to stand against tornados, strong winds, volcanic eruptions, snow, heat or tsunamis. Maybe God knew better.....and didn't want to get people killed under a rubble of bricks!
Which brings me to an irony for the AAAAHH month of September.
Prov 14:1 Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
I was pondering on the Scripture the last couple of weeks. As a wise woman I know I have to build my house, thank goodness! But how do I tear it down with my own hands?
One morning the Holy Spirit revealed the answer to me.
I tear my house down when I build things that is not in the building plans of God. The Building Handbook of Jesus Christ is the Bible - anything outside of it is foolishness.
Foolishness will end up, like the Tower of Babel, in a high brick building, meaning nothing - and contributing to no-one. It will be man-made, which will inevitably end up in confusion and frustration, causing the AAHH feeling in our lives. Sometimes we continue building a tower, just to one day wake up and find our plans interrupted, even ended. It had to be stopped! But to build a house according to God's plan will mean safety, security and shelter from the storms of life without interruptions. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to be a wise woman, and to build a house instead of tearing it down. I can honestly admit, that this month has been one of those months - a prime example of trying to want to build the right thing, but failing miserably. I found myself continuously tearing things down, instead of building my foundation on the Word of God.
One of these "tearing down moments" happened yesterday evening. I take my assignment to be a good homemaker, contributing to a loving atmosphere in the house, encouraging my family, and creating moments of joy and peace very seriously. It's always something I work towards, which is not always possible, especially when you have one of THOSE days. I had a tough day at work (writing month end reports) and I went home AAAHHtterly discouraged. We had plans the evening but with my spirit down I knew that it wasn't a good idea to go out and share my depressing day with people. My heart was filled with frustration.
My poor husband tried his best to cheer me up. But when I realised he won't be able to help me, the evening ended up in a huge fight, many tears and silent treatment. I wanted my way - all the way! I wanted to be pampered, comforted and encouraged - but in a certain way, a selfish way. Unfortunately my husband couldn't read my mind which made me more frustrated! Doors were slammed, the volume was turned up and accusations were spitting like fire out of my mouth. I was literally tearing the house down!
In that moment I chose not to walk in love- because I had a tough day! I wanted to choose myself above my assignment as a homemaker...and the whole evening ended up in chaos. Foolishness teared down the unity between my husband and I, the love in our home and peace we normally experience - things that God was building into our lives!
I wasn't building my home the way God instructed me in His building Handbook:
1 Cor 13:5: Love is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
AAAHHHH!
What can I say - September was a frustrating month!
Luckily we are coming to the end of rain and grey clouds, and hopefully October will be full of sunshine, joy and love.....if I keep building my house on the Word of God!
So, are you building a godly house of wisdom, or a foolish tower of Babel?
