Distractions Steal God's Peace

It was going to be a work day! I was going to get lots accomplished! I was going to make laundry soap, wash laundry, fold and put away ALL the laundry, clean bathrooms, etc... I was going to do all the things that good wives and mamas do. Cause that's what makes a good wife! Right? Well it does help! But I didn't hardly get a thing on my to do list done. Instead I exercised, had breakfast, and pedicures with my sister, played and read stories with my girls, and cuddled with my 6 month old. Are these things wrong? No! Then why was I feeling guilty? Maybe because those kind of days happen more often then not? I get distracted by everyday happenings. I get distracted by my husband, my girls, my sisters, most of all I get distracted by 'things'! In the Bible it talks about how Martha was distracted by many things. She was busy... She was preparing and serving. Not that those things were wrong, just like how me taking time to be with my husband, children and sisters aren't wrong. Jesus tells us to serve and love others. But it's what is in your heart and spirit. Is your heart and spirit right with God. Are you allowing yourself to have things that distract you from what you should be doing... Drawing close to Jesus. I believe distractions can come in many different ways. But mostly I believe it has to do with where your heart is. Is my heart right with God? Am I keeping my focus on what He has for me to do? Or is my focus in the clouds? Am I spending my day dreaming about could be's? Is there peace in my heart and home? Am I thankful for what the Lord has given me? 

Drawing close to Jesus can be very hard if I am allowing the cares and worries of the world into my life. Those things keep my heart and mind from having the sweet communion I need with the Lord. I need to give it all over to Him and allow Him to guard my heart and mind! Allowing Him to cover me in His sweet peace and love! 

When I was pregnant with Emmaline there was a time where our home was not only clean, but peaceful! Looking back I had thought that the peace came from the cleanliness. I was trying to get that peacefulness back. Guess what, no matter how much I cleaned it just wasn't there. I couldn't understand why I couldn't get the peaceful feeling back by washing dishes, folding laundry, sweeping floors. Oh how I tried, but it just wasn't there. I then read in my journal from when I was pregnant and realized I was in the Word constantly and praying continually! That is when I realized it was a heart situation. My heart wasn't right with God. I wasn't making Him first in my heart. I wasn't asking for His love and peace to fill this place. I wasn't sitting at His feet worshiping Him. I was trying to get His peace to fill our home without asking. Without drawing close to Him. Without Prayer. Without Him! I was doing what Martha had been doing. I was convicted. The next day I was in the Word and praying. Then one day the house was picked up but it was a tad messing here and there. That evening when my husband and I sat talking we both stopped and Rich said 'it's peaceful in here'. It wasn't because the dishes were done, it wasn't because the floors were swept, and the laundry folded... for indeed some of those things weren't done. It wasn't because the house was sparkling! It was because the Lord was there. It was because we were having sweet communion with Him! We were sitting at His feet! We were allowing Him to take the cares and worries of the world away from our hearts. He was in our heart! His love and peace filled our hearts, minds, and home!