it's a strange thing

It's a strange thing to me the way a life can turn out.  How people spend time in their day, how they choose to invest is ultimately what matters to them or is important.  For example, let's take a look at my morning shall we.

Woke up and  immediately started laundry because we had power.  So with that knowledge of power started a string of events that I felt had to happen because you don't know when it will take place again.  So, I quickly unmade beds and threw sheets in the washing machine (as my guards are hand washing their clothes in a bucket next to our machine).  Then started charging my ipod so it will have juice left in it when I run next.  Okay, power stuff underway.

Then, as the kids are making their breakfast, they noticed we have killed more mice (this is number 7 and 8 for us in the last two days), so they make sure they are appropriately not living before they throw them in the trash that gets taken out front and then burned (because that is what we do with our trash here).  With that desire for cleanliness, we have help cleaning off all of our store shelves (which is what they call the pantry here, store) to get rid of the mice droppings that are just hanging out next to my cereal.   Now, we have everything cleaned up, I realize that our flour had some worms in it so the flour gets sifted and restored.  Now let's stop here for a moment before people think to themselves "it is not safe to go there, it is unclean."  It is just some mice and some worms.  Majority of the world lives this way, and John and I make sure we keep our house clean and we take these type of precautions to assure the health of people that come visit.  Also, for the record, no one in my family has gotten real sick yet.  Colds, and a little poison ivy, but no stomach thing.... so stop with those thoughts, okay.

Next, we have a friend coming to live with us for about seven weeks, so we make some No-bake cookies, the kids and I and then clean up and wash up, etc....

Okay, so far, my time has been investing in my house, the health of my children and family and cooking.  It is a strange thing to me because really, I am extremely relational and I just got done reading a blog from a friend of mine talking about investing time and energy into people and the "eternal kingdom" and I cannot help but feel confused with the results of my morning.

I actually feel really productive, but if you were to look around, it doesn't look like I have accomplished much at all and I can almost guess our friend won't think our house is clean or that I spent much of the morning cleaning it.  Not because she is a bad friend, or even picky, just because so much of our work goes unnoticed from others eyes.... but my kids and I know the difference, we spent the energy being a part of the difference.  So, even though I wouldn't say that my home is that important to me, it is to my husband and so I guess it is becoming more important to me because he is important to me.  Does any of this make sense?  

I guess maybe I am learning that it's a strange thing, investing in something that you wouldn't really care about in the past, but you choose to invest and the caring naturally follows.  I wonder if this is true in the spiritual realm and choosing to invest in things that the Lord cares about because we care about Him and even if others don't notice our investment, we know because we took the time, therefore we care.  

I don't know, my thoughts are getting jumbled.  Either way, I guess I should invest in something so I don't become stale or complacent.   And maybe the next time I go into someone else's house, I should realize the time and energy they put forth in making it the way it is in order to help me feel safe and comfortable.  I wouldn't have thought my life would have turned out this way, living in Africa, but I am learning the Lord has things for me to do here so I will become different in the process.  It's still a strange thing to me.