Fragments

Many, many of us mothers struggle with how to use the fragments of time that we have. We become discouraged because we do not have whole days or hours of time to offer God.

Our days are fragmented. Our quiet time and prayers are often interrupted along with our sleep. Often we become frustrated. We long for time to read our Bibles and pray without interruptions. We wonder when we will have a whole night’s sleep again. We wish to be able to finish a sewing project or scrub a floor without having to stop, and yet this is seldom the case.

Desiring to have more to give to God, I was pondering over this the other day. I needed more time and more energy. It seemed I was only serving Him in little snatches. I was wondering if what I was giving was worth a thing. Then my phone rang and God spoke through a dear, dear friend right into my heart. She said, “My life has been so fragmented. I felt useless as I was going through this sickness. But God has given me this priceless encouragement. Let me share it with you. When your whole heart is to serve Him, God even uses your fragments to bring glory to His name. Look at the feeding of the five thousand. God gave enough of food for the whole multitude. When they were done He said, ‘Gather up the fragments.’ I am sure He put those to use, or else He would have left them where they had dropped. Your fragments are His just as much as the whole meal. He wants to use them. You must allow Him.”

As she said goodbye my heart leaped within me. My spirits lifted. My soul sang. Certainly, I had fragments to give! I lifted up my hands and offered my fragments to God to use as He chose. There was a new hope in my heart. I can serve Him right where I am. Not only can I serve Him as a mother, but I can minister where I am, and He will use my fragments. He will take them and make them into perfect offerings.

What do you have that you can give Him? How can you serve when there are multitudes of things that demand your time and interrupt what you try to do?

• You can offer the sacrifice of praise. Amid your struggles, your toil, and your duties, stop a moment and lift up your heart and your voice in song. It will cheer you, inspire your children, and be a sweet savor to God.
• Take five minutes to call a struggling sister and pray for her. You need not stay on the line for an hour. Make it short, just long enough to tell her that you started your day with a prayer for her. Tell her you care. It will lift her heart and make her labors lighter.
• Stop and minister to the sister who comes to your door. Share Jesus with her in the warmth of your smile and the openness of your heart. Do not make the sister feel as if her need is a bother.
• Write a short note to someone who has blessed you and tell them how they were used of God to bless your day. God often uses these little notes in bigger ways than we can ever dream. Your minister’s wife could probably use an encouraging card today. Tell her how much you appreciate the hours she gives up her husband so that he can serve you. It will brighten her day and make her heart glad.
• All through your busy, busy day, make tiny fuel-up spots where you meet your Master. Talk with Him in little snatches. Worship Him in song, singing a verse here and there. Meditate on the verse taped on your cupboard door. Do not let the Devil tell you that you cannot be a child of God unless you have spent an hour at the beginning of the day. It is a blessing, a joy, and an oasis to do so, but many a mother can tell you that times of long feeding on the meat of the Word are difficult to find. Seek to avail yourself of every opportunity for extended worship, meditation and prayer. In the meantime, use every fragment that you can find.

Share with your husband, your children, and those that God sends your way. God only asks us to point each person we meet to Him. We do not have to dream up any difficult service. As we serve, we only need to be so full of Him others will see Jesus in us. The lost will be convicted and pointed to the cross. The saved will be encouraged and cheered, to more firmly tread the straight and narrow way. This service starts at home.

Your fragments count. Let Him have each one. He gathers them up as they fall one by one and sees them as the whole basketful they will be. Our Lord understands. He once walked in a garb of human flesh. The demands on His time were also constant. He knows the struggle and the weakness. He walks with you, gathering up and delighting in the fragments you let fall from your busy life for His sake and His alone.

God bless you today in your role as wife and mother. May He help you to put first things first:

• To find rest in doing His will.
• To take time with your children in work and in play.
• To perpetuate a spirit of joy and cheer in your home.
• To communicate with your dear husband.
• To be at peace with yourself and your fellow women and not worry about how they see your floors and windows.
• To use every chance you can to give God the fragments you hold in your hands.

Know that you are called of Him to fill your unique role. No one can pay you for the worth of what you do except your husband and your children. Their payments will not be monetary but of far greater worth. You will receive happy smiles, two little arms around your neck and a whispered, “I love you,” in your ear. You will win your husband’s deepest love and respect and share many special times with him. The rewards are too many to name. Lord, open our eyes!