The Laborers Are Few

Image by condesign (2016) via Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain.

“The harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt 9:37-38)

Moms know: summer doesn’t always equal fun. With children home from school and either unoccupied or overscheduled, there’s a lot to do to keep the family going. Either you’re surrounded by teenage slugs and bored children or you’re running around carting offspring from camp to camp.

Let’s be honest; lots of the time, you feel like a maid and chauffeur more than a mom.

The only way for us moms to enjoy the summer fun is to beg the Lord of the harvest to send us some laborers. But wait! He already has!

It’s easy to forget that we’re surrounded by laborers that just need to be sent into the harvest. Friends and family are great laborers who need to be sent into the harvest more often to ease our burdens but... you actually have a host of laborers right under your roof that need to be put to work.

[Tweet "Do you feel more like a maid than a mom? You actually have laborers right under your roof!"]

I’m talking about your children. Sure, the amount that they can help depends greatly on their age and development, but your children can actually be helpful to you. Really!

I have to admit, I’m one of the worst when it comes to asking for help but I AM getting better at it with time. There are two areas that have tripped me up in the past:

Unhealthy thinking - I used to think that asking someone to help me was an inconvenience to them. The reality is most people are glad to have an opportunity to help. It’s actually a gift to others to include them in your life and to give them a chance to serve. It’s also a good way to practice humility.

Inappropriate expectations - One thing that’s held me back in the past is knowing what were appropriate expectations for my children. I would either overestimate what they “should” be able to do or underestimate their abilities. The trick is knowing your child and accepting that the help they give you won’t be perfect. Here’s the thing though-as awesome as you are at housework, it’s never perfect. So, unless God has given you the supernatural gift of perfection in housekeeping, let your kids do some of it!

There are lots of websites that can give you lists of age-appropriate chores. Here are a few links to help you get some ideas:

http://www.themontessorinotebook.com/age-appropriate-chores-for-children/

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/parenting-challenges/motivating-kids-to-clean-up/age-appropriate-chores

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/chores-for-children?page=3

What are some ways that you utilize your laborers?