Where Are You Investing?

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It's chilly as I sit here typing.  My cup of coffee next to me on the desk table.  Luna - our new dog is chasing flees and I'm trying to pretend the boys are not awake as they chatter away in their cribs.

Everywhere my eyes look there are messes.  The livingroom is littered with toys, bag, cups from last night, bowls of crusted whatever-it-was-we-snacked-on-last-night (a testimony to the fact that indeed we are powerless against our late-night snack cravings!), enormous piles of laundry await today's promise that we will be hooked up to city water.  Even greater piles of dishes are crammed in my kitchen - so we'll have cereal for breakfast since there is no place to cook anything until I get them washed...

...yes, I could go on and on.  I haven't even started talking about the office work I have to do.  

So much to do, so little time. 

(So clearly I should be sitting here blogging, right?  But I have something on my heart that I must share now before it looses its oomph!  All writers know what happens when you get an inspiration and decide to "write about that later".)

And yet as I read today's verses for the Good Morning Girls Colossians' study, I am met with

"set your minds on things above and not earthly things." (Click to Tweet)

My first response would be, "Yea right, Paul!  With a 1 year old, a 2 year old, a house that we're remodeling, a yard that's been dug up to kingdom come in rainy season (mud anyone??)...a house that looks like a huge toy bomb exploded in it...and I'm supposed to just pretend I don't live in chaosville and think about heaven?"

Jesus also told us to invest in heaven, not on earth.  Where are hearts are, that is where our treasure is. (Click to Tweet)

For moms this is particularly hard, because we have so much "earthly" responsibility, it is very easy to get caught up in the vortex of cleaning, washing, cooking, baking, comforting, changing diapers....listening to Barney sing, "I Love You" for the millionth time...

...singing "Veggie Taaaales, Veggie Taaaales" in our sleep...if we're sleeping at all.  

And in the midst of mommyhood and all the responsibility it brings, we forget about heaven.  We forget about laying up our treasures there.  We're just trying to get through the day so we can collapse in our beds - in hope that we actually get to stay there once we get there!

And yet, there is a way we can do both.  Because neither Paul nor Jesus ask that we pretend we don't have more work than hours in the day. They were not advocating ignoring housework and motherhood.  They were simply reminding us that:

One day, all we see, taste, touch, hear and smell will pass away.  And then we have to face eternity. (Click to Tweet)

We must invest in eternity!

Here are 6 ways I've discovered to do that:

1. While you clean, pray for your unsaved neighbor or friend.

2. While you change diapers, share with your children about Jesus, how He loves them and is happy when they obey.

3. While you do dishes, sing songs of praise to Him.

4. Let your children see you read your Bible, pray, and worship.

5. Take moments out of your day to teach your children the Word of God.

6. While you bathe them, sing Bible songs with them.

While you do your earthly tasks, mingle them with little eternal investments.  (Click to Tweet)

And turn your gaze upward...

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth

Will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace