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I posted this poem a while back but thought it fitting to our topic this week. A reader pointed out such an important point about embracing home…it should not be underestimated that the mundane, difficult task of keeping up with basic family needs is a glorious thing to our Lord when done in a spirit of love. To this we are called. We can show the world that being a keeper at home CAN be wonderful, but they will never understand or desire the servant-work that it entails.
There aren’t many standing in line to wash feet. The last act of our Savior, left for us as an example of how to live. “Only few will find the narrow way”…but a sweet way it is.
Washing Feet
A mother toiled with all her might
Tending needs both day and night.
Tending needs both day and night.
Cleaning, laundry, dirty dishes,
Changing diapers, giving kisses.
Changing diapers, giving kisses.
No one saw her faithful deeds
The sacrifice for others’ needs.
The sacrifice for others’ needs.
She never got a company raise
Or heard the applause of worldly praise.
Or heard the applause of worldly praise.
But still she labored diligently
She knew what others couldn’t see.
She knew what others couldn’t see.
And then one night a dream told true
About that treasure this mother knew.
About that treasure this mother knew.
She dreamt of seeing her Savior’s face
And then she felt His strong embrace.
And then she felt His strong embrace.
Before she had time to even speak
The King of Kings knelt at her feet.
The King of Kings knelt at her feet.
A water basin soon appeared
She gasped in horror through her tears.
She gasped in horror through her tears.
She begged of Him to take her seat
To let her wash her Savior’s feet.
To let her wash her Savior’s feet.
He just smiled and said with ease
“You did, when you served the least of these”.
“You did, when you served the least of these”.
Kelly Crawford 2005
16 comments
What a lovely poem. It expresses so beautifully the joy a wife and mother can have being a keeper of the home. I would love to embroider this as a gift for my mother. May I have your permission to use it for this?
ahhhhh, thats beautiful! One of my favorite paragraphs in the bible is when Jesus states that whatever we do to the lest of these, we do unto him. so comforting.
Thanks so much, girls!
Yes, Angela *squeals* certainly!
Wow, that is really beautiful. I got chills reading that. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
That is so beautiful!
wow..thank you kelly. it’s going on my door.
I love it! So encouraging!
You’ve got me crying–my daughter could really use those words, with 2 under 3.
BTW, congratulations on your new little one. I am 11 weeks now, so we are pretty close.
Sherry
Kelly:
I LOVED your poem. It was very precious and dear. I think I’m going to cut and paste it and print it out (even though I’m not a mother . . . yet – smiles).
P.S. I didn’t know that you wrote poetry. Goodness! You really are the “Word Warrior” – smiles.
wow, awesome!!!!! what a BEAUTIFUL poem.
“but they will never understand or desire the servant-work that it entails”
I think you would consider me part of “the world”. (people that aren’t fundamentalist Christians?) You might be surprised that we do understand serving.
For instance I work at a nursing home emptying bedpans, giving people baths and feeding them. (if that isn’t serving I don’t know what is!)
Then I am a single mother to 6-year boy. And of course you know what sort of work that encompasses!
And there are many, many others like myself who are in “the world”. Some serve only in their homes, some serve outside the home, and many do both. I think you would be shocked by some of us “worldly” people.
Laura,
Just so you don’t misunderstand me, I was not insinuating that no one buy stay-at-home moms understand servant work…not by any means!
But there is a large swath of women who disdain staying at home because they disdain the mundane chores of household work, and feel they need a career to validate their worth. That’s what I was referring to.
Simply women who purposely do not accept the servanthood of running a home, because the world has not labeled it an important job so they “suffer” through housework and go somewhere else for the important stuff. Often, the same work as a woman at home does is esteemed if she does it outside her home, but not if it’s done without eyes to see her work.
Does that make sense?
Kelly,
I appreciate your poem. Sometimes “mommyhood” can be a daunting “task”. But when placed in the light of “servanthood” to those whom Jesus has allowed me to encounter it causes me to get my eyes off of myself and onto Him 🙂
Serving others IS serving Jesus.
Laura Ashley,
I’m not Kelly and do not attempt to respond for her–
Your giving and doing of good deeds is notable, by our standards. In fact, many people who use the name “Christian” and claim to have “faith” in Jesus do not do even a fraction of what you listed.
The book of James specifically states that “…..if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself.”
And Jesus told the parable of the sheep and the goats, stating that “good works” even done “in His name” are dead unless the person’s heart is His.
A heart that has truly been changed by an encounter with Jesus will supernaturally be turned to love and serve others. It isn’t something we have to “dredge up” under our own power because we are “so good”.
The two…”faith (in Him) and works” must go hand in hand, according to Jesus.
Perhaps a clarification of the question the “world” may be asking is not why Christians would do “good deeds” but rather “Why do you do these things and say it is because of ‘Jesus’ rather than because we can just ‘choose to be good’?”
🙂
Heather
“But there is a large swath of women who disdain staying at home because they disdain the mundane chores of household work, and feel they need a career to validate their worth. That’s what I was referring to. “
I have some first hand examples of what you are referring to.
Some women will disdain housework, and that’s ok. We are all made differently. They will serve in another capacity.
Of course they shouldn’t insult you for serving in your home, and if I heard someone do so I would correct them.
For instance I heard this woman in the Navy scoff at stay-at-home moms and said at least her daughter can look up to her as a mother because she is “fighting for our freedom”- which I also disagree with. She needed to be reminded that what is good for her family is not what is good for every family. And that stay-at-home moms are serving their country just as much if not more than her.
Wether you are an accountant, teacher, nurse, or stay-at-home mother I think all of us are serving in some way really. Some people (like myself) will literally wash people’s feet. Other won’t. That is the way it should be since we weren’t all made the same. It is a shame people don’t always understand that.
Kelly,
Thank you for sharing such a beautifully written poem that expresses an even more beautiful truth!
For a sweet poem by Mrs. Imperfect, visit http://winterpastfamily.blogspot.com/2008/11/between-rising-and-setting.html
Thank you, M.I.!