Sitting around the dinner table, I listened as my husband offered a prayer of thanksgiving before we ate……”Lord, thank you for this place of comfort we can come home to……..” Have you ever thought, ladies, about what the men in your family face everyday? The workplace can be a hard place, and many times for our guys, lots of physical, hard labor. I guess at times, it’s easy for us to forgot what their days are like when they leave our homes. So that prayer reminded me once again of what “home” means to my husband and sons. It should be a place of rest, comfort, beauty, and filled with pleasant words. A place of good, nourishing food and thought for spiritual food. At times, I have put myself in their “shoes” and thought about working on a hot roof all day(my husband is a carpenter) and then coming home to a dark, empty house with a can of soup on the counter. How much better to walk into a home with life, hot food on the table, clean clothes after a nice, long bath. A daughter who gives dad a neck rub is much appreciated:) I’m glad I get to provide a place of rest, creating a home environment that welcomes a weary worker at the end of the day. It’s easy, ladies, to get focused on our own struggles and hardships at home.  It’s good for us to look through the lens of our husband’s labor and appreciate what he does day in, day out to provide.

Perhaps some of you are the breadwinners in your family~you may be a single parent struggling to make ends meet.  It is still so important that your home be a place of peace for you and your children.  It will require some extra planning on your part such as ways to keep meals simple, yet nutritious.  And if you have daughters you are training in homemaking skills, what a perfect opportunity to let them be a blessing to you by keeping the home and learning to prepare meals.  Don’t make the mistake of giving up on a peaceful home life just because you do not have a husband/father in the home.  My mother was in this same situation for many years after my father died at a young age.  I remember trying to bless her by cleaning or helping out with groceries as a teenager to make life a little easier for her.  Let us determine to bring “life” to our homes and bring all our skills to bear to make it the best resting place at the end of a long day for all our family members.

About The Author

Rhonda seeks to encourage women in their roles as wives and mothers through mentoring and writing; you can read her thoughts at walkingwithsarah.blogspot.com.
Rhonda has been Herb’s helpmeet for the last 27 years and together they have four children, aged 26-11. They love serving in their local church as a family, home education, hospitality, counseling, and history.