A Jar of Clay

I think the first time the idea first came to me of doing a seminar on "Chores" was back in August.  If I recall correctly, that was right when I was praying for an ark, praying for ways to be creative, asking the Lord, begging the Lord, for ways to pay down the debt....faster.  I just assumed it would be something Renaissance Man would be responsible for.  I think I even wrote it wouldn't be anything I did.  I knew I had nothing to offer except to go back and teach in a classroom.  I even suggested it to him.  He looked at me with "the look" of  "whatever" and that ended that conversation.

At the August meeting for our homeschool group, I announced that a "Chore" Seminar was coming, but I didn't know when.  I just told them to watch for it.  September came and went.  October came and went.  I just couldn't bring myself to set a date.  I wasn't sure I could pull it off.  I knew we couldn't afford to buy cases of books.  I had so many excuses.

Then, at the end of October, I couldn't stand it anymore.  I said to RM, "Can I just pick a date?  I'll ask for a quick rsvp and then, by faith, I'll order the books."  "Sure," he said.  I gave myself just two weeks to put the seminar together and any attendees had to rsvp within a few days of the email.  I decided I would charge a fee as it was a service I was offering and I knew many hours of prep lay ahead (I actually never counted on how much prep!).  That seemed reasonable to RM.  Then, I just sat back and waited to see if anyone would respond.

Email after email came in saying, "Yes, I'll come."  Most of the names were names of people I'd never even heard of!  A lot of the women were saying in their emails, "I've been needing something just like this!  Thank you for offering it!"  The pressure was on, but I was getting so excited!

The books were ordered last minute and were shipped the week of as the Maxwells were including a just released Christmas book, so we decided to risk it and wait for it, trusting the books would come in on time.  They did, praise God.  But remember, this was a tight month, there was money, but not much.  We paid for it, leaving very little to live on.  An anonymous set of grandparents knew what was going on and I was sent out to a grocery store more than once with a little help from them - what a blessing!

Then, the week before the seminar, all sorts of doubt kicked in...the voice, no doubt, of Satan himself. "No one is going to come.  No one wants to hear what you have to say.  Who do you think you are?  As if you have anything to offer."  I started to feel people were going out of their way not to come. It was quite something.  But, the day before. I went ahead anyway and photocopied a set of 20 notes assuming those who had said they were coming were really coming/  Then I just rested and said to RM, "I'm still glad I did all the prep even if only 3 people come."

But no, the morning of, everyone who said they were coming, came, even an extra one or two.  We set up our book table at the back, including all the new books and made a good number of sales there, too.

The seminar seemed to go so quickly (at least to me!).  I had no idea if it would take the length of time that I had said it would, but it did - 2 1/2 hours of me talking about chores!  Who knew there was so much to say! Am I allowed to say I loved doing it?  It was one of the most enjoyable things I've ever done!  Some people like skiing down black diamond hills - I love giving seminars!

At the end of it all, we came home and did a tally.  It had never really occurred to me that this could be a financial blessing to our family.  That was not why I did this - I did this because I am passionate about training children to learn to work.  I am passionate about training moms to train children to learn to work!  I knew how this chore system had changed me and brought peace to our home.  I knew it could do the same for other moms.  I never thought it could be a source of income for our family and that God could use my skills, not just RM's skills!  He has so many skills.  Me?  Not so much.

But, as we sat there that afternoon, we were in awe that God has blessed us and had used this seminar to get our family by, to make it until the awaited cheque came.  I was amazed.  I didn't expect it to be through me that God would give us a creative idea!  I just assumed it would be through RM!?  Isn't that just like God to turn it all around and answer our prayers in a way we didn't expect?

Within minutes of finishing the seminar, I got a text from a friend asking how it had gone.  By the time all the texting was finished I was booked to do another seminar in January.  Amazing!  Then, another friend from a city further away emailed that day and asked the same thing.  Nothing would make me happier than to give this seminar all around Ontario.

Are we building an ark like we hoped?  Not exactly, but perhaps this is the ark - just in a different form!  The bonus?  Other homes are getting cleaner and more kids are learning to work this week that weren't a few days ago!  I thank God for how He continually amazes me, continually provides, continually hears my prayers, continually answers.  I really never thought I had anything to offer.  I'm just a regular mom with a very outgoing personality who really wants her house clean - that was all God needed!  I can do that!  I got to be exactly who I am and voila!  God used the very thing I thought wasn't worth much.  It's a perfect example of 2 Cor. 4:7, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."

 I am honoured to be a jar of clay.