Article October 23, 2000 Issue

Simple lessons

Getting through the day with grace

By Melissa Jane Hayden

I had started A new job and was moving into a different home at the same time. Days were long while I was learning new tasks at work, followed by unpacking and sorting at home. My kids still had to be chauffeured to their activities, and my husband's job and school were leaving him unavailable to help out. Every moment seemed filled with too many things to do. I collapsed in bed at night, exhausted and resentful, the next day's activities whirling in my head.

One weekend morning, while my family was still sleeping, I picked up a magazine and wistfully mused, "If only I had the time to read this..." I sat for a moment feeling sorry for myself when a Bible verse occurred to me: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matt. 6:33). It's from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

What an eye-opener that verse was. I realized I had spent a considerable amount of the last few weeks and months seeking to accomplish certain tasks, rather than seeking the kingdom of God. And the frustration and exhaustion I was feeling were the apparent result.

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