There is No Other Commandment Greater than These

 

 I can honestly say, there hasn't been a single time in my life that I have doubted the existence of God, but I'm guilty at times of doubting God's ability to use me. Sometimes my weaknesses seem so overwhelmingly apparent that I wonder if there are times he chooses to use someone else in my place to do his work. Someone more motivated, driven, stronger, faster, smarter. Every day can seem like stepping on a hampster wheel with incredible intentions only to get thrown off due to the inability just to keep the pace of life. Recently I vowed to not let laziness get the best of me. My New Years Resolutions all included ways to be more organized and disciplined to be more productive each day. Read Bible, work out, laundry, clean house, organize house, get to work on business, shower, and run errends amidst feeding and taking care of 6 month old Lily by sundown while Stephen is gone for work. Ayayay! I don't know how single mom's do it! It really does take an intense amount of planning, organizing, personal will power and motivation to accomplish it all each day, and it's so easy to label myself as weak and lazy if just one of those doesn't get accomplished in a day.

I was contemplating laziness earlier today, and I had this epiphany. Could It be that I'm maybe just a bit hard on myself? Because, say I actually did accomplish all that I wanted to each day everyday, if that was possible. Would I have reached some state of true happiness and contentment? Would I have reached my goal in being the perfect housewife, mother, and servant of God? Or could I be missing the point completely? I do agree that God doesn't condone laziness, and it's not the way he intended us to live our lives, he's a huge fan of orderliness and hard work, as you can see in his word. But I was reminded of something even more important the other day.

"Jesus answered... And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29

Could it be that I am placing a bigger emphasis on being productive than the greatest commandment we are given? He doesn't say you shall love the Lord your God...and your neighbor...as well as work out, have the laundry and cleaning done everyday before your husband comes home! He says, There is NO other commandment greater than these. I can't tell you how often I have missed out talking on the phone with someone, serving them, or even spending more time with God because I am trying so hard to go through my list. The list will always be there, and even when I just happen to get through it some days, there's always more I can add. I will never reach the status of perfect housewife or mother, in fact I will constantly be reminded of my weaknesses each and everyday that I don't even come close to accomplishing all that I feel like I should. But it's our humanity that allows us to relate to those around us, and it's Loving others that trumps having a shiny instagram-worthy life.


I so loved these maternity pictures I took for the Stephenson family a while back. Her due date was about a week and a half ago, and I am on call to take their birth pictures! I'm so so excited!! Nothing is more exciting than the birth of new life, and I'm so honored to get to be a part of it. Just 6 months ago, I was in her shoes, waiting and anticipating the unknown that laid ahead. It's such a life changing experience in so many ways, and I just pray God will use me to to bless her with such beautiful emotional photography she can look back on for many years to come!