Tuesday, October 4, 2011

31 Days of Words for the Daily Dash-Day 4

This next sentence is a relative newcomer in my list. I heard it a little over a year ago. In May 2010, John Piper, a pastor and author, who I read and admire, took an eight month leave of absence from both of those responsibilities. And the reason for that leave he summed up with the following:

"The precious garden of my home needs tending."


I love that phrasing. It conveys both how he feels about his family, and what he needs to do in regard to his family. I feel that way about my family, and I too, want to tend it well. After looking up tend in the thesaurus, I am even more impressed with that word.

tend:   look after, take care of, care for, minister to, attend to, see to,wait on; watch over, keep an eye on, mind,protect, watch, guard, supervise; nurse,nurture, cherish. 
This kind of attention takes time. I don't want to use my time on things - even good things - at the expense of my family. They are my first calling. I'm praying for wisdom in that regard, because...

The precious garden of my home needs tending.
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2 comments:

  1. MimiOctober 4, 2011 at 3:32 PM

    Thanks so much for sharing. As a read my Bible, it's always interesting to look up words in the dictionary. Especially as they relate to character. My everyday understanding of a word often pales in relation to it's actual meaning. Tending is a powerful word and it is one that I'd like to think people would use to describe me in relation to my family. I've got some re-prioritizing to do. Thanks!

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  2. Shelley Marea Vaughan HarrisOctober 4, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    Thanks for the comment and encouragement, Mimi! I also checked out your blog and your 31 Days of Orange. What a great idea. I especially love the orange and white party. Blessings!

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