In 1982, we remodeled a kitchen. Steve bought me a microwave and a microwave cart. When we moved to Kansas in 1990, the kitchen had a peninsula with room for the microwave and no room for the microwave cart.

What we needed then was homeschool material organization help. Losing homeschool books when we needed them for school and then the time spent looking for them was frustrating and wasted our time we should have had for doing school work. Keeping the in-use homeschool books in a central location and teaching the children to return them there each day at the end of school was the solution to the organizational problem.

At that point, we started using the microwave cart to hold our homeschooling books. Then it became the school cart. One year, I remember talking to Steve about the problem of the books in it falling over when the children took their books out and it wasn’t full. He had a great solution; he put wooden dividers in the cart.

The school cart has resided in our living room for the past twenty three years. It housed school books inside while the top was the resting place for the phone and nicknacks. Steve also built a little shelf on its side where I could put my Pepsi during my Pepsi-drinking days.

For many years, the school cart was so maxed out with books because of the number of homeschooling students that we had two children who had to have their books in a dining-room cupboard. However, year by year, we have graduated children from homeschool. Now we are down to only one homeschooled child. She keeps her books in a basket by the chair where she does her school work. That meant that the school cart no longer had a school purpose.

A few weeks ago, when Mary and I rearranged the living room furniture, Mary asked if the school cart could be moved to another room. At first my heart clutched. That school cart had been a faithful servant to our homeschooling organization needs for twenty-three years. I couldn’t imagine not seeing it in our living room. However, I knew she was right. We now needed seating space more than a school cart.

Our faithful servant would be happy to serve in a new spot. Now he sits in the music room. He still holds a phone and nicknacks plus Mary’s art supplies. As I have thought about that microwave cart – turned school cart – turned end table cart, I thought of these words of the Lord Jesus to his faithful servants, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21). I pray that I can be faithful servant to my Lord like our microwave cart has been to us.

Teri

“And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Deuteronomy 6:7

“For as the rain cometh down,
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither,
but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud,
that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:”

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
it shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please,
and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:9-10

Mom had it on her heart to bless Anna Marie, Melanie, and GiGi with window cleaning. She decided we girls could take an hour on Saturday mornings to tackle the project. The first Saturday, Anna Marie’s windows got cleaned. The next Saturday, GiGi’s, and then last Saturday, Melanie’s. We were each equipped with cleaner, rags, and paper towels.

With so many of us working, we flew through the job. What would have taken a young mommy hours to do, we accomplished in one hour. Our windows will be up next, but they’ll wait until after our next trip.

Maybe this will give you some ideas on blessing another young mom. Teamwork is an awesome thing.

Rejoicing in Jesus,
Sarah

At GiGi’s.

The windows that you can pop out make cleaning very simple.

We had two little helpers at Melanie’s.

Happiness!

Bethany found bugs in the windowsill, so she ran and grabbed a little broom and dustpan. She knew how to take care of them.

There they are!

I loved how sweet she looked. She was outside with Aunt Mary, who was working on the front door. So cute.

The team last Saturday.

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance…” Proverbs 15:13

We praise the Lord Jesus for your gift to our family. We delight to see your love for God, your family, and those you minister to. May Jesus continue to give you a passion to reach young people for Him!

We love you!

Dad, Mom, Sarah, John, Anna, Jesse, and Mary

“Oh how great is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;
which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee
before the sons of men!”
Psalms 31:19