Gingerbread House

Roxee, our youngest, is 5 years old. There are two things Roxee absolutely loves! Candy and treasures! Almost daily she comes home from school with some type of treasure she found that day. She has brought home so many treasures from kindergarten this year, that I have a box of all the things. Roxee doesn’t know I have been storing these treasures away, and at the end of the school year, I will give her the box.

I also mentioned she loves candy. Everyday she asks for candy or tries to bargain with me to earn a piece of candy. She asks for candy when she wakes and it’s also the first thing she asks for when I pick her up from school. She is candy crazy!

Recently, I took a month or so away from painting after trashing several pieces I just was not happy with. The pieces did not bring me joy; but they did bring plenty of frustration. So, I took a break from painting at all. When I did return to painting the first piece I did was a suggestion from Roxee. She wanted me to paint a Gingerbread House. Roxee guided me on all the elements she wanted: a house, snow, and lots of candy!

As I was creating it, I thought a lot about our home. It’s loud and messy and has sticky spots and fingerprints. And of course, hidden candy! My mind reflected often on these verses in Proverbs:
Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
 
The Gingerbread House painting was at a time when I was just getting back into painting after several failed attempts and a month off. I had the knowledge of how to paint a picture and I had the supplies… but I was definitely out of practice. So, this painting looks a little sloppy and crooked and strange in places. But I did it. I made the time, I listened to Roxee’s suggestions, added the elements she requested, and she loves this painting. She treasures it.

My husband and I decided long ago that we would always claim Joshua 24:15 in our home. It says “But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Putting God first, telling our children about God, storing our treasures in heaven… this is us establishing what is important to us in our home while simultaneously filling it with rare and beautiful things and people. It can get messy at times, but when it does, it means we are out of practice and we are letting other outside influences creep it. That’s when we have to be intentional again and lean on God and His wisdom to focus on what is truly important. And to us, the most important thing is… keeping God first.

The next time you see a Gingerbread House, ask yourself if God is head of your household.
God bless your journey!

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