Ewwww!!!! Termites!!!

When my husband and I moved to our new home in Bluewater Bay we were warmly welcomed to our new neighborhood and then quickly warned about swarm. What is "swarm" you ask? Swarm is when the termites make their yearly visit. We very promptly contacted our pest control company and had our house treated and inspected. The very nice inspector told me that although our house was treated, termites would still show up but would quickly die upon arrival. So when I walked into my kitchen and saw many near-death termites earlier this week, I calmly dealt with the situation. Hahahaha! In reality, I quietly freaked out (didn't want to scare the babies) and called my husband. Kyle did what any sensitive husband would do- he called the pest control man. His statement? "If they're on the floor that means they didn't find a place to nest, but I'll come and check....if mama's not happy ain't nobody happy!"

It may be a cliche phrase, but there is quite a lot of truth in it. Mothers have the ability to set the tone of the home. Let us never underestimate our power and influence as mothers. James Robison sums up this idea best with the following: "Attitude creates atmosphere, atmosphere creates climate and climate creates a culture." Isn't that what we all hope to do? Create a culture through our children? I firmly believe that our homes are the most influential place for children, whether good or bad. Permit me to make Robison's statement as practical as possible. If we, as mothers, have an attitude of complaint we create an atmosphere of discontent and therefore a climate of want which leads to a culture of greed.

Anyone who knows me at all knows that Corrie Ten Boom is one of my personal heroes. What a remarkable and brave woman. During WWII Corrie, along with her elderly father and sister, hid many Jewish families. Unfortunately, they were caught by the Nazis and sent to various Concentration Camps, ending at the notorious Ravensbruck. In her book, The Hiding Place, Ten Boom explains why she was so thankful for the lice and fleas that infested her bunkhouse at the camp. (You'll have to read the book to find out why!) What an amazing attitude in such a deplorable situation. Would anyone look down on her had she complained of the lice and fleas? Probably not. How much more should I be thankful for my day to day life? Thankful for a working washer and dryer. Thankful for the laundry because it means that I have two healthy and growing boys and the means to clothe them. Thankful for the crumbs on the dining room table because it means my family is fed and has a place to eat. Thankful for so, so much.

Many other attitudes could be tested by Robison's thought. What does an attitude of easy frustration cause? What about an attitude of laziness? But what if we, as mothers, committed to having an attitude of grace, mercy, patience, gentleness, understanding and joy? What sort of culture could we produce? Let us not take our jobs lightly. Let us go about our jobs as mothers with great fervor and intention.

"Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31

Back to those pesky and nasty termites. Am I thankful for them? Well, I'm thankful that they aren't nesting in my house. But I bet Mike, our kindly pest control man, is very thankful for our dead termites. After all, those pesky things provide him with a job and for that, I am grateful.