So, I took a day off yesterday. Cleaning, cooking, making decisions and basically everything other than feeding the kids and changing their diapers.

Little One decided it was a good day for extra diapers. She must of sniffed something amiss with the mommy vibe.

The result of that day off? A grumpy mom. A grumpy wife. A grumpy me this morning.

Hubby had to go to work. I saw this as an intrusion on our weekend. His presence isn’t necessary, but I like for Saturday to be our day. But sometimes work calls.

And I wasn’t very nice about it.

So, I thought about it and it seems even though I took a day off, I didn’t do much for clearing the mind. I just didn’t do anything I needed to do. And that’s ok. We all need to do lazy days.

But we can’t let the piles of clutter (literal and mental) become a wedge between us and our people.

I was flipping through my devotional early this morning and trying to pick which woman of the Bible I wanted to read about today.

I chose Rachel first. But I didn’t remember all the details of her marriage to Jacob, so I went back to Leah to get the back story.

Now, I’ve read these two accounts several times. I have always been on Team Rachel. I used to think Leah was just a complainer who was jealous of her little sister. Then, I read the story again.

She was put in the situation by her dad. She was kind of forced into marriage and then had to watch her husband love her sister. Quite a condition to bear.

But then the Lord gave her three sons. She thought this would make her husband love her. And on the fourth son, she said she was naming him Judah because she was praising the Lord.

Not because she was counting on a person to make her happy.

I now know why I got Leah’s story this morning. I wasn’t feeling very loved this morning. But it wasn’t my family’s fault. It was my own.

I felt taken for granted. Much like Leah. I was frustrated and depending on my family to magically read my mind.

But I forgot a little truth that Leah didn’t have.

I have a husband all my own. Thank God, I don’t have to share him.

I have a husband who didn’t want to go to work, but he pulls up those boot straps and does it. Gladly. He does it because it’s how he loves us.

I have a bunch of kids who love me so much they don’t even let me eat a bowl of cereal without it going soggy. (Ok, so kids do take us for granted. It’s a reality we have to remember. They are still learning. But it’s often very frustrating. I’m going to have to try sticking my head in the freezer like Orange Rhino suggests.)

I have examples like Leah to guide me in being grateful for my blessings. I can remember that praise and thankfulness cancel out the selfishness and the taken-for-grantedness.

I have a father who loves me and never takes me for granted.

So, there’s a lot to be thankful for if we just look for it, especially when we feel taken for granted.