The Training of the Heart

When I was married, I didn't have a sense of ownership of home and land because my husband was the one who earned the money to purchase whatever we needed.  But, I did have a sense of stewardship over whatever was assigned as wife and mother.  I, also had a sense of stewardship over my own person in terms of self discipline, self education, and all the improvements of my spiritual life.  Perhaps, that is why it was easy to give my land and home back into the hands of the Lord after I became a widow.

"A wise woman builds her house"   Prov. 14:1.  The home, church and community were the focus of my 28 years of marriage as I was steward over my household to create a place of love and creativity, of hospitality and friendships.  Many times I grieved that I was not able to work outside this domain....but, I see now that the work chosen for me was the training needed to be the steward of the Blessing House.  The Lord taught me that my home was the "house of the Lord" and I was the doorkeeper.  It was at that point that I became content to work within my boundaries which gave me lots of opportunity to read and study the Word in depth.  He was preparing me for a whole new world in which nothing would ever be the same again.  When Bob died, I was astonished at the new life coming at me.

During those years, I learned to trust the Word and not lean to my own understanding as I determined to align my life with what the Word said.  "Whosoever hearkens unto me shall dwell safely and be quiet from the fear of evil"  Prov. 1:33  I believe that the training of a steward will always include living under authority,  living within the set boundaries, and living with unfulfilled dreams...as was said of Jesus in Hebrews 5:7-9 that he learned obedience with tears.

When the trainee is ready, those unfulfilled dreams can now become reality because the Lord can now trust the Steward with greater opportunities.  Becoming a Steward is a lifetime of training in the ways and principles of the Lord that must be experienced and lodged in the heart.  One can read and retain in the thinking mind, but the heart of the Steward must be trained through experience.