Use this vessel as You choose...

This past Tuesday, in preparation for the Premiers' Prayer Breakfast, my sisters and I were invited to a dinner of about 40 organizers, sponsors

and participants at

the Westin Hotel. I rarely go out for "dinner" and if I do, it's always with Curt....and i wear jeans. I dressed up for this dinner, out of my pastel, monogrammed bunny apron i got for my wedding 12 years ago, and into some black heels. Well, i wore more than just heels, but you get the idea. I forgot how painful footwear can be! Curt drove me in as I am petrified about driving in the city and we picked up the kids at Grandmas next door on the way as they were helping with the final burning of the old barn. That was perhaps a bad idea. The kids filed into the vehicle in their dusty rubber boots smelling like burning manure and 100

year old barn, Curt in his work clothes, me in my earrings, new blouse and heels. I'm sure

we made quite the scene walking through the lobby of the Westin Hotel in downtown Edmonton, a strong farm husband trailing a fancy wife

and 6 dusty, stinky children. I'm sure, because others told me at the dinner that they saw us arrive. Well, if you can't be yourselves, who can you be?...I'm the only one who didn't come as i normally am. Anyways, the three of us girls headed over to the Shaw to try out the sound. We were stunned when we saw the HUGE venue. I hadn't imagined that there would be 1200 people there! Interestingly, I don't think any of us had any shred of nervousness about the whole thing during any part of it. That was a first! I am usually the resident basket case and for this, i was totally calm. Maybe it was the numbness from lack of sleep, or perhaps the giddiness that seeps in when my sisters surround me. Whatever it was, it was a welcome change for me! After the sound check we went back to the hotel room to check in on our husbands and children.

Curt and Paige's husband Neil dressed the kids all up and went for a swim with them while we

waited for our sister Steph to get ready for the dinner. She had driven with 2 of her 7 children all the way from Hinton alone. The rest were home with dad. Wesley was in a wild screechy, teething mood and i had a feeling that i may be called away from the dinner early. When Steph was ready, we went to the meeting room together. A large bowl of punch with floating strawberries and pineapple was at the door and a huge open rectangular table filled the room. It was like King Arthur... only...rectangular. After everyone had arrived, the salad came and we were asked to go around the table and introduce ourselves and speak a bit about ourselves. It took quite awhile and as we listened our dinner was presented. Beautiful thin-sliced roast beef, squash, asparagus, carrots, potatoes, gravy...mmmmm. The three of us girls would end

the introductions and just as i took my first bite, my phone buzzed. It was most likely Curt needing help with screaming Wes. It was also my turn to introduce myself. As i had been sitting

there, listening to everyone introduce themselves as the CEO of this company or that sports team, or describe themselves in terms of their work and who they served, an interesting thought came over me. We are 3 little housewives. It wasn't a feeling of being somehow "less". It was an overwhelming reminder of one of the songs we had planned to sing the next morning. I introduced myself, describing my family to the wild applause around the table. hah! And then I quoted the verse from the song that was pulsing in my head. "Lord, you formed me out of clay. And for Your glory I was made. Use this vessel as You choose. And let my life, O Lord, praise You." Whether our days consist of making decisions that acutely affect a small family of 8, or a large province full of people, our lives are to bring Him praise. Beautiful that He created us

for His glory and can use 3 little housewives to sing praise to Him at a celebration to remind

us provincially that there is One who ultimately makes all the decisions. We are all vessels

in the potter's hands... fill me up with more of You, Lord, and use me to display the works of Your hands.