Aprons

Tis the season for busyness in the kitchen! As I am not even in the top three of the talented cooks in my family, what I end up making more than anything is a mess. I really should wear an apron.

When I think about aprons (and – yes – I have actually done that!) I think about two styles.

I remember my mom wearing the smaller version – the kind that just tied around her waist and basically covered her skirt. I really only remember that she wore them on Sunday as she was preparing Sunday lunch after church. This was also the garment on which I learned to iron. (Yes, young one, iron. It is a thing. Google it!) Perhaps that is why this style of apron is not my favourite.

I do like the full aprons – the ones with a strap that goes around your neck and that covers your entire front. These are the ones I remember my grandmas wearing – not just on Sundays but pretty much whenever they were in the kitchen. These are the kind that I should wear.

Susanna Wesley was the mother of John & Charles Wesley and their 17 siblings. That makes a total of 19 children. Nine of those children died in infancy. Susanna’s husband Samuel was a pastor who was often away for extended periods of time which included a stint in jail for failure to pay his debts.

Susanna, often on her own, bore the responsibility for her children’s education – she home-schooled which included lessons in Greek and Latin.

Susanna, often on her own, bore the responsibility for her children’s spiritual upbringing teaching her children the necessity of scripture and prayer.

This was a busy woman!

It has been written that Susanna had committed to spending an hour in prayer for every hour she spent on entertainment. Having given birth to 19 children and having almost sole responsibility for raising the 10 who survived infancy, there was obviously no time for entertainment so Susanna resolved to spend two hours a day in private prayer.

Again with such a full household where was there a place for private prayer? When would there be a time for private prayer?

This is where we get back to aprons. Susanna wore an apron. The story is told that she told her children that when she pulled her apron over her head that it meant she was in prayer and was not to be disturbed.

This was a woman committed to prayer…committed to her own relationship with God…regardless of the busyness of the day…

This is a lesson I need to learn and relearn.

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.” (James 4:8a)

This is a lesson for the busiest of times…maybe especially for the busiest of times…

While it is true that God is always present, He longs to draw close to each of us in a personal, intimate relationship. And yet in that, He waits for each of us to stop what we are doing and just come to him.

Even as I write this I question how to make this fit into my day. Especially today. Especially at this season.

My mom and my grandmas tied on their aprons as a protection for their clothes. I think that Susanna pulled her apron over her head as a way to insure her heart was protected…that her relationship with her Saviour was protected.

We will protect what we truly value, won’t we?

Don’t wait for your New Year’s resolutions.

 Don’t wait for next week when things have slowed down.

 Don’t wait to do what you need to do to spend some time alone with God…to pray…everyday…

Find your apron.

Ruth U.