No Thanks Needed

"I have chosen the Levites from among the Isrealites... They are mine; I am the Lord."

Numbers 3:11a,13b

During my quiet time a couple of mornings back, I felt led to read out of my Daily Bible(*). Sounded easy enough but as I opened my Bible that morning to the assigned reading, I could barely contain the roll of my eyes back into my head. The selection that morning was to read the first four chapters of the book of Numbers. Now for those of you who have never had the pleasure of reading this book, it begins with a very detailed counting of the tribes of Israel and gives them very direct rules as to how they are to travel.
I was actually doing ok with it until I got to the end of chapter 3. At this point, special attention is paid to the Levite tribe, as they have been chosen by God. These 22,000+ people are given the position of being the carriers of the Tabernacle anytime they broke camp. The entire 4th chapter is made up of the assignments of how to take down and travel with the pieces that make up the Tabernacle...and we are talking massive details. Using Moses's voice, God tells this group of chosen people everything about thier new duties, from who will carry the lampstands to how to take down the hooks. Absolutely nothing is left out.
I was reading it, as I felt He had asked me to, but I couldn't help but wonder in the back of my mind what He was thinking I was going to get out of this. I mean, I have no Tabernacle to take down as I know that the Spirit of God no longer resides in a box, but within me. And if He was trying to hint that I need to focus more on what I get done each day, I could get lost in the fact that I have enough trouble just getting my kids to make their beds each morning, much less having to thanklessly follow around doing what they forgot to do!
And it was at this moment, when my mind began to wander into the land of "All They Forgot To Notice That I Do" that He interrupted my tirade to whisper softly, "Do you think that any of these people ever stopped carrying their part of the Tabernacle because no one said thank you to them?"
And that was all it took to take my mind and heart to where He had wanted them all along.
As a stay at home mom, I spend so much of my time doing thankless work. My job everyday is to take care of my family and my home. In doing that, I run around doing SO much that never gets noticed (clean toilets, set out their lunch money, make appointments for everyone and plan out the meals)...and so often a lot is expected from me even when I don't think I have anything left to give. So resentments can build within me and it's so easy to get sold on the lie that says "Your only worth as much as you are thanked for".
I readily admit that I am often quick to be hurt because no one noticed the fact that I mopped the floors today and slow to remember that the One who allowed me my job everyday noticed...and it is for HIM that I am doing it all anyway. So while it IS my job to do all that I do each day, it is also my responsibility to remember just Who it is that employs me...and to learn to look to Him for the praise for a job well done at the end of every day.
Now, just who but GOD knew that all THAT could be found in the first four chapters of the book of Numbers!?!
Looking up as always...
Bina
(The Daily Bible is a version that divides the Bible up into daily readings which would, if read on a regular basis, allow the reader to get thru the whold Bible in one year.)