The crew is out the door.
Hallie Ann off to the vet clinic - animals waiting.
Steve and Tom off to school
and Tom also off to a weekend of Winter Camp with the youth group.
I can't help but smile and sigh as I look around the house
It's a mess
As it is every morning.
In an hour or so it'll all be put in place
As it is every morning.
I put it back in order....
they come home and undo the order....
(Kind of how we persistently wreck havoc with God's order)
hmmm.
I read the other day how important it is to love our kids (or whoever)
IN their ugly.
We get that privilege.
When we're frustrated, angry, inconvenienced -
We can meet them with an affirmation of love
or we can make sure they know our 'wrath'
Which would I want to be met with?
We have to train and deal with discipline and figure out game plans
BUT FIRST - do they know no matter what
they are secure in our Love?
Do they know that doesn't change?
What's more important -
The rules?
The Love?
no contest.
Ok, so they could do a better job of not leaving mess in their wake
There is a place for the shoes,
and I'm not the only one who know's where they go.
Blankets can be folded and stacked,
by someone other than me
Crumbs can be wiped up
by someone other than me
But to tell you the truth
They all usually do what's right
what's helpful
Life is mostly joint venture, pitching in together
but life is messy
and there's often a wake left behind
and I get to smooth it all out and make it right
I get to serve them
make sure home is a calm place to come home to
make sure clothes are washed
make sure dinner is made
make sure there is a sameness, a predictableness to home
and that fills me with peace and a feeling of being needed
I get to be mom, the smoother of rough edges.
I get to take care of the loose ends, the remains of the day.
I get to love them in their ugly.
So I look around at the mess
and start putting away and putting to right
And I know it matters
They matter
and I matter
we mean something to each other
That's family
