I have told several people recently that right now I feel like all I do each day is go from mess to mess cleaning up after others! Can you relate?
For example, last week I was changing a poopy diaper in my room and something in my “mom radar” sensed that all was not well. Sure enough, as I walked into the girls’ bedroom, one of my offspring was generously applying Desitin to her face and hair (and of course sharing so nicely with her sister).
Earlier the same week, I found myself whisper-yelling (while on the phone) to the same child to, “Stop this fooling around RIGHT NOW and put your underwear BACK ON!” (I laughed as soon as I said it, realizing how ridiculous I sounded to the person on the other end of the line!)
I could go on about mysterious puddles of water in the bathroom (which child did this?), strange stains on the carpet (what is this?), piles of laundry (is this clean or dirty?), boxes of dry pasta emptied onto the floor in the midst of fixing dinner (a little dirt never hurt anyone, so you can bet I put it right back in the box), black ink pen on the dining room table (when did she even do this?), stickers on the walls (eh… at least she’s not writing on something!)… but I’m sure you get the point by now.
Do you ever have days/weeks/years like this? As though the entirety of your day is spent cleaning up messes that you yourself did not create? I would like to think that it will get better soon, but alas, my children are only getting taller, smarter, and stealthier!
This is a season of messes.
Sometimes there is disobedience involved (i.e. the Desitin incident), but other times it’s just foolishness, like the day recently when one of my daughters wedged a Triscuit into a slot of the printer that necessitated extraction using needle-nosed pliers. Sometimes we discipline for the messes (when it is direct disobedience), but sometimes (most of the time), I just clean up the mess and try to maintain a sense of humor, all the while placing objects up higher out of their reach.
I’m tempted to believe that this constant cleaning up of messes is keeping me from my larger purpose–ministry to my family and to others–but the Lord has reminded me recently that this is my ministry.
Cleaning up after my children (and my–hopefully–appropriate response to it) is one of my primary ministries right now! Gently responding in love to a child who has been foolish or disobedient is how I can reflect Christ to my family right now.
Do I always respond in the right way? Of course not! I know that God is using this for my personal sanctification (growing to be more like HIM) as well.
I am trying to embrace this busy season and realize that in the midst of messes lies exactly the ministry God has for me today!
I can totally relate! I must admit, I don’t always respond properly, but I’m working on that. The little years go by way too fast so I try to find the humor in the midst of all the stress 🙂
Love this. I remember talking to a friend from WI that I don’t get to talk to often and peyton was drawing on herself with markers getting paint everywhere but it just didn’t matter, it would be cleaned up later.
I love this! I feel like you were speaking right to me! I have been really working on reminding myself lately that this is my ministry and these three children and all the challenges that came along with them are right where God wants me to be – doing His work right now! When I think of it in that sense, it makes me better able to tolerate the messes and the madness and feel more grateful at the same time!
Thank you..needed to hear these words as I have had a difficult week controlling my temper with my kids.
ahhh yes, this is so normal for a household full of 3 kiddos under 3! the messes some what get better once the oldest is 9, but I will say, now that my boys are older, the messes tend to be bigger LOL. The good thing is they are old enough to clean now, so even if the mess is BAD, they at least have a part in fixing the problem. Lets list a few to help you feel better 😉 – Taite holding Calebs snake in his bedroom when the snake decides to poop all over the carpet. yup snakes poop, and its disturbingly gross and jet black. Taite using his macho brain decides to then swing the snake around instead of putting him in his tank to “finish his business” – so instead of one pile of poo on the floor, theres countless splats on the carpet. thankful it did clean but what a nasty mess! Another mess… Tooth paste. WATCH TOOTH PASTE access with Vera LOL!! just warning you 😉 – and markers. Owens had to be spanked a few times over that issue…. and then theres Reed… he pulls so many school papers out of their proper place right now. Its a constant chore to clean after him. Hang in there and dont fear that Rod 😉 -im a firm believer in it! LOL!!
Great post…one of your best!! How blessed your children are to have a mom like you….who is attemting to walk in God’s grace and truth! And, who knows He is sovereign over all the moments of our days…even the messy ones! I love you! <3 Mom