Beauty in the Mess

The house was a mess, and I was frustrated.

I worked so hard. Why did it so often look like I did nothing all day?

Daniel was reassuring: "The most important things get done, Jill. You love the kids. The house will get better with time."

But I still felt like I was drowning just trying to get the basics done, and I asked God for perspective.

The next day, it was like He peeled the blinders off.

Everywhere I looked, the kids were being creative: Ava making little crafts, Tim making a tower of blocks, Genevieve and Clara sitting in a pile of books.

Beautiful things are happening here. Sometimes beautiful things are messy. 

I want to be clear: I am not saying that the mamas with clean houses are doing something wrong. There are many excellent mothers creating wonderful learning environments and keeping their houses clean and tidy. I'll be the first to acknowledge that cleaning is not my gift. I don't have that switch in my head that tells me to put things back where they belong, turn off the light switch when I leave the room, or close the cabinet doors. I wish I did.

I am saying is that the messes that can be so frustrating to a mom are actually signs of blessing, of little ones learning, of life. When I can keep this perspective (which is admittedly not always), it helps me not get so frustrated about the every day messes.

So when I see this:

I see a tiny engineer designing a building.

When I see this:

I see a budding artist with plenty of inspiration.

When I see this:

I see the little one who already loves books.

When I see this:

 I see kids learning to add and spell and make circuits.

When I see this:

I see a night spent with Daddy building forts.

When I really look, I see beauty in this mess and life within these walls, and I am thankful.