A Clean House

So I was reminded today of something that I learned earlier this year...

Both boys were down for their naps at the same time & I thought it would be a great idea to mop the kitchen floor. (Unfortunately I don't get to do this as often as I would like!) So anyway, I mopped the floor & got it sparkling clean (well, as sparkling as linoleum can get anyway!) It looked so good & I was so proud of my accomplishment! Then about 30 minutes later Micah woke up and was ready for a snack, so I gave him some crackers & juice. Of course, a 14 month old eating crackers means lots of crumbs on the floor. And Micah has this thing about throwing his cup on the floor once he decides he's had enough to drink, so there goes beads of juice on the floor. And of course, Vader (the black lab mix of a vacuum cleaner) was right there to lick up everything...yummy, dog slobber!! So there went my perfectly clean floor in a matter of seconds. I started to get a little frustrated at my apparent waste of time (the mop job) until the Lord reminded me of what He had taught me earlier this year... (P.S. I had not yet spent time in the Word that day...)

At the beginning of this year I was in a Bible study with 7 precious moms. We studied "A Mother's Heart" by Jean Fleming. There were so many things I learned through this study & from the insights of our leader, Deb, as well as the other girls. Among other things we talked about priorities & values. Jean Fleming states that she previously considered "good" days those days when she scratched lots off her "to do" list whereas "bad" days were those when she had few tangible results to show for her day. Being the task oriented person that I am, I can certainly identify with this. However, she goes on to write that "though the visible tangible world is so insistent and clamorous in its demands, I must not let it badger me into spending my life unwisely. The results of living by God's value system (the importance of spending time with God & investing in people) aren't immediately apparent like clean windows or a newly papered wall. But years from now, by God's grace, my time with God and my children will produce results brighter than sparkling windows.... I must choose to do those things that will give satisfaction as I view my life as a whole, rather than measure satisfaction at the end of each day."

So I'm not saying that I shouldn't clean my house, but the value that I place on it (and its priority) should not be above spending time with the Lord or my kids. And I shouldn't get frustrated when things aren't perfect from the world's standards. That's life!! Thanks be to God for grace & mercy!