10/03/2012

This Beautiful Mess*

This week I've grabbed my camera many times.  It seems like I run to capture those cute moments more when life is super busy.  It's like I have to remember the moments I am tempted to just walk by.

This week has been one of those where lots of things have happened to make me feel overwhelmed and stressed.  None of these things by themselves are any big deal.  But when it all seems to happen at the same time, you just want to pull the covers over your head.  Literally.

When you have a bunch of kids and you home school you really want to appear as if you completely know what you're doing.  Like you have it together.  When really, you're just figuring it out as you go along and your house is like a huge science experiment.  Except there's no hypothesis and no easy conclusion.  So and so seems to be doing really well with math but you really have no idea what you've done to make this come about.  Or you slightly burn your granola but really can't tell if it was your fault or the vintage oven or the inconsistent stirring by your six year old.

Someone has no clean underwear.  Jimmy can't find his wallet.  Penelope can't find her glasses.  Juliet has spilled cereal all over the floor.  How do you spell invited?  There are books waiting at the library.  It's raining.  It's bath night.  It's time to exercise.  We are out of peanut butter.  You have to conquer grocery shopping with kids.  "If you don't move out of the way of my cart I WILL run you over."  The diaper has leaked.  There is a fly infestation in the kitchen.  The pilot light is out on the water heater.  Someone you've never met wants to stop by your house.  For some reason you let the children get out the play dough.  During prayer request time (with your new co op friends you're still trying to impress a little) your daughter asks for prayer about her Halloween costume.

I know I'm always talking about how messy life is, yet how wonderful too.  It has never been more true for me.  It is a dichotomy that will never get old.  In humanity, God has made stinky, gross, weird, and crazy beings called children.  And there is absolutely nothing else that can make you feel more joy, more love, or more full of life.

I am happy to be more than a spectator.  I am glad to wipe the banana from a laughing toddler or the tears from a wounded child.  Poop!  Giggles!  Boogers!  Dancing!  Fist fights!  Playing toys!  Sassy mouths!  Dimples!  Do you see how much fun it is?  It is an opposite game that never gets old.  For every frustrating or gross thing that happens around here there is easily something even more wonderful happening at the same time.  It is truly a beautiful mess.

*The title for this post was inspired by the Sixpence None the Richer album title, not any of the million other things associated with this phrase.  I hate the internet.  Spell check told me to capitalize internet.  I refuse.

No comments: