it's time to clean this old house.....

378. peace--not much of it lately and I do miss it!
379. my amazing husbands strong loving arms wrapped around me while i sleep-missing that too

I've learned that the mess doesn't bother me as much any more-truly. When I get back home, I am going to try to stop worrying about messes (aside from the kitchen of course-its too small for a mess and I can't start cooking in it til there is counter space so I digress). I've decided that I will be thankful and count it all joy that there are people in my house to make a mess and be loud! I'm happy that my house is comfortable and people don't feel like they can't sit on my furniture. I want people to make themselves at home, put their feet up and relax!

I've accepted the fact that my stuff will never look like a showroom, it will never be pristine-God willing I will have grandchildren that will visit my house often once my kids are grown and they will make themselves comfortable too! I anticipate scratches and dings and though I do believe we should take care of what we are given and be good stewards over our blessings, but not at the cost of putting other people out. Now when I see my kids carving into my kitchen table wth a fork, I'm not okay with that, but if they get some crumbs on the furniture-its something that I can clean.

I've long since given up my ritual deep cleaning friday's, I no longer mop my floors every week for the sake of doing it, no one eats off my floors and I find that as long as I clean them once my feet start sticking to the floor it's all good! I try to vacuum frequently because we have a dog, but I don't lose sleep if it doesn't happen.

It's all how you look at it really. I just saw a quote on facebook saying that "trying to clean the house with kids in it is like brushing your teeth while eating oreos"--too true and there are 2 choices we have-either be irritated and present yourself as having no joy in the task God has given you-which rubs other people wrong. Or be joyful over the task set before you and accept that it may take longer-you will get interupted, and by the time you are done, it won't look like a showroom. It will be sanitary and if you are able to find joy in the simple fact that you have hands and feet that allow you to clean yourself without extra effort it will show in your smile and patience and the people around you will notice and see you and have joy as well.

Some day your house will be empty and you will be able to clean it quickly without any interuptions (yes you can ignore the phone) and then you will finish and it will look like you really put your hard work and effor into it, but then you will sit down in a quiet house alone-then what?

I want my children to see that I am so very happy to serve Jesus and my husband and them, that requires a smile and positive attitutde while I work on the tasks God sets before me and then as they grown they will find joy in doing the tasks God calls them to do and it can be a very positive cycle. I used to be angry while I cleaned, I found no joy in doing the work and when it was done and someone came right behind me and made another mess I would be even more irritated, well that ends. That is a thing i grew up learning and it ends here. I pray that God would change that in our family and that my kids would never be angry over doing the tasks required of them.

So the choice is yours do you want to be angry over the mess and noise or be thankful that there are people there you can love on to make those messes and noise?