Happy Mother's Day! Praise Him for messes!

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to take time to praise God for the incredible journey that is motherhood!

Each time we do something for our children, we are privileged to do so.  That's so easy to forget.   The messes are part of the journey.

I praise you, God, for the multitude of books my toddler de-shelves regularly.  

There are two laundry baskets full of them, plus these on the floor and more in the shelves.  We have no where else to put them.  So.....we deal.  She does look at them when she pulls them down, albeit briefly.

I praise you, God, for the game pieces I find in every room in the house.  I praise you that we have to look for dice at least once a day.  I praise you that my 6 and 8 year olds need daily reminders about taking care of their games.

I praise you, God, that each time I walk into the playroom, I am greeted with thrown-aside toys--even after purging seventy percent of them!  I praise you that I receive groans at each mention of clean up.

I praise you that my teaching chart holds clean, hanging clothes, because my too-active toddler won't allow me to escape to the bedrooms long enough to put clean laundry away.

I praise you that this never ends.  There's no catching up!

I praise you that although I clean the entry way a few times a day, it's never clean when someone comes unexpectedly.

I praise you that she keeps marking up her hands with the markers.

I praise you for her adventure outside, which resulted in this.  I praise you for her excuse, uttered in her British-like accent.  "But Mommy, Peter made me get all mutty."

I praise you that every meal ends with a major clean up session.

I especially praise you for the way she puts her hands up with Momma, for an impromptu "PRAISE THE LORD!"

I praise you that with each passing motherhood year, I get nicer.  Yes, hard labor does that to you.  Motherhood does that to you.

I praise you for the flood of grace, portioned out daily.

Your grace means that.......

....even though there's usually no vehicle available lately, I'm still content.

....even though we don't fit in well in our neighborhood or in our church (low-income, homeschoolers), I'm still content.

....even though we have little help from extended family, I'm still content.

....even though I have nothing stylish or new to put on, I'm still content.

....even though there is no money for flower-bed flowers, I'm still content.

....even though we can't get away for a date, I'm still content.

....even though I haven't slept through the night in several years, I'm still content. 

....even though the economy isn't recovering, I'm still content.

....even though I could be a wreck, my children see joy (except on early mornings--still working on that).

Without your grace, I am nothing!  Covered in your grace, I smile and give thanks. 


And thank you, Father, that my children are not in this situation.  How can I help?