Together We Have It All

My laundry is all over the dining room table. (And I have a dining room table that seats 10 people!) So, I mean it literally... stacks, piles, hangers on the chairs, mismatched socks, and baskets of unfolded stuff in the chairs.

The kids left pillows, shoes and socks on the living room floor before going to bed last night. And I didn't make them come back out and pick it up. I can still see a Knex roller coaster someone was putting together earlier, forgotten toys and cuddle blankets littering the bedroom floor from the open door down the hall.

My son just marched by with an orange rifle over his shoulder. Another shirtless son is lazily eating his oatmeal as still another son tries to take the magazine the older one is reading away from him. He wants to read what his older brother finds interesting.

My daughter's hair is falling into her eyes again and her fingernails need to be repainted. She just walked up to me and said, "Mom, do you want to know why you get to do a lot of laundry?" "Why?" I want to know... no, REALLY, I want to know. "Cuz you have too much kids!" She exclaims!

No, we don't have it all together. In fact, we live in this house 24/7.

I know your family isn't like mine. You live a perfect life and your perfect kids are always obedient and don't ever fight. They are never mean or hurtful or selfish. They don't say bad words or stuff dirty clothes in the toy box so the floor is clean. They always say their bedtime prayers and aren't ever grumpy or wake up with bad dreams. Your life is perfect, I know...

We don't have it all together, but together, we have it all!

We play board games... there's one still on the breakfast table. We read books... there's piles of them on the end table. We play outside... one bike is left in the middle of the yard. We listen to loud music... the CD's are stacked around the stereo, right where we all know where to find them. We play instruments... the guitar is leaned up against the couch where someone was just strumming it. We use our imagination to make up all kinds of plays, stories and games. We really do enjoy our not-so-perfect life!

I'm not excusing our "apparent" lack of concern. What I am saying is that someone walking into my house might just see the clutter and stuff. But I see our heart's desires. I see that our hearts are set on the most important things. We love, encourage, and desire to learn and grow more. We strive for excellence in matters of our hearts and mind. We love God with passion and pursue peace with others. When it comes to heart issues, we desire the best things. With God, we have it all together.