Man the Lord has been doing some amazing work around here lately. It is so wild to know that, despite the ups and downs, the Lord is in control. When I think about the word control, it doesn't make me think of my life. Controlled seems like the furthest definition of my life. In my own thoughts about my life, I'd best describe it as chaotic, crazy, and messy.
Chaos: The inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a natural system: a state of utter confusion. ~websters~
Chaos: the greatest confusion and lack of order. ~websters children's dictionary~
That pretty much sums up our household... utter confusion! The kids are always running around crazy, yelling, screaming, and having very LOUD fun! To me, it's chaos... the loudness drives me nuts (maybe if I had a big enough house it wouldn't matter... nope, probably not).
Crazy: full of cracks or flaws:mad, insane: being our of the ordinary; unusual: distracted with desire or excitement: passionately preoccupied. ~websters~
Crazy: mentally ill: very foolish or unwise:very eager or enthusiastic. ~websters children's dictionary~
Another definition that encompasses our household... our names should be in there. When you step into our house... you step into craziness! YUP... that is us!
Messy: marked by confusion, disorder: lacking neatness or precision. ~websters~
Messy: dirty or not tidy. ~websters children's dictionary~
... And again... us to a T. I don't think our house is ever fully clean. It's either one side or the other. Pretty good definitions of our family, our house, this season in life...
... But the Lord looks upon us and says... this is right where I have you. This is perfect for you and your family... this is what you need at the moment. (now don't get me wrong, I am not using this as a spring board to not clean, and allow things to go to pot... this is just what the Lord has been impressing on my heart as I have had so much tension inside me from things not being "perfect")
Through this utter chaos, craziness and messiness in my life and my family... the Lord has been telling me this... Follow the leader. I am your leader... just follow me down this path. It's not that bad, I will take you through this... you just need to ... follow.
I respond... Ok Lord, I will follow... but what does that mean for us as a family?
Sometimes it means me leaving messes around the house so that it will be a visible reminder that "I" am not the one who needs to do the cleaning. There are so many different areas in my life that are dirty, and all too many times I try to clean them up... and I end up making them even more of a mess. The Lord is the only one who can clean those dirty places in my life, I just need to be willing to sit back and allow Him to do it without getting in the way. I also leave the messes sometimes in order to use them as learning lessons for my children... one trips over a toy, or slips on a sock... well if they had been put in the proper place we could have avoided this mishap.
Other times it means enduring the loudness and chaos in my home. (this one I can't quit grasp sometimes... but I am still learning) This loudness, chaos, and craziness reminds me that I have been blessed with three wonderful children... who love life to the fullest and can't hold it in! This is a continual battle within me because I hate, or should I say strongly dislike, for houses to be so loud you can't even hear yourself breathing! Follow me, He says... let these little children come to me... loudness, snot-nosed, wacky haired... I love them and want them the way they are.
The definition crazy should also go as far as describing each and every Christian... not necessarily the whole household... but a Christians life... "being out of the ordinary,being distracted with desire or excitement, passionately preoccupied" don't you want to be CRAZY?
Chaos: The inherent unpredictability in the behavior of a natural system: a state of utter confusion. ~websters~
Chaos: the greatest confusion and lack of order. ~websters children's dictionary~
That pretty much sums up our household... utter confusion! The kids are always running around crazy, yelling, screaming, and having very LOUD fun! To me, it's chaos... the loudness drives me nuts (maybe if I had a big enough house it wouldn't matter... nope, probably not).
Crazy: full of cracks or flaws:mad, insane: being our of the ordinary; unusual: distracted with desire or excitement: passionately preoccupied. ~websters~
Crazy: mentally ill: very foolish or unwise:very eager or enthusiastic. ~websters children's dictionary~
Another definition that encompasses our household... our names should be in there. When you step into our house... you step into craziness! YUP... that is us!
Messy: marked by confusion, disorder: lacking neatness or precision. ~websters~
Messy: dirty or not tidy. ~websters children's dictionary~
... And again... us to a T. I don't think our house is ever fully clean. It's either one side or the other. Pretty good definitions of our family, our house, this season in life...
... But the Lord looks upon us and says... this is right where I have you. This is perfect for you and your family... this is what you need at the moment. (now don't get me wrong, I am not using this as a spring board to not clean, and allow things to go to pot... this is just what the Lord has been impressing on my heart as I have had so much tension inside me from things not being "perfect")
Through this utter chaos, craziness and messiness in my life and my family... the Lord has been telling me this... Follow the leader. I am your leader... just follow me down this path. It's not that bad, I will take you through this... you just need to ... follow.
I respond... Ok Lord, I will follow... but what does that mean for us as a family?
Sometimes it means me leaving messes around the house so that it will be a visible reminder that "I" am not the one who needs to do the cleaning. There are so many different areas in my life that are dirty, and all too many times I try to clean them up... and I end up making them even more of a mess. The Lord is the only one who can clean those dirty places in my life, I just need to be willing to sit back and allow Him to do it without getting in the way. I also leave the messes sometimes in order to use them as learning lessons for my children... one trips over a toy, or slips on a sock... well if they had been put in the proper place we could have avoided this mishap.
Other times it means enduring the loudness and chaos in my home. (this one I can't quit grasp sometimes... but I am still learning) This loudness, chaos, and craziness reminds me that I have been blessed with three wonderful children... who love life to the fullest and can't hold it in! This is a continual battle within me because I hate, or should I say strongly dislike, for houses to be so loud you can't even hear yourself breathing! Follow me, He says... let these little children come to me... loudness, snot-nosed, wacky haired... I love them and want them the way they are.
The definition crazy should also go as far as describing each and every Christian... not necessarily the whole household... but a Christians life... "being out of the ordinary,being distracted with desire or excitement, passionately preoccupied" don't you want to be CRAZY?
I so desperately want to be distracted with desire and excitement for the Lord. OH to be like this all the time... then people would truly know that we are Christians... they'd see it always.
Could you imgine if we lived our lives distracted with Christ...
desiring Christ ALONE...
excited for our creator?
And to be passionately preoccupied with HIM?
Are you passionately preoccupied? Is it with things other than Christ? Is it facebook? Is it the blog world? Is it your hobby? Take a step back and examine your life, take a minute to jot down the things that you have a passion for.
Now, take a moment to lay those passions you have down before the foot of the cross, give them over to the Lord... and ask HIM to replace the passion you have for you hobbies, with a passion for Christ.
~Lord, here I am ... a broken woman, a broken mother... who dislikes the loudness, dislikes confusion, dislikes messiness. Use all of these things in my life to glorify your name... yes, even the loudness. Help me to be more tolerant of the noise, because I know that noise will all too soon be gone (and then I'll be missing it... I don't know how). Help me not only to be tolerant of the noise... but to love it and to join in. I want to love life the way my children do... unhindered. I want more than to love life... but to love YOU unhindered. I want to be CRAZY for you... I want to be wrecked for you... I want to be distracted with desire and excitement for you. Lord I want to be passionately preoccupied with you, with your purpose and your will for our life as a family. Please, help me to follow (You) the leader... and follow well. ~
Now, take a moment to lay those passions you have down before the foot of the cross, give them over to the Lord... and ask HIM to replace the passion you have for you hobbies, with a passion for Christ.
~Lord, here I am ... a broken woman, a broken mother... who dislikes the loudness, dislikes confusion, dislikes messiness. Use all of these things in my life to glorify your name... yes, even the loudness. Help me to be more tolerant of the noise, because I know that noise will all too soon be gone (and then I'll be missing it... I don't know how). Help me not only to be tolerant of the noise... but to love it and to join in. I want to love life the way my children do... unhindered. I want more than to love life... but to love YOU unhindered. I want to be CRAZY for you... I want to be wrecked for you... I want to be distracted with desire and excitement for you. Lord I want to be passionately preoccupied with you, with your purpose and your will for our life as a family. Please, help me to follow (You) the leader... and follow well. ~
Luke 9:23
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."
2 comments:
thanks for this reminder. made me cry! i am right there with you.
love you!
i just read sarah's note and have to smile- bc it touched my heart and there as well and i am wiping the tears away. a blessing and reminder so thanks christie!
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