My house is messy...

My house is messy... 

... But it is a revolving mess!

This makes me feel better about the messiness.

I do have a few stacks of papers or miscellaneous clutter that piles up and stays that way a bit longer than I like to confess, but in general the mess you see today will be different than the one we had on display yesterday! And come again tomorrow (if you dare) and yet a whole 'nother set of toys will be strewn all over.

We do clean up! We "bless our home" every day, often more than once (especially in the kitchen). It just doesn't STAY clean very long.

This is okay with me because it means we aren't just watching TV all day! It means we're living and loving and learning! ... and these adventures include books, crayons, figurines, costumes, Legos, and play dough...

Unfortunately, messes can be dangerous -- I personally have had to save myself from tripping on toys or suffered the pain of stepping on Legos. When a visitor comes, I warn them to watch out for floor "decor" that could land them on the floor as well.

Sometimes I wonder how I would feel if the Lord himself were to come to my home unannounced. Would my family's obvious inability to immediately put away each item they touch be a source of shame? Or would I trust in the Lord's all-knowing mercy to be able to focus on what the items are and how they indicate our hearts, our goals, our desires to improve and progress, our efforts to learn to share, to interact kindly and calmly, our patience with each other (and with our messes?)

"Cleanliness is next to Godliness" is not actually a scriptural phrase, much to my relief! I acknowledge that the temple, the Lord's home, is kept spotless -- as well as childless! Maybe my home's messiness will lessen as the years go by and my children outgrow their short attention spans. But I'm not counting down the days. I strive to love these little children like Jesus did and spend my time reading to them rather than wrangling with their wreckage.

Meanwhile, the messes revolve and that's good enough for me. They don't stagnate, they don't get ignored, and they don't cause too many injuries. Our schedule includes clean-up time, but the priority is play-and-laugh-and-create-and-imagine-and-enjoy-each-other-and-our-toys time! The amount of time is definitely imbalanced, but in a way that I'm comfortable -- and I think my kids are too. Our sincere apologies to those who are not -- but you're always welcome into our abode if you are able to trust that the mess is not permanent and just overlook it for the time you're here and focus on the fun instead!