You might not know it by looking at my house right now, but I love an orderly home without a lot of clutter. However, achieving that isn't exactly my forte. My idea of house cleaning usually focuses around the once a week Saturday rush. The day to day keeping is where I lack the skill. As I try to figure this out, I've realized also that while I've wanted to teach my children our theology, that it starts here, where the rubber meets the road, or more accurately where the spaghetti hits the floor. One of my frustrations is the cleaning up after meals. I don't know how it happens, but inevitably half of the food on our children's plates ends up beneath their feet. I sweep and vaccuum sometimes three or four times a day. (Cry! Sob! Look generally pathetic and sad!)



Today, as a lesson in a biblical work ethic, I got my children to work on washing the floor, and let me tell you it looked great! I was thrilled at their hard work and they were just thrilled to get to squirt the wood cleaner bottle. I decided to reward their hard work with a special treat - blackberry jam bars!

We set to work, and if you think they were excited about that squirt bottle, you should have seen them with a pastry cutter. Well, we ate our lunch while the jam bars cooled and then set out to reap our reward of deliciousness. It was devoured, or so I thought. The kids cleared their plates from the table, then went out to play in the backyard, when I turn to look at the table, and lo and behold-- half of the jam bars under the table! When will I learn?
I realize though, that while I can and have gotten angry at such annoyances that there is a greater reason for my little crumb problem than meets the eye. As Carmon has already so eloquently said, only the God who loves me enough to send His own son to die for me knows what I need in order to be sanctified today. Maybe it was a lesson in looking to Him when I'm too focused on things of this world, or maybe it's too learn to be slow to anger with my children as He is slow to anger with me. Whatever the reason, the Lord who loves me enough to give me four "special treats" so far, is not letting me stay untaught and clueless in the keeping of my house or my soul. I'm learning to trust Him in these times of aggravation that He knows why my kids can't get all the food from their plates to their mouths. Believe it or not, even this is for my good. And for that I'm so thankful.