Blessings

10 Mar Blessings

I love this crazy, tragic, sometimes almost

magic, awful, beautiful life.

-Darryl Worley

Sometimes I spend so much time complaining that I forget to be thankful.

I am terribly guilty of this with my kids. All too often I complain that no one picks anything up after themselves. I clean the counter, they mess it up. Any clean surface, they throw their stuff there. Let’s not even talk about the laundry. Folded t-shirts in the hamper can set me over the edge. As we speak, my girls have a bunch of their friends here. They came home from school, threw all their stuff down, and raided the cupboard and fridge. But I love it. I love it when their friends are here. I love their friends. I love them. I can’t imagine life without them.

Parenting is sometimes tough. I don’t know what I’m doing. Lots of days I do it all wrong. I complain about their attitudes. I complain that no one wants to help. I feel like I’m doing things over and over again, with no sense of accomplishment.  Ask the kids, they can give you the speech. I forget how great it is that I have 3 amazing girls that I adore.

Marriage is like that too. I love Sean so much. He’s a great husband and I am such a lucky girl. But sometimes I want to punch him. He doesn’t always do exactly what I want him to. And I complain and start to think bad thoughts about him. I get selfish. I hate to admit it, but, on occasion, I have secretly decided to not do his laundry. Sad thing is, he never notices. Or I guess he’s way nicer than me and never says anything! Then after a day or so I can’t stand it and do it anyways.

I can’t imagine a house that is always clean and a laundry basket that is always empty. I can’t imagine a counter without crumbs and a floor that doesn’t stick to my feet. Even more than that I can’t imagine a life without three crazy amazing girls and an incredible husband. I can’t imagine a house that isn’t full of friends and family. It would be clean, but so very sad and boring. I would miss out on the best things in my life. They add so much. They teach me so much. They help me to understand Christ and how much he loves me, and forgives me, and is patient with me over and over again. Love is hard sometimes. It gets messy and complicated. But it is so worth it.

So, today I am choosing to be thankful. I’m going to have to choose it again tomorrow. And the next day. And…. You get it! Life is short and love is more important. I don’t want to focus on the insignificant and messy things in life and forget the blessings. And, yes, I better get to that laundry. Even Sean’s!  I’m not mad at him today.