In the chaos of our lives it is easy to miss the little things because we are wrapped up in multi-tasking.
How many times do we say "in a minute" or "be right there" or hit the ignore button, simply because we are in grossed in some silly little thing that we feel can't wait?
I know that is true for me and my life because of our current chaos. I find that I am constantly trying to mulit-task. Do the laundry, while I brush my teeth and answer a text. I mean come on....by the time I am finished, I have folded the phone, brushed the laundry and my breath still stinks. Or how about this...yesterday I baked cookies, made 2 quiches, did a Spanish lesson (for myself, thank you Rosetta), put together a birthday present, ran laundry up and down the stairs, and....got caught up on a tv show. I even managed to dump some baking soda in a dish and put vinegar in some bowls with food coloring for Barron to paint/create some science. All in a matter of about an hour and a half. Why did I do all of that? Because I have convinced myself that I have no time other wise.
But the truth is 1, 2 ,3, kind of sort of 4 children in my home got 0% of my attention. In all of my "accomplishments" I managed to miss the forest for the trees. I missed the opportunity to let someone bake with me, to maybe teach a teenager how to make a quiche, to let a little person help with laundry,to spend time talking instead of watching tv, to do Spanish with a child and let them help me :-) or to enjoy science together as a family.
The funny thing (not so funny thing) is that when I finished yesterday, I thought... "wow! I am supermom." But in reality I just endured our chaos, instead of embracing it. I don't say all of this to feel sorry for myself. I say it because we all run around trying to cram so much into our lives that we miss the little things that God uses to show himself to us. If we can just slow down a little and look up from ourselves then we can begin to embrace the life that God has given us. The husband, children, family, friends that God has given us.
I know that life gets away from us sometimes. Sometimes the laundry gets out of control, sometimes dinner is burning, sometimes you just need to sit down....alone....in a room.... alone..... But what if when our kiddos said "hey mom, can I show you something?" we got up from whatever we were doing and went and saw. Or what if when they asked us to play...we went and played. What if when your husband said "hey can we talk for a second?" you sat your stuff down and listened. What if you sat down your phone and looked you teenager in the eyes and said, "tell me about your day." What if when that needy friend, who always has a little more drama that you can handle....what if when she calls, you answer the phone and listen with compassion.
We have to come to a point where we realize:
The phone call can wait.
The laundry can wait.
The cooking can wait.
The cleaning can wait.
The texting can wait.
The facebook can wait.
Our social life can wait.
The project can wait.
or
Your family can wait.
If your family waits for too long.... they eventually will grow up, they will get busy, and someday they will walk around you instead of to you.
Life keeps moving at crazy speeds rather we like it or not. We have to open our eyes and embrace the little things (and little people) around us or we are going to miss out on so much that God has for us.
More than Endure the Chaos.....Embrace it!
LL
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