Bless This Mess
Sitting on a disheveled couch, I see toys on the floor, boxes of Christmas decorations stacked at the bottom of the stairs, ready to be emptied, and bits of sugar and salt on the kitchen floor - evidence of a fun morning of baking with my little one.
There was a time the scene around me would have made me feel like a failure. Why? Because it’s not the Martha-Stewart-Southern-Living-Could-Pass-The-White-Glove-Test version of a home that I used to wish I could manage. I’ll admit it. I am probably the most messy of the women in my family. My mom’s home is spotless and beautiful, and I could probably eat off the floor at my sister’s house it’s so clean. But mine? Well, it’s a bit of a mess. (Not “Hoarders” mess, though…don’t get crazy!) I like to say it is “lived in.”
But as I sit and look around at the things scattered here and there, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and I pray God will BLESS THIS MESS.
The toys reflect the fun morning of sitting on the floor with my son, playing with cars, watching a Christmas show, and playing in the sensory bin. The salt and sugar on the floor? Not typical for me (I love to Swiffer!), but today, when little man wanted to bake with me, I went all in. He got his own tub of sugar, measuring spoons, scoops of salt, and he even helped with the ingredients for the cookies I was baking. The remnants of a messy morning fill the second drawer of my kitchen island where he stood dumping sugar and whisking empty bowls - all while smiling and giggling.
Is it a mess? Yes. But it is a beautiful one. BLESS THIS MESS.
Nothing can replace these moments. No amount of time will ever be enough. This season of life is fleeting. So rather than get myself in a tizzy trying to keep everything picture perfect, I’ll take a mental snapshot of this moment and remember today with joy in my heart.
The holiday season is upon us, and it can often feel overwhelming and impossible to keep up with all the things, including housekeeping. So, if you are like me, let’s pray together that God will bless us in the middle of the mess. Let’s pray He will allow us to be present in the moment and free from the burden of trying to live a picture perfect life. I’m not saying we shouldn’t still keep a neat and tidy home; instead, I am saying it is OK to have a house that looks “lived in.” I have a kitchen towel that says, “My housekeeping style is ‘There appears to have been a struggle.’” Because, well, the struggle is real when it comes to trying to keep up with everything these days.
Whatever your home looks like today, may you find peace in it. May it be a place of comfort, peace, love and joy. And may God BLESS THIS MESS.
