Tuesday, November 06, 2007

My Messy House Made Me Smile

When's the last time you looked around at clutter and thanked God for it? Does your mess make you smile? I admit, normally I have to say no. Normally I think "ughh..didn't I just clean this? why is it like this AGAIN?" But tonight was different. Tonight after Hannah went to bed, I was going to clean up a little around the house. Instead, I sat down and watched a movie. I rented the movie "Facing the Giants" this weekend and hadn't watched it yet. It's due back tomorrow, so I put it in. If you haven't watched it, go rent it! It's a great movie. It's about football, and life, and faith. One of the major themes of the movie is "Nothing is Impossible with God". Over and over it's driven home. As the movie was ending, I sat and thought about my own "impossibles" that have become not only possible, but reality. I remember a time not too too long ago when the idea of adopting a child was "impossible". I looked around and in a moment of sentimentalness (is that a word?) saw some very ordinary things become powerful symbols of what God has done. While I normally wouldn't broadcast my somewhat disorganized house right smack-dab in the middle of the week (when it's typically in the MOST disaray), in the spirit of the moment, take a look around at what I saw tonight:





My office / Computer room: Speech folder for a little girl along with some of my schoolwork in the floor.








MY bedroom floor: A pair of little gir's new red shoes to be worn for the first time tomorrow







Kitchen / laundry closet: clean clothes that have yet to be put away








Kitchen: elementary school menu, free ice cream coupon from the public library, preschool art painting of mommy and daughter, and variety of magnets (including one from my wonderful adoption agency - Lifeline!)









The downstairs bathroom: a hair bow that I think I remember asking to be put up yesterday, but just discovered as I was taking this tour tonight.










One of the upstairs bathrooms: Hello Kitty toothbrush and kids' toothpaste with the top left off. hmm, might be suspicious - I wonder who did it?








The Living Room: a little girls' elaborate set-up for movie night 4 nights ago that she has embellished and added to each night. I like how the bathroom stool is serving as a footrest. I have NO idea what the pillow in the floor is for, but earlier in the day I observed it being placed there with great care as if that was THE place it belonged. :-)







Living room: princess pumpkin that's been sitting there since halloween and a very cold strawberry shortcake that was strategically placed next to the pumpkin this evening.



A little girl's bedroom: The culprit of most of the mess (And she can't even blame it on a sibling - YET!) and more importantly, the proof that nothing is impossible with God and He truly does more than we ask or imagine! I am so very blessed in life! And so tonight, as we inch towards Thanksgiving, I am incredibly thankful for the messes in my house, and for the little one who made them! And I am thankful for the ONE who made it all possible!






8 comments:

The Ferrill's said...

DEETTE! This is my favorite post EVER! Wow, is God speaking to me or what...first I read Cathy's blog http://twogirlsonemoon.blogspot.com
where she has a great video of a Steven Curtis Chapman song about making the most of the moments while they're young. Then I read your post about being thankful for messes, and then in the car I hear this old country song about being in a hurry and rushing to get things done until life's no fun!
Okay God, I'm listening! DeEtte I am thanking GOD with you for giving me the reasons behind the messes!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for a wonderful post!
Love,
Laine

Hope for Lucy said...

Deete,

Wow.....what an inspiring post and so true for all of us. Our babies grow up way to fast and we need to enjoy the days of being little!

Love to you!
Connie

Lisa said...

DeEtte,
Thank you for this post! Thanking you for making me take a huge step back and look and remind me of what is truly important! I think my house is worse, but hey I have three miracles that God has given me to play with and pick up after. I do try to play and enjoy them as much as I can. I do want them to remember the good times that we spent together, not watching their mom clean. SO thank you for making me look at my very messy house in a different way.

Sonya said...

AHHHHHHH! I needed that today!

THANKS!

Journey to Lilly! said...

Deette!!! I love this post!! Thanks for reminding that past the mess is an awesome blessing!! Hannah is a precious blessing in your life! & Lilly in mine! How blessed we are!
love,
Kim

Denna said...

I think we all needed this post. Every comment I am thinking of leaving somebody else has already said.I will say I LOVE THIS POST. I might have to borrow it from you.
It makes me look at my house a little different. Thanks for sharing.

drew and lori said...

AWESOME post! thanks for the reminder!

Anonymous said...

Hey just read and had to tell you -- Shannon Fields in this movie -- the wife -- she is a friend of mine!!! We were all in the same church when we lived in Raleigh NC when Eli was a baby -- I crack up hearing her sweet southern voice in this movie -- her husband is a real life football coach and they are sweet sweet family --:)

I love it -- I have to laugh sometimes at our mess - just not to cry -- if you look at some of my earlier blogs -- oh my the messes!!! I call it our daily piles!!! penny