There are days around the farm when everything is all love, sweetness and peace. We all talk kindly, treat each other with love, pick up our own messes, do our work diligently, make delightfully clever jokes and laughter fills the air. I am pretty sure I have even have little birds and butterflies flitting around my head on those days as I skip around the house in my size 8 cotton flowered dress.Yeah. Right.
I'll be honest. There are parts of some days when it seems like this around here - all goodness and light. Somedays just small parts, very, very small parts, but it is there. Well, except for the size 8 dress part that is never there. Sigh!
Most days it seems we are living on the edge of chaos. Just one small happening can put us over the edge and cause things to start spinning out of control. Chaos. In fact, when I started blogging a good friend suggested an appropriate title for my blog might be, "Little Farm on the Edge." Guess she's seen it a few times.
I've been thinking about what those chaos causing circumstances are and thought I'd share the list because while sad in some ways, they are funny in others. So here goes.
The List of Chaos
1. Me taking a phone call in the middle of school. 10 seconds and everyone scatters.
2. Me needing to use the restroom in the middle of school. See above.
3. The word candy.
4. The Big Guy coming home in the middle of school. Chaos causing, yes, but we love it!
5. One of the seven farm inhabitants waking up in a less than cheery mood.
6. Auggie, the dog, losing his lunch in the living room. Have I shared my love for our dog? (not)
7. Abby, the youngest farmhand, doing something really cute and/or crazy.
8. The words fart and burp and but*ocks. Sigh.
9. Any type of animal, person or vehicle that is just a bit out of the ordinary out in our field.
10. Someone touching someone else or someone else's stuff or thinking about touching it.
11. Physcial actions that correspond to #8.
12. The UPS man.
Why tell you all of this? I guess I am hoping to encourage you the next time things around your house are humming along swimmingly and then the phone rings at the same time the dog pukes while your youngest son makes a body function joke and one of your other kids yells "M & M's" at the same time the UPS guys pulls up with a big box you need to sign for. Be encouraged. Your house isn't the only one in chaos.
Take a deep breath. Laugh at the chaos. Ask for strength. Press on.
Brothers (and sisters), I do not consider myself yet to have taken
hold of it. But this one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 3:13-14
hold of it. But this one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Phillipians 3:13-14
Now this really made me smile. Your family stories are always so wonderful and inspiring. But it's kind of you to be real, too, so we can laugh with you. You and "Little House" - I've always been more of an Ogre myself, except I never had much of an ear wax problem.. Now I am going to go and laugh at my chaos. HAHAHAHAHA. I feel better already.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty real around here Mary Jo. :) I've never seen any sign of ear wax on you. I don't believe the orge thing for one minute.
ReplyDeleteWhew! Thanks for reminding me that you are normal "freaks" and have chaos and bodily function jokes in your home too. I think in my head I was picturing that first paragraph in regards to your family. Good to remind us that children are children and being a mom has so many fundamental similarities no matter where or how you live.
ReplyDeleteJennie,
ReplyDeleteEveryone has some chaos...sin has got us all. The thing is how we deal with the chaos. Praise God for his love, strength and peace. Can't imagine chaos without it. :)