Many of you may know, we have bought our first home a little while ago. We have been working on in for a few weeks, changing out the flooring, painting and a few other updates.
(I want to say a HUGE thank you to my parents and my dearest husband, for all the hard work that you have put into this house to make it home for us. You guys are the best! From the bottom of my heart thank you, thank you, thank you! And may the Lord repay you abundantly.)
This week the flooring upstairs has been done! Yay, we can finally get our things unpacked and cleaned up. But my main reason for journaling today is about a day I recently had that I am not at all proud of. The days following I have realized a few things and thought I would share it with you.
It was a cold, raining and really windy Monday here, at our new house. My day started very early, I needed to clean out the garage for the carpet installers that were coming the next day. The thing is we are living in only the downstairs part of our home so most of our belongings were in the garage. It was packed with boxes, tools, appliances etc.. I was frantic about getting it all done and ready. All the while taking care of my unusually needy kids (does that every happen to you? The kids are great until that one day you actually need them to be... ahh, anyway.) I ended up very exhausted and extremely upset and by the end of the day, I was very overwhelmed.
The whole day I kept thinking to myself, that if only they would be a little quieter and independent, than I could accomplish all that I needed to. The day ended with the garage looking almost like it's been untouched. I decided to try again the next morning, the installers said they would come at eleven so I figured I had time.
Side note, on Monday it was pouring rain and was so windy and that was the reason the installers asked us to have an open space available for them to work in. Turns out that we had a tornado hit our town and there was a thunderstorm but all the meanwhile I was too busy to realize any of it trying complete my task. I texted my husband before the day started "do you think it would be easier to just pray for sunny weather tomorrow and leave the garage as is??" He replied LOL. I still prayed but decided that just in case I should try to get the garage ready. (And that's where I went wrong)
My kiddos begged most of the day to have a family movie time, I kept telling them not now or I'm too busy and I got frustrated with them. They weren't getting along well with each other and got into things I didn't want them touching and so on. Most of the day I was on a go, go, go mode so never really stopped to connect with the Lord and hear what he might have to say. I did talk to him all day but I didn't pause and quiet myself long enough to actually listen.
And that is very unfortunate because Tuesday was a crisp and very sunny day. The installers showed up around eight, instead of eleven as I was told and did all that they had to outside on our driveway.
All my work on Monday was pretty much for nothing and all that I did get put away or organized was not worth the tension I experienced with the kids all day. All I had to do was to slow down and quiet myself, to hear the Holy Spirit tell me, that it's ok to spend some time with my kiddos. Cuddle with them on the couch and enjoy the thunderstorm and wind outside, that turned out to be tornado weather.
I am ashamed of myself and wish I could re live that day and make it right by the Lord and my kiddos but since that's not possible, I can learn a lesson from it and live each day more in tune to the voice of his Spirit. I've realized that all the little annoyances that I get from my kiddos are a part of life and I need to embrace it and expect it to come up when least wanted.
In any stressful situation there is a big chance we are missing something and the Lord will not hold it from us if we ask. Time with him, our family or our kids is never a waste and is hard to always remember especially for those of us that like to get things done and out of the way. I read an awesome post today that said all this so well and I absolutely loved her perspective on it. Check it out here.
We can do and learn to live in peace through Christ who gives us strength! I hope this was a good reminder for you as it was for me, to stay connected to the source of peace even when it's hard, stressful or busy. Have a blessed day dear friends! May the Lord bless you, keep you and fill you with his wonderful peace.