Friday, October 03, 2008

I Give Up!

Sometimes it feels like I am in the midst of a losing battle. Okay a lot of times I feel that way.

For example...
  • I pick up toys, they come back.
  • I put away piles of paper, the paper comes back in larger more overwhelming stacks.
  • I empty (or almost empty my e-mail inbox), the e-mails flood in.
  • I do laundry, the laundry baskets fill up.
  • I clean the kitchen, people eat and mess it up.
I GIVE UP. I SURRENDER. CLUTTER AND DISORGANIZATION TAKE THE HOUSE. I GIVE UP, I REPEAT, I GIVE UP.
I was sharing my woes with my husband last night and he had a thought...

He thought, instead of giving up, I should...
  • Be thankful for the toys on the floor because they are a product of the healthy, happy children who play with them.
  • Be thankful for the stacks of paper because they are the result of a working household and paid bills.
  • Be thankful for the flood of e-mails because they represent people who value my opinion.
  • Be thankful for the endless laundry and dirty kitchen because they are proof that we have clothes to wear and food to eat.
Yeah, okay, so maybe he's right.
Maybe I need to be thankful (Galatians 6:9 comes to mind as well) instead of hiding in my closet hoping that when I come out the laundry and e-mails and toys and piles will have magically taken care of themselves.
But a girl can still hope can't she...
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

12 comments:

Heidi Klopfenstein said...

Love it! Great encouragement!


oops, I just added to your email. Just erase this, aah...one less thing in your inbox- :).

Taylor said...

I think every mom needs a room - not that big - with nothing but things so organized it makes you sick and a comfortable lounge chair to relax in, read a book or stare at the organization around us.I feel ya Megan. I think I have finally got my house in a format that I like (for now) since we've moved in (a year ago). But the same things happen around our house too. It drives me crazy, and when things are so disorganized I feel like I can't keep "it" together (whatever it is). So this is why I believe every mom needs this room, so we can let the other things go!

sarah.flyingkites said...

Amen, Megan!

I had one of those "breakdown moments" last night.

I am so thankful (as I'm sure you are too) for a patient husband that helps me hold on to reality and not totally go off the deep end! :)

Amber said...

Hmmm . . .I could have related last night as I finished a third load of laundry, went upstairs, opened the closet . . .

and saw the NEW pile of dirty clothes that awaited me today (or maybe tomorrow?!). : )

You're right though - it is so often about perspective.

Mindy said...

I totally agree! I had one of those moments yesterday (and today). But yesterday I had just done a load of the boys laundry and had it in the dryer. We went to run an errand. While we were gone Noah had an accident on the way to the library, I took him potty, changed him, got back in the car, he had another accident on the way home. Then Levi spit up all over me and himself and one or two burpies. As I pulled the laundry out of the dryer I had another load to do and I was SO frustrated! It is never ending!

Thanks for giving me a better perspective...I needed it!

megs @ whadusay said...

Heidi - Comments are e-mails that I NEVER mind getting! :)

Mindy - I so feel your pain. Been there many, many times before!

Taylor, Sarah and Amber- thanks for your comments. It is always nice to know I'm not alone!

Anonymous said...

A great reminder! Thank you!

Jami said...

AMEN! Now that you're all pumped up, you can come clean my house!! :)

Anonymous said...

Right there with ya Megan--it never ends, and some days it almost drives me crazy. I try to remind myself that in twenty years it may be VERY clean & VERY quiet around here when our kids are all grown up--and then I will wish I had all the mess & the noise back again...well, some of it :)Actually my dear husband made that helpful suggestion one night, and I really didn't appreciate it-at all-at the time, but he is right.

Maybe we could trade houses for a day--we'd either be highly motivated to clean up each other's house, or at least each other's disorganization might not bother us as much as our own!
janelle :)

Janell said...

great post. I remind myself alot to "not be weary in well doing". I think that was just for us moms. :)

Renata said...

Thanks for the reminder to be thankful - too often I get overwhelmed with it all as well!

Bobbie-Jo said...

I call that kind of thankfulness "embracing the clutter." I try to remember to pray for those who don't have such blessings whenever I feel overwhelmed by it all.