Letting Go....

In a Moment of Disarray

               So last night there I was in complete disarray with 3 very fussy children. I had just gotten off of work at five, picked them up, and gotten us all unloaded and into the house. One was crying for me to pick him up in complete agony over these teeth we have been waiting to come in for 9 months. One was crying because he wanted the toy his sister had, and honestly, I'm not sure even what it was (could have been his toy even). The oldest was screaming out that familiar line of "I had it first!" All the while I am in the kitchen trying to "Pinterest" together a meal for supper before my husband got home.  I was still working on supper when I heard Sterling Belle (our 5 year old) yell out, "Daddy's home!" In other words, operation 'get it ready before he got home' was a fail. The kids were all so excited to see their Daddy. They always seem to light up when they see his truck turning in the driveway. I can only think of what went through his mind when he came home to all of this. He was in the kitchen and it was a brief moment before he asked, "Did you read your devotional, Jesus Calling today?" Ha!..... I told him I hadn't read it, but instead read the Streams of the Desert. He quickly let me know that this was something he really thought I could use and that it would really apply to me. I filed that back in my head for later, while I tried continually to gain back control of the household, of supper, and of the disaster I noticed I had made on the counters while putting together the "King Ranch Chicken" recipe from Pinterest. I was determined to make a tasty new dish.  David picked up Eli (our 9 month old) and took him out on the front porch to sit, and maybe secretly to escape the ruckus inside the house.  Finally, exhausted at my earlier effort of prepping dinner all while feeding Eli his dinner, giving him a bottle, and trying to play referee to the older two-Dinner was in the oven!!!! I have to say secretly I feel like I should have done a victory dance at this point. What victory was that? I have destroyed the kitchen, dishes are  everywhere. Sterling Belle and Walker (our 2 year old) have reeked havoc on the house while I was focused on dinner, and Eli had been crawling around crying at my feet. 

           A few minutes later, David and Eli came back in and I had managed to clean off the counter tops. I always feel I have to keep a clean house to keep my calm. I admit... I like things in their places, I don't like dishes in my sink, I don't like toys scattered everywhere, and I don't like feeling like I have lost control over the house. (Hmmmm.... Who should be in control?...) It wasn't long before the buzzer was going off and I put the final touchings on dinner and it was out on the counter.  I followed the directions for letting it cool, and when it was time we all sat down to eat.     
       I should have known what was coming next...Sterling Belle took one look and said "I'm not eating this!" Ok, so quick fact on her, if it has color from any type of herb, seasoning, or vegetable then she is out. Yes, I knew this ahead of time, but that is why I stayed in the kitchen deliberately picking out every single hint of color from her plate. Evidently, it wasn't enough. So you know that since she wasn't gonna sit at the table and eat hers, Walker wasn't going to either.   We tried to persuade them both to get back in their chairs and eat their dinner. Sterling Belle took one bite and said "Yuck, I don't like that! I can't eat that!"  Ok, so operation 'Cook a Good Dinner', also a fail.  Although, David and I enjoyed it.  We finished eating, and even got them to eat a few bites here and there out of pure bribery. Then, it was off to bath time we went. They all 3 piled in the tub. There are a few ways to look at 3 kids all in the same standard size tub: a.) This cuts down on time; b.) It's quicker to do it all at once..... Ha Ha Ha! I rest my case. At some point, yes, I'll have to separate them, but for now this works. I have to give a big note of appreciation to David, for cleaning up the table and washing the dishes off that he had placed in the sink. I was highly disturbed that my Dishwasher was too full to fit them in, and that they had to sit in the sink until the cycle was complete.  Of course, I had run out of dish soap so hand washing wasn't an option either.  But by this point, we all made it and the rest was history and a breeze...
    So Back to the devotional, David asked if I had read (mistakenly he read August 26th instead of the 25th because God had to get me this message somehow). No doubt, my husband is a man of God. How many men want to ask their wife during a moment of disaster if they read a devotional that day? I mean thinking back-That is funny! That is just the kind of guy he is and I love him for it. This morning I got up and went to have my devotional before gearing up for another day and I got out my Jesus Calling devotional book.  My stepdaughter, Ivy (our 17 year old) gave me this book for Mother's Day and it's great! August 26th entry reads:

Trust Me in the midst of a messy day.  Your inner calm – your Peace in My Presence – need not be shaken by what is going on around you.  Though you live in this temporal world, your innermost being is rooted and grounded in eternity.  When you start to feel stressed, detach yourself from the disturbances around you.  Instead of desperately striving to maintain order and control in your little world, relax and remember that circumstances cannot touch My Peace.

Seek My Face, and I will share My mind with you, opening your eyes to see things from My perspective.  (John 16:33)-Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid.  The Peace I give is sufficient for you. (Psalm 105:4)-Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! (John 14:27)-Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Really, like how appropriate was this.  Had my husband not read the wrong day, he wouldn't have discovered this message I needed. It was definitely a "God thing" trust me! This was God calling me out and saying, "Hey why do you seek Control over the situation, isn't it Him who is in ultimate control? Isn't he the mighty one? Isn't he our ultimate source of strength and endurance? Thank you God for convicting me in a moment of being caught up in myself, this world, and distracted by circumstance. Thank you Lord for reminding me to detach myself from stressful everyday task when I need seek your hand the most. Thank you for the reminder to "Let Go and Let God!" You never fail me even when I fail you as a sinner. You are my true redeemer, and I thank you for bringing your peace to this Momma who felt she needed it on a regular ole Monday! 

How appropriate I came across this prayer in my devotional book at just the right time, and had to share.  If we all just prayed this over ourselves in the morning think of the difference it would make.