I'm thankful.... for this messy house

The morning rush... Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday look about the same. There are lunches to be packed, breakfast to be made, teeth to be brushed, shoes to be tied... you get the picture. When we finally push through the door (literally, it's always a fight over who gets to go first), my house is left looking like Tornado Alley. Today was no exception. After dropping off the kiddos at preschool, snuggling the littlest peanut in for her morning nap and starting a load of laundry, I began the inner digalogue that starts with, "This house is such a mess!" So, tripping over a guitar, three tools and two pair of shoes, I made my way to the coffee pot. And, like any responsible mother, in lieu of cleaning up the aforementioned mess, I settled down for a short minute with my friend, Facebook. Being that Thanksgiving is only a week or so away, "status updates" have been littered with the "thankful for" posts. And it got me thinking. So often I look around and see all of the things that need to be done, forgetting the blessings that make my to-do list a necessity. I'm thankful for this messy house because I have a place to live. I'm thankful that the task of cleaning bathrooms is looming over my head... because if there were no bathrooms to clean, that would mean we would be using an outhouse. Seriously. No thanks. I'm thankful that there are dishes piled in the sink because I have yet to unload the dishwasher. A full dishwasher means that 1. I didn't have to wash those dishes by hand and 2. we must be getting plenty to eat! I'm thankful that I tripped over two pair of shoes this morning because it reminds me that my children can walk, run and jump. Some kids can't. I'm thankful for the hundreds of toys that create an obstacle course through my house. It means that my kids are playing, using their creative little minds and giving me reasons to laugh every day. I'm thankful that there are three little blankets on the couch, waiting to be folded. It reminds me that my boys still climb up and snuggle in next to me, relishing in our "cuddle time." I'm thankful that my computer was unplugged and nearly dead when I tried to log on this morning. It's a reminder that my husband had to plug in his computer to do a little work from home, because he has been blessed with business at a time when many others have not. I'm thankful for the clothes that I picked up from the bathroom floor this morning. They were left there by my amazing husband, who forgot to pick them up because he was getting the boys breakfast so that I could sleep for a few extra minutes. I'm thankful that this house is a disaster because I chose to spend "cleanup time" with my kids and husband this weekend, playing, snuggling, watching movies, reading books. The list goes on and on.... Where would I be without this mess??? This mess blesses me. I am thankful. Yes, I'm thankful for this mess. This has been a hard year in many ways. The Lord has brought me to my knees time and time again. And that, my friends, is a blessing. Through all of the hardships, I have been given an overwhelming sense of the "bigger picture." This world does not feel comfortable, and it never should. I've been convicted to live each day a little differently. It's not about me. I've been blessed beyond anything that I could have imagined. I could go on and on, but I just had to share. I know that so many of my friends get caught up in the same feelings, overwhelmed by the mess and wishing that we could do it all a little "better." Just try to see it for what it is. It's all a blessing if you dig deep enough.