Thankful for this mess

I walked into the kids’ bathroom today and as the light streamed in, the mirror looked like this.

I saw globs of toothpaste in the sink, trash on the floor, and the rug crumpled against the bathtub.

My first reaction was to sigh in annoyance.

So I was surprised when I caught myself sighing in gratitude.

I started to think about what would have to happen for my house to be spotless. It hit me that the mess in my house is the best kind of mess. The mess in my house is because of answered prayers. Beautiful children I longed for for so many years. Healthy kids who run and romp and get dirty. Bright-faced kids who rescue trash from the park and turn it into art. Explorers who find beauty in rocks and leaves and sticks.

If I have a mess in my house, it means I have everything I’ve ever wanted. And that is something to be thankful for.

And so as I wipe down the mirror, clean out the sink, and straighten the rug, I whisper the best prayer of all, “Thank you.”

 

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  • amy cornwell March 19, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    Such a beautiful reminder.

    • InspiredRD March 22, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Thanks, Amy.

  • Jen March 19, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    I needed that reminder this week. Thank you sister!

    • InspiredRD March 22, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Oh good. Love you!

  • Liz Small March 20, 2015 at 7:54 am

    So true. Best prayer of all- Thank You. And what a great view 🙂

    • InspiredRD March 22, 2015 at 3:15 pm

      Thanks, Liz 🙂

  • Kathy March 20, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    Amen. It isn’t a home if it isn’t lived in.

  • Robin March 21, 2015 at 8:43 am

    I’m laughing because I had the same exact moment this week! My kiddos were home on spring break, I had been up twice the night before with one who got sick all over the carpet, and I was wiped out mentally and physically. I walked into their bathroom to find blue toothpaste in the sink, liquid soap dripped all over the counter and a very spotted mirror. I took a deep breath and told myself a)I am thankful for them b)I am thankful they wash their hands (especially with one who was sick) and c)I am thankful they brush their teeth!

    • InspiredRD March 22, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      Love it! So thankful they brush and wash 🙂

  • Stephanie Sheaffer March 22, 2015 at 10:24 am

    I like your half-smile (and adorable dimple) in the dim lighting.

    • InspiredRD March 22, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      Haha, thanks 😉

    • Mo May 23, 2015 at 4:26 pm

      Thanks, Stephanie, for pointing this out. Great eye! And so true. I love the reminder that grown up women haven’t surrendered their adorableness. When we look for it, it is everywhere!

  • priest's wife March 23, 2015 at 9:09 am

    …and I also am grateful for those kids who help clean up the mess! (my kids are 15, 14, 8 and 5….it is different for those who have little little ones) 😉

    • InspiredRD March 30, 2015 at 11:24 pm

      Yes! I love that my kids are old enough to clean their own room 🙂

  • Kitty March 26, 2015 at 7:48 am

    This really resonated with me. My house has actually been pretty clean–when company is coming I don’t spend three days cleaning and marking chores off an endless list. You see, I’m an empty nester–my daughter lives in another state and my son lives in a nearby apartment. My son is moving back home in May and I’ve been a little sad to give up all my alone time with my husband, and my cleaner house. But! I am also overjoyed to get some mess back in my house! I will enjoy having my son regaling us with stories and inviting his friends over and taking two 30 minute showers a day and making messes! I know his living back with us is limited as he’ll graduate from college in a year, so don’t wish the messes away moms–that day comes too quickly!

  • Trudy Willis March 29, 2015 at 6:56 am

    I love my amazing son! I’m always fussing at him to stop using all the post it notes for drawing paper, as he practices scribbling on them. But I just realized why he does it and just how much it means. He sees where I have put inspirational quotes on different colored post its all over a particular wall….so he is doing the same thing for me….only he only puts them on the wall over the head of my bed. Then they are always falling off on to the bed and one more thing to clean up. Well, he stayed the night with Nana last night and I always miss him. I woke today to a shower of his precious scribbles on post its all around me, reminding me just how special he is and how much he loves me! Just shows how we can take for granted those little shows of affection while we’re consumed with the chaos in our lives.

  • gordon Cotter March 29, 2015 at 7:56 am

    Hi granddaughter… Unfortunately for me. I have no children to mess up my home, as they have grown up, and we are all alone, our days are so sameness ,wishing that we had a mess to clear up from our kids, Lucky you. xxx

  • More Important Than Dishes | Ruminations of Self and Life March 29, 2015 at 8:39 am

    […] quote from the post, Thankful for this mess, from InspriredRD hit home: “If I have a mess in my house, it means I have everything […]

  • Just Me March 29, 2015 at 10:46 am

    A friend of mine was irritated when her son got into the Halloween paint and left handprints all over her bathroom cupboard door. The next day he was hit by a car and killed. She left those handprints there for a very long time.

  • Ola March 30, 2015 at 1:50 am

    So touching! I needed this so much! Thank you 🙂

  • Kathy McKinny March 30, 2015 at 12:38 pm

    What a great mind set to have while doing housework.

  • Gissia Vladimir Nunez March 30, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    As I read this I give thanks for my own answered prayers. Truly a gift to be cherished in every moment, even the messy ones. Thank you for the reminder.

    • InspiredRD March 30, 2015 at 11:22 pm

      Thanks Gissia.

  • David Molnar March 30, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    Love this Alysa!!! Powerful and a great reminder!

    • InspiredRD March 30, 2015 at 11:22 pm

      Thanks, friend!

  • Ivy Queen March 31, 2015 at 9:46 am

    Yes. Oh yes.

  • Bee May 2, 2015 at 12:36 am

    it’s true..sometimes, we forget to be thankful for the simplest things in life. Today, I am grateful that my kids would still want to co-sleep with me even if we don’t fit in one bed anymore. At least I get to wake up each morning and know that they are there..

  • Erika Paggett December 16, 2015 at 9:39 pm

    Love, love, love this reminder! My home is a little bit out of control at the moment but rather than feeling overwhelmed, I’ll marvel in the moment. In the near future I’ll have 1 child away at college with the other 3 not too far behind and I’ll long for the days when I [begrudgingly] cleaned up after them and my life revolved around theirs. Thank you for sharing this 🙂