I want to serve with my children. I don't want to drop them off someplace to go and serve the Lord. Something about that bothers me. So, when the opportunity to deliver flowers arose (ha...a-rose) I decided to walk forward and pursue the opportunity. Our church has quite a history. Quite. There are many Saints who have served and given and loved the Lord through First Presbyterian Augusta, and now many of them cannot join us any longer. They are too frail, or suffer weakened immune systems, or their minds have become fuzzy and they spend their days "shut-in." On Sunday mornings we have beautiful flowers on the altar. They are lovely! So, on Monday, someone comes to the church, organizes individual bouquets and delivers them to these dear Saints. The first time we went we followed another person who has been doing this for years. She was so very helpful and I was hoping to follow her for a few months. We did, however, need help on other days. So, I took the 4th Monday. My children were nervous not knowing what to expect, honestly, so was I! Our sweet choir director plotted my course and even printed out directions in order. (That's right, I lack navigation technology.) So, we made our bouquets, Julia and I, (that alone is worth it...working side by side my daughter) while Caroline drank from the water fountain (for like 45 minutes) and Anson and Ella cleaned the sanctuary for bulletins. We got 3 vases that were arranged quite nicely for amateurs and loaded up for our adventure. We visited 3 ladies. Precious ladies. I won't go into every meeting, but this is what I walked away with. I will have some serious "me time." Like, serious. I will have hours, even days all to myself and from the way these ladies ushered us into their immaculate homes...I won't want it.
Mrs. Toole raised 4 boys. When I mentioned that we had soccer that night she said, "Oh, that's so much fun!" I muttered something about how I bet with 4 boys she probably never thought she'd have some quiet time and she said, "And now I just say, 'Lord, what should I do today?' " She's 92, she's got "me time." She was encouraging and no one cares if my children touch their things or even lay on the floor with their 2 year old dirty croc feet on their white walls. In fact, they tell us to please come back when we can stay longer. We can go to the park together. I leave with my passel of children, they close the door and it's quiet...again.
I struggle with keeping a clean house. Like, really struggle. There's always dog hair and random stuff all over the place. We pitch in and try and within a few hours...sometimes a day or two...we're back again. Fighting entropy that's what we're doing. This fallen, chaotic world doesn't stay clean for long when there is so much life in the home. So. much. life. Thank you, Lord!
There will come a time when my books will all have a place on the shelf because one day I'll say goodnight to the moon for the last time. One day, the kitchen in the living room will become dusty and a 2 year old will be 20 years old and will be working in a big kitchen. One day the boy's magic tricks will not litter the floor because he'll be out of here doing something awesome like translating Bibles. My pioneer ladies will have traded their bonnets and aprons for real work clothes...hopefully aprons! I'll walk into my house and I'll know where my brush is because my girls won't have used it and neglected to put it back. It will be quiet and orderly. Somehow, I think that I'll hate it. I don't know that I want all that me time. I think I want "we time." I want to make the most of these fleeting moments. Even on weeks like this one when the education we are all getting is how desperately we need Jesus. When asking for forgiveness happens far more than asking what a subjunctive conjunction is and what kind of sentence you find it in. Amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant only matter because, "I love, you love, he, she, it loves, we love, you love, they love" is only possible because He loved us first.
We did have an opportunity to clean today, and move some furniture around. I know it's good to have an orderly home, I just want to be aware of how quickly it won't be so hard. So, I took some pictures so you can see what it looks like now. Sometimes I think about sharing how we school, but then think that probably it wouldn't be that interesting. :) So, I just want to give a shout out to all the Mamas out there that are really stinkin' tired. Hold on...do what you need to do to get a little rest, but don't be too dramatic, because you've got some serious "me time" in the years to come. Serious.
This is how I see my house most of the time. I am in the kitchen looking through our little pass-thru. See the pink Crocs on the table? That crazy girl! I think those are her dirty clothes...anyone want to join us for a meal? HAHAHA My desk needs to be cleaned off, but Anson and Julia cleaned theirs. Maybe I'll give you a tour one day, mostly because I think it's fun to see what other folks do with their space, so maybe I should share. My Julia turns 9 tomorrow and that is hard to believe. You know what she wanted? A slate. Yes, a slate. I love her. I'll be back, sorry I've been gone so long...also I'll update you on life after the juice. For now...I gotta hang balloons!
