Not Exactly What I Meant

Yesterday was a very trying day for me. I'd finally had it with picking up after my kids and husband and all the things that I felt that I shouldn't have to do. I've talked till I was blue in the face about trying to get them to take responsibility for their own messes but it always seemed to fall on deaf ears. My frustration with this is, as you may or may not have read in previous posts on this blog, is that I struggle with the day to day household chores on a constant basis, I just don't like to do them. When I walk into a room and I have to clean up after everyone elses messes before I can even get down to the bones of cleaning, like dusting and vacuuming and such, it just deflates me and I end up just walking out of the room and become irritated! Yesterday I told my kids that I no longer would be doing this, that I wouldn't be doing for them, if they didn't feel they could do simple things for me as I asked them to. As you can imagine, that went over like a lead balloon. My wonderful husband pointed out that maybe I was sending the wrong message. The message that you shouldn't do things for others if they aren't going to reciprocate. He's right, that's not the kind of message I want to send to my kids. He also pointed out that by not doing the day to day things, I'm not really holding up my end either. So what has all this gotten me? I big old slap in the face with some reality. This is what God has been trying to tell me all along. It applies to so much more than just housekeeping, it applies to many other aspects of my life. There are things I don't like to do, yet am always looking for excuses or reasons to get out of doing them, and even better if I can blame some one else for my short comings. I love the way God works, makes you think you've got everything under control and you know exactly how to make everything work. Then just when you're at the top of your game he knocks you down a peg or two to remind just who really is in charge.