callmeloquacious

We have a saying in our house: We don’t cry about spilled milk. As you can imagine, with four boys (ages 6 and under) there are a lot of things spilled. Especially when you have tiny humans who are just learning to properly use a cup (and who also enjoy dipping their food in their drinks).

Just tonight, Hunter had an accident with his milk cup. As usual, my comment to him was, “It’s okay, we don’t cry over spilled milk. Go get a paper towel and clean it up.”

If only all messes could be cleaned so easily. There are other messes that aren’t so easy to clean. I could go on to name things such as mud, or lemonade, or sticky doorhandles. But the truth is, those messes are easy in comparison to matters of the heart. Matters that truly count.

Some messes are not visible. Some messes are only found inside and cannot be seen from the outside. These messes can be of our own making. Our own attitudes or responses can put us in a pickle, get us in trouble, hurt a friend.

This is true in my own life, raising little boys every day. My words can have a big impact on my little men. I have a small world. I no longer “work,” outside of the home (a story for another day). Instead, I am full time mama, wife, homeschool teacher, cook, cleaner: Chaos Manager. It’s my favorite role- it truly is. But, sometimes. Sometimes my small world still feels overwhelming. Sometimes, my beautiful, wonderful, favorite name, “Mama, mama, mama, mama,” causes me to go into overload. And then, sometimes, I do not respond like I know I should. I “spill the milk.” And this mess is harder to clean.

I would love to write a “How to” blog. I would also love to resolve problems, answer questions, and give sure fire tips on everyday situations. But most of the time, I find I’m just winging it, except on this: I rely heavily on Jesus. And I drink caffeine. Okay, and I hide in the pantry at times and eat chocolate. But really, I rely on Jesus. There’s no magic formula or mantra. Asking God for help, It’s an everyday thing.

I believe truly that God gifts us with different skills. I use creativity to help with crazy situations. I’ll make up songs. I’ll put on dancing music. And, when I “spill the milk,” I’ll grab my tiny human. I will tell him that I was wrong for responding the way I did and ask for his forgiveness. The beautiful thing about children is they really are full of love, and forgiveness. And hugs. (And usually covered in dirt, but I digress.)

My hope is that as every day passes, i’ll “spill the milk” less, and respond like Jesus more. I am, however, a work in progress. I have found that despite the advertisements, there are no spill-proof sippy cups. Good thing there are always towels. And forgiveness.