Balancing Priorities

Things are coming along.  A little slower during the week because everyone works but progress is being made.  It's a funny thing having a big project on the go because you realize quickly that life doesn't get put on hold just so you can focus on your project.  Life goes on all around you.  We aren't waiting for life to happen.  This is life.  Sometimes, you a have a full day to concentrate on one thing and other times you have to multitask. School needs to be taught, there is laundry to do, meals to be made, children to be trained up in the way they should go.  Just regular, every day, life.  This looks different to everyone, of course.  In our house, sometimes it looks like this.....

Meet Merry, our cat.  Lydia just got a new tea set for her birthday.  They did ask if they could put milk in it.  We were having tuna for lunch.  Somehow though, I missed the part about whether they could serve it all to the cat. They were very pleased with their hostessing skills.  I didn't hear the cat complain.

 Just recently, I came in the house to find this on the wall.

I had my suspicions who the budding Picasso might be but I had to ask anyway. 

 "Who drew on the wall in the hallway?"

Yup, pretty much as I suspected. At least she's honest.  :-)  Wait, there's more?

Years ago, I would have had her washing that off with a bucket and rag but truthfully, I like it.  It means that children live here.  Am I getting soft as I age? I like to think of it more as seeing the big picture.  Am I condoning tagging in our hallways? No, we had the talk. She knows we only draw on paper.  What it means is that if I am going to expect perfection from her, then Someone else could expect it from me.  What a scary thought.  So I continue to learn to parent with grace and mercy.  So much has been shown to me, how can I not pass that on?  Especially to my children. Does this mean that I always manage to do that? Ask my children. ;-) They'll be honest. 

What it also means is that one day children won't live here anymore and there will be no evidence of them here. That will be sad.  There is always the hope of Grandchildren but I digress. No, I'm not in a hurry to wash these drawings off the walls.  They remind me of a loving Father who loves me and has mercy on me when I stray off the path too.  It is also a reminder that children live here and that is a good thing.

Lo, children are an heritage of Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.  As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5