Perspective... It's All How You Look At It

I am afraid that for near my entire life I have looked at work from the wrong perspective. I have groaned at scattered toys, rolled my eyes at smeary fingerprints, and huffed at muddy boot tracks. I've not looked at routine messes as an opportunity to bless my family, only considered them a maddening inconvenience. But God is not finished with me yet. I am still learning, still growing, and still have time to put a new perspective into practice, one He has been preparing my heart for the past several years, (Didn't I say I was going to consider those toys on the floor to be "jewels?") and God continues to take my "Martha heart" and make it more like Mary's, a heart to follow closer after Him.

Today was noisy. It was busy. It was full of smiles, laughter, and a little bit of crying. The dishes and play food came out. The dress up clothes were donned. I threw a colorful cloth over the dining room table and there was a "party." While they played, I gathered ingredients. We mixed up a batch of cookies and I had helpers to dump, mix, and stir. We cut, baked, and frosted. We tasted. They licked fingers and I remembered to smile and thank God for the moment.

Now the house is quiet. There is still dust on the furniture, the bathrooms are in need of scrubbing, and there are crumbs on the floor. The sink is full of dishes again and there is more laundry to fold. More opportunities to serve and be grateful. The quiet won't last long but I am full from savoring the moments and I think I'll close my eyes and rest for half an hour..