Duct Tape and Clean Sheets

March 6, 2023 

My mind is cluttered today. 

Much like my home. 
We have far outgrown our "starter" home and are building equity with the purpose of upgrading at some point in the next 5 years, but for now, our home is "lived in." It is messy-but NOT dirty. We have stuff. And a lot of it. 

Each room is filled with trinkets, signs, crafts, toys, collectibles, momentos, and memories. From the coffee table with wood-wick candles (my favorite!), broken crayons, Sharpie marker stains, cut scraps of paper, sticky glue stick leftovers, and empty Celsius cans to the dining room table which currently houses several birthday gifts (to be given this month), some hand-me-downs for various friends, all of my husband's brewing equipment (now cleaned and sanitized-which means NO TOUCHING!), and a stack of our go-to games (we love TENZI and BUILDZI the most). 

My bedroom has two dressers and two night stands. But that is not enough. So we added a tall bookshelf and an extra side table to hold all the books, nail polish, jewelry, essential oils, bottles of water, medicines, earplugs, sewing kit, diffuser, and picture frames. The weirdest thing I have on a shelf in my bedroom is a roll of duct tape. Not sure why it is there, but it has been there for a while, and I just now realized that it is still there. Weird how things start to blend into the background as time goes on. BUT, I am proud to say, that my bed has CLEAN sheets as of today. (isn't that just the best feeling? I always sleep better on clean sheet day.) 

My mind feels like this today. 

 - "lived in" 
 - messy 
 - cluttered 

 It is filled with thoughts of the weekend. Things I am thankful for like cousins, sunshine, health and safety, and good food. Things I am proud of like driving to Kenosha and back by myself (with the kids) in the dark and playing TWO soccer games AND playing actually realllllly well. Things I regret like shouting at my kids and losing control over my frustration and forgetting to switch out the laundry so now the washer has to run again. Things I need to do like make another chiropractor appointment, organize and sort the bill basket (and pay the bills), plan out dinners for the week, and fold laundry AGAIN (That chore never ends, does it?). Things I want to do like a sunset hike, some yoga, finish another book, start a new book, check on some friends, and bake cookies. 

It is times like these-the cluttered mind- that remind me to slow down. Look around. Take a second. Appreciate the quiet. Because if my mind gets too cluttered, then the MOST important stuff begins to blend into the background. And I do not even notice it is there. Just like that roll of duct tape on my dresser. 

I can have all the thoughts in my head, but only ONE thought matters: God is Sovereign Over All, and HE (the Creator of all things big and small) LOVES ME! And he sent HIS SON to die for ME and save ME from my sin. And regardless of how great the weather is or how yummy my chicken strips at Cheddar's were or how much I yelled at my kids or how many socks are missing a match or how many things I check off my to-do list----the truth remains true. God is Sovereign over all. 

Do not let that Truth blend into your background this week, ignored, dusty, forgotten, and without any significant purpose. Instead, treat it like clean sheets: Special. Fresh. The feeling of BRAND NEW. Find rest in the clean sheets of God’s Sovereignty.

And also---peace and love to anyone with piles of clean laundry left unfolded. You are my people.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Update in the Spring of 2023

Image
An Update in Photos: For spring break my family traveled around some towns in and near the MI River. It was our first trip of the summer in our camper, and it felt very good to be back into the swing of things camping-wise. Although I did have a hard time remembering HOW to do "stuff" that we need to know. My favorite thing about the trip was when we walked out to Potosi Point in Potosi, WI to watch the sunset over the Mississippi River.  We have been getting our yard ready for spring! Mostly working on cleaning and organizing; also tossing old and broken toys and tools, etc. Oliver is officially old enough now to help with the dog waste, which is fantastic! So GLAD we had kids! Before the weather turned wonky, we got some hiking in on our break! I had read about the Pelicans returning to Nygren Wetlands, so we went out there with my aunt planning to walk 2.5 miles, but instead, got in a surprising 4 miles! At the end of the loop, the path was so flooded that we could not get...
Read more

Lessons about life, love, and myself from my 35th year; Hello 36!

Image
1.  I had never tried a 100 Grand Bar until this year. I LOVE THEM! Snickers is still at the top of my list, but 100 Grand is making its way up there! 2. I did not know that a beaver was more than just a cute little animal with a big flat tail and buck teeth. Now I know. I am appalled. 3. It is possible to pull a butt muscle while playing Pickleball. Who knew?  4. I love watching youtube videos about the following topics: Pickleball, Chocolate Art ( Pastry chef Amaury Guichon), candy-making (like candy canes or hard candies) and Nate the Hoof Guy.  5. APA ONLY capitalizes the first letter of the first word of an article… MLA does all first letters of the “important words.”  6. You can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed…and it turns out you actually CAN just be whelmed.  7. Costco doesn’t have to be scary… just choose a time when you’re not hungry, tired, or in a rush.  8. Read the reviews on Shein BEFORE you purchase. 9. Audiobooks are nice, b...
Read more

A collection of thoughts after day 1 of year 14:

Image
And so begins year 14. A collection of thoughts. After a day like today, two things are certain: 1. My voice is sore. 2. I was called to teach. Every year I get the back-to-school nerves, and every year by the time 7:46am hits, I feel like I’m back in the saddle again! I just start talking and I think to myself, “man! I’m good!” And also, “oh yeaaaa this feels right.” I can’t believe we did this during a worldwide pandemic. What in the actual heck?! It seems like a bad dream, but, do not doubt it, the effects of the “covid years” are very evident in the social, academic, and mental health of our students. I’m so lucky to be at Willowbrook. The teachers here actually LIKE to be here. They LOVE to teach. And they LIVE to make an impact on these kids. I mean, let’s be honest, it takes a special heart to WANT to teach middle school! But we do. We’re there in the trenches every day battling things like stuck lockers, losing homework, love triangles, identity crisis, fights, vaping, broken f...
Read more