Cootie. Legos. Play store. Storybooks. These are some of the activities that have been filling my (Grace) days recently. With a curious and mess-making 18-month-old, and a social 3-year-old, it is such a challenge for me to get things done around my house. I told my husband Josiah recently, “I’d rather just PLAY with them, than try to get things done and be frustrated that I’m not able to get things done!”
We have been housebound for 2.5 weeks due to sickness. Beyond cooking and doing enough laundry to get by, we are doing a lot of playing right now. I’ve been seeing character improvements with all the close parental attention. (Plus we are learning preschool lessons in disguise as we play 
). And as I have been thinking about it, I’m realizing that even though sometimes I don’t really feel like playing another game with them, I need to remember what a gift it is from the Lord to do so. There are all kinds of challenging ministries He could call me to (I’m reading “Through Gates of Splendor” right now and am reminded of the trials and tribulations of missionary work!) but right now, He has given me the gift of playing Cootie with my little daughters and making those silly plastic bugs have conversations. I get to enjoy two cute and funny little girls inside our warm home, and model for them how to play creatively and harmoniously.
). And as I have been thinking about it, I’m realizing that even though sometimes I don’t really feel like playing another game with them, I need to remember what a gift it is from the Lord to do so. There are all kinds of challenging ministries He could call me to (I’m reading “Through Gates of Splendor” right now and am reminded of the trials and tribulations of missionary work!) but right now, He has given me the gift of playing Cootie with my little daughters and making those silly plastic bugs have conversations. I get to enjoy two cute and funny little girls inside our warm home, and model for them how to play creatively and harmoniously.I have countless unfinished projects such as that messy closet that I haven’t organized since we moved 2-years ago (well, I have more than one messy closet, ha!), but at the end of the day, I want to evaluate success the way the Lord does. I want to ask myself, “Did I have meaningful and profitable interactions with the Lord, my husband and my daughters?” instead of just “did i get a lot done?” Order in my home is important, but order in our hearts is even more important!
I wrote this a few weeks ago and we are all better now. Sick or not, being a mom is challenging! I have so much yet to learn but I hope to be an encouragement to my peers to keep loving your little ones sacrificially, whatever that looks like for you, remembering that it’s all for Jesus. 