Last Updated on November 16, 2016

Honestly, can I please at least look like I have a little bit of my life together?  Just one thing?  A small thing would be fine.  I’m realizing that the heading of my to-do list should always be:  Assume you will get none of this done in a timely or pretty fashion!

I bought this adorable calendar to keep my life in some semblance of order.  With 5 kids and all their activities, my calendar fills up super fast.  BUT I even spilled water all over my calendar so now my plans for the next 3 months are smeared and bumpy. It ain’t pretty, but it still works.

I know that for most of my foibles I have a good excuse – or maybe I should say I have about 20 good excuses.  I hate excuses.  I should be able to handle my life better.  Get it together girl!!!  Last week I got some news that threw me into a tailspin.  After a couple of depressing days, I woke up one morning and said, “No more!  This is my life and I’m gonna live it regardless of the difficulties, disappointments, and down-right awful stuff!  And I’m gonna smile doing it!’

The next day my basement flooded.

Let me just say that there has been water in my basement before which I’ve referred to as flooding.  This, my friends, was not that.  This was a “that is NOT a good smell wafting up from the basement” kinda flooding.  This was the “you can splash around the carpet” kinda flooding.  My preschoolers LOVED it.  My 5th grader was annoyed it interrupted his cartoons.  My high schoolers tried to cheer me up!  “Momma, you’ve wanted to get rid of stuff, remember?”  Yeah, but NOT today!!!  I had plans.  I had a to-do list – THIS was NOT on my to-do list!  This wasn’t even on my long-range list – you know that maybe-I’ll-get-it-done-when-they-all-go-to-college list.

After some serious help from some very kind people from my church, we managed to get things where there at least wasn’t the odor lingering upstairs.  I’m so blessed by friends willing to get messy with me.  The next day the professionals came and plugged in more things than I thought possible – fans, dehumidifiers and such.  Next week the contractor will come – that will mess up more of my daily plans, I’m sure.

There has been something every single week for the last 2 months – I have no more time for this foolishness!  I have stuff to do.  I will say that at this point, it’s kinda funny… kinda.

God just keeps reminding me that I’m not in control of things.  I’m learning to be content in the chaos – to be willing to go wherever the next minor or major crisis leads without too much drama.   I wish instead of being upset about water all over the place, I had taken the time to splash on the carpet with my kids.  Next time I will.

Sue Birdseye is an author and communicator who shares the adventures she has on her unexpected journey of single parenting. She went from the typical “picket fence” kind of life to being a single mom to five beautiful children. She has learned what it means to be totally dependent upon the Lord and how beautiful that dependence is.

Her change of life circumstances has led to a passionate desire to encourage and bless other moms no matter their life circumstances. She has been active in her community as a foster/adoptive mom and public school teacher. She has also been part of her church’s worship, discipleship, women’s, and children’s ministries. She is an avid book reader, a game night hoster, and an early morning writer. Her book “When Happily Ever After Shatters” is the story of how God stepped into her life and the lives of her children just when everything seemed to be falling apart. She hopes that her writing will encourage, bless, and maybe even make someone smile.

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2 Comments

  2. Terrific post. Your attitude amidst the chaos makes me stop and think about how my own excuses are terribly lame most of the time. God bless forced cleaning out! ha ha

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