Got cake?
As I swept cake crumbs off the floor and from whatever my silly two-year-old thought would be a science experiment, I felt anger rise. Why were they so messy? My husband and I often laugh (and sometimes sigh) that we must have been given a whole other level of messy children.
But truthfully, this wasn’t what I wanted to do all day. When I pictured staying home, cleaning up chaos nonstop wasn’t what I had signed up for. Yet here I was, in the thick of it doing the sweeping, scrubbing, cycling like the washing machine.
Wash, dry, wear, and repeat. Rarely, did I feel like I was getting ahead.
And then there was the schedule. Football practice, flag football, Wednesday church, weekend games, commission meetings, family movie nights, and our game nights.
We were so busy, but each commitment felt small. I’d always been the first to advocate for saying no, but in this season we said yes to two of the five kids playing sports.
Add to that the heaviness of the world. Politics swirling with confusion—trying to discern truth from half-truths.
Church shopping with five kids, praying for a place that felt real and not just playing “church.” And the looming backdrop of house renovations—our twenty-year project that I swore I’d never take on again. I’ve never hated the word baseboards more in my entire life. Last year the word was carpet.
It all weighed heavy, and in the middle of it the LORD reminded me of something He taught me years ago: that my deep desire for order, comfort, cleanliness, and a job well done can so quickly turn into distraction.
These things that take up so much brain space, so many times they are just firey arrows pulling me away from what truly matters.
“This world in its present form is passing away” (1 Corinthians 7:31).
This life is temporary.
Life with Christ lasts forever.
I think of Mary and Martha. The world applauds the Martha—busy, bustling, never stopping; but Jesus pointed to Mary as the one who chose what was better.
We don’t have to do it all.
We just have to do the next right thing.
And often, that looks like bringing what frustrates us, what distracts us, straight to the LORD. Letting Him remind us what matters.
Him, with that pearly gate and eternal focus of a crowded Heaven.
Your spouse.
Your family.
Your faith.
So today, find your focus in Him.
And then let’s just do the next right thing.
Rachel Redlin is a columnist, author, journalist, and award-winning radio host. She lives in Northwest Kansas with her husband and five children, where she writes about faith, food, and the simple everyday life. Want to read more or contact us? You can subscribe to the FREE newsletter at www.simplybloominggrace.com
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