Crumbs

OK, so I just have to write a post today about crumbs.  This may seem off the wall but I feel like I spend an exorbitant amount of my time dealing with crumbs.  Just for starters there are the three meals a day that I feed my ever hungry brood, plus snacks, plus all of the "non food" crumbs - you know the little pieces of this and that that are always all over where they should not be. 

I am baby sitting for mom this week. After I dropped her kids off at school my kids and I came back to mom's and got started on our school. While I was working with the older two, Marcia, ever into something little girl that she is, found the play dough.  OK that's great, it will keep her busy for awhile so I can finish up with the others.  Really, I don't mind play dough but she made more little pieces than I have ever!  By that time Iliana and Cruz where ready to join the fun. Then it was lunch time.  I decided that it was not worth cleaning up twice, I would just feed them and then deal with the mess.  So we pushed play dough out of the way and ate.

After lunch I started in on the disaster area.  All of a sudden I was overcome with oppression of the crumbs.  I said, "Lord, I am so sick of cleaning up crumbs.  I feel like the crumbs rule my life.  I feel like I can never get past the crumbs to actually accomplish anything.  I am sooooo tired of cleaning up crumbs.  Lord, please help my attitude because right now it stinks!!"  A moment later He began to remind me that this is where He has me. This is what He has called me to do.  I was reminded that He wants me to be pouring myself out for others - and right now a huge part of myself is being poured into my family and little children.  And hey crumbs are just a part of that.  "OK, Lord if this is the work that you have for me I want to do it with the right spirit.  I want to be down here on my knees wiping up crumbs knowing that I AM accomplishing something - the work you have set before me today.  And I don't want to do it with a grudging heart - rather a joyful and grateful one.  And oh yea, please keep helping me to know when it is ok leave the crumbs alone.:)" 

I know that not too far down the road I will look back and wish that I could return to the time in life when crumbs was one of the top frustrations with my children.  So I will keep on keeping on.  I want to gladly pour myself out for the people God has called me to serve.  At times it sure does not seem like all of my hard work is adding up to much - after all it is the same places that get crummy and that I clean up over and over and over and over.  I guess what I am trying to say in all of this rambling and story telling is that I am being changed and formed. I am growing through asking God to deal with my attitude about crumbs.  To deal with my selfishness.  And I know that growing me is really important to Him - whatever it takes - I guess sometimes all it takes is a plethora of crumbs.

P.S. I wanted to make sure that I had not used the wrong word when I said "plethora."  So I looked it up.  The dictionary said - overabundance; excess.  Yea, that would be the word I was looking for:)