I was sweeping the kitchen/ dining room floor this Saturday for the millionth time, and thinking to myself, "I hate having a dirty floor."  I'm one of those walk-around-the-house barefoot (or socked in the cooler weather, which in New England is most of the time) sorts of people, but I hate the "crunch!"  from stepping on a Cheerio, cracker, or grape (they don't crunch, but you know what I mean) as well as the other remnants of my family's life that are stuck on the floor.   

    In our house, the chore chart says that Hugs sweeps after breakfast, Smiley after lunch, and I sweep up after dinner -- but let's be honest:  there are days I do all the sweeping, and days none of us does it.  We even have a variety of tools to complete this job (why do I buy so many tools for a job I hate?):  a Quicksweep stick vacuum, good old fashion Valeda broom, and the new full-power-but-featherweight-light-and-dressed-in-oh-so-sweet-retro-lime-green vacuum.  Even with all these options, it still is an icky job.

    So, back to sweeping on Saturday.  I was thinking that I'd just post a rant about sweeping, because I know I can't be the only person in American who hates sweeping.  Then, I tried to think about it from God's perspective and WHAM! I realized that all this sweeping that I am constantly doing is just like what God does to me everytime I come to him saying, "Lord, I screwed up."  And when days go by and I haven't come to him with all the messed up crumbs of my life which are now scattered over the floor of my heart, He is so gracious and doesn't leave it til tomorrow.  He grabs his broom of grace and mercy, and cleans out my heart on the spot.  And, I'm so thankful for that.

     So, then I get to the application of this little Life Lesson that God had shared with me (I just realized it now, as I am re-processing my Saturday):  "Do a better job with your kids.   Forgive them more gently, more mercifully, more gracefully when they make childish mistakes." 

     I admit, sometimes I get too wrapped up in the "doing" of homeschooling, that I forget to take those opportunities for teaching The Important Things.  I don't want my boys to remember these days with me yelling, directing, and commanding.  I want them to remember the fun we had building castles and catapults, and other crazy stuff I can't even imagine right now.  I want them to remember that we cuddled under blankets in our pjs on cool mornings and read great books with great lessons for their lives.  I want them to be able to ask me questions about the important stuff and have us discover the answers together.  I want them to remember that I took ttttiiiiimmmmmeeeee to patiently teach them their math facts, their phonics rules, and their grammar rules.

     Dear Lord, thank you for always being their;  for answering my calls for help to clean out the mess I've made of my heart when I've tried to do life without You.  I don't ever want to take advantage of your mercy and grace.  Help me, Lord, to not take advantage of the gift you've given me to be able to stay home with these precious children you created.  I'm awed that you entrusted them to me.  I can't do this homeschooling thing without you (let alone the childraising part).   Lord, let them see You through me as I teach them, train them and correct them.   Amen.

I think I'll go check on that dining room floor now.  I suspect it needs a gentle sweep.