Certain times of life or circumstances expose our human nature more than others. Our need for continued sanctification is exposed by these events as well. Sometimes it is big things liked a loved one dying or battling cancer one's self. Sometimes it is the every day things like being married, parenting, or moving. When trying to do those last three all at once, the need for lots of sanctification is exposed. This last week has been both exciting and stressful, and there have been some sanctifying moments.
My husband and I have different ways of doing things. Shocker! He is more of "let's go ahead and buy everything we need now," where as I am "let's see what we have already from others and what we can get by with until our stuff arrives." One means you spend money needlessly, like on cheese slicers you already have, and the other means you do not have things you need, like a spatula to be able to flip fried eggs.
Amidst all of the shopping to stock the house with cleaning supplies and food to eat, parenting is a challenge. On one hand, it is better if both mother and father can go shopping, as explained in the above paragraph, and on the other it means toting all the children along as well. My children, who are normally obedient and respectful, have too much energy to stand ten minutes while we decide which cans of tomatoes is the best deal and take two hours to get through one grocery store or to even sit still in a beautiful apartment while we talk and wait on their father to return from purchasing a refrigerator. It might not bother me so much when they disobey, except that I know they are capable of so much better. They say they have so much energy because they are excited about our new place, new things to see, and new people to get to know, but I know some of it is the stress of it all as well.
After many months of not being in our own space, I am so ready to be settled. However, I do not just want to throw everything somewhere. I want to be able to place things well. While that is a great idea, it is not really practical when you have four other people asking where everything is. It is further complicated when the house is new and things like the water heater is not hooked up right and the electrical outlet the fridge is plugged into goes berserk.
As a result, I have not been gracious in all of my responses to my husband and children. I have been short with them and in tears over things not being the way they "should be" or more stuff being purchased when I just start to get things settled. This mother bird is finding it hard to nest with the chicks in the nest already, in a place still very unfamiliar to her. "Where there are no animals, the stable is clean." I will be thankful that my nest is full, even if it is not in order. One day we will feel settled and have a routine, but today is not that day. So in the midst of the crazy, I will search for things for which to give thanks.
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