Baby Juggling

Today I was going to clean. It really wasn’t an option. After being oh-so-ridiculously sick Sunday night and all day Monday, let’s just say I needed to clean. (Having nothing to do Monday, I wanted to blog about being sick, but my editor, aka my husband, told me some things were just too gross for the internet.) So as always, I set quite an ambitious goal for myself. I figured if I was cleaning, I would go the whole nine yards and clean the house top to bottom. I enlisted the help of my all-too-wonderful husband and off we went. 

We just didn’t get very far.

My whole plan hinged on the fact that Reuben usually sleeps most of the day because, well…he usually sleeps most of the day.  He almost always takes at least one good four hour nap, and I was counting on that nap to be the bulk of our work time. Big mistake!

You see, Reuben decided he didn’t need a nap today. So instead of cleaning all day, my husband and I played juggle the baby (not as fun as it sounds). Evan would pace around the room with Reuben until he got frustrated, and I would stop to feed him, cuddle him, play with him, and then pass him off for another 30 min walk-about. Try as we might, he didn’t want to go sleep. He just wanted attention.  He wanted both of us…completely focused on him…ALL DAY!

Now, I’m not going to lie to you. I was annoyed with this child, and I really don’t get annoyed all that easily. I had such lofty plans for today, and he was standing in the way of progress.

Then I had that moment. You know, the one where God brings to mind a verse and you suddenly realize that your attitude needs adjusting because your priorities are out of whack. Yeah, this happens to me a lot. Anyway…

This is what I thought:

“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is what I realized:

It doesn’t matter whether I finish my to-do list, whether I spend all day tending a baby, or whether I jump on a spaceship and fly to the moon. What matters is that I do all things joyfully, with thanksgiving, and completely covered in prayer.

So while I may not have gotten the house clean, I spent at least part of my day right in the heart of God’s will: joyfully giving thanks for a fussy baby and a messy house.