Everyone who knows me is aware I can be a little O.C.D. sometimes…..well, maybe more than a ‘little’, LOL!! [keep your comments to yourself, ha!]  Before my kids were born life was easy.  I came and went as I pleased, my wife and I went out on dates all the time, we could go to bed late and get up late (when we weren’t working), we went on vacation getaways, we only deep cleaned our house one time per week because nothing ever got moved……life was just simpler and quite a bit easier.  Fast forward 7 years later and…….BAM!!!  Everything changed.  I still remember when my daughter was born.  She was the most BEAUTIFUL new born child I had EVER seen.  I know you think YOUR child was but….really, she was gorgeous.  Who could have known that little bundle of joy would turn my world UPSIDE DOWN!!!!!  She was whiny, messy, hard-headed, wanted things her way……let’s face it……she took MY job.  Those were the things I specialized in before her birth.  Three and a half years later throw in another little person, who was equally as beautiful, who decides to do the exact same thing.  What in the world?!?!?  What was I thinking?!?!?  Now it’s 2 vs 2.  It’s us (my wife and I) against them…..and normally they win.

I tell you what I was thinking….there was this void in my heart. Not many guys will admit it but personally, I longed to be a Dad.  But why didn’t someone warn me I’d be so bad at this job?!?  I make mistakes CONSTANTLY!!!  Sometimes I rush to judgment without thinking, fuss when it’s not a big deal, and…well, that list is just too long so I’ll spare you the details.  When I look at my kids it’s like looking in a mirror.  Normally, any negative actions I see in their character, many times, I see it as a learned behavior…..from me.  Being a parent is one of the hardest jobs I’ve ever had.  I find it odd how parenting can feel successful one minute and then……five minutes later–I’m back in ‘failure’ land.  These days I’ve become a circus juggler.  It’s basically controlled chaos in my house.  I’ll be honest, sometimes I get so frustrated.  I want a clean house but it doesn’t seem to be possible.  I like order….not happening.  I like predictability…..not happening.  And, is it asking too much to want to use the bathroom in peace or sleep late one day out of the week?!?

I came across a story very early in my parenting days and it literally changed the way I looked at things. This lady was basically expressing some of the same frustrations.  She mentioned, specifically, trying to keep her refrigerator clean on the outside and every time she turned around there were hand prints and food stains on it.  After cleaning it for the millionth time she realized those hand prints were getting bigger.  Time was beginning to escape her as her children were growing faster than she had been able to comprehend.  It was in that moment she decided to allow her refrigerator to become a museum.  The next time she saw a handprint she placed a frame around it.  The next time the kids made a mess of a certain piece of paper by coloring and scribbling on it, she used a magnet to stick it to that same refrigerator.  Here’s today’s lesson…..Parents:  We’re only given these moments once and can never get them back.  I pray I don’t look back on my children’s childhood and remember how strict I was and how miserable I made them….and I hope my kids don’t either.  Don’t get me wrong—order, cleanliness, and predictability are necessary for children.  They thrive on it.  But one day those same kids will be raising my grandchildren.  The better I parent now the better my children will parent my grandchildren later, and so forth.  I have to remind myself daily to pay attention to the big picture and let the rest of ‘it’ fall by the wayside.  Those dirty clothes and dishes will always mount up……….but those hands are only little for so long.  “³ Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” [Ps. 127:3 NLT] I became aware of a fellow ministers family who lost their 6 year old son to a bicycle accident this past Sunday night.  My heart broke for this family.  I’m sure they’ve had a million thoughts go through their heads in the past few days…and none of them had anything to do with chores, the cleanliness of their home, etc.  Try to find your joy in the midst of the craziness and remember, your kids aren’t looking for perfection, just a little love and attention.  Hold those monkeys a little tighter tonight……..who knows what tomorrow holds?!?