My life for the past month has been messy! Nobody would ever nominate me for a Good Housekeeping award, especially lately. My family is getting ready for our first overseas assignment! We leave in just a few short months.

I have lost count of the times that my bedroom floor has been covered and uncovered by the miscellaneous clothing and clutter as we sort out what will be donated, what will be stored, and what will make the trip with us. We’ve had tools lined up across the basement floor, clothes and toys piled floor to ceiling, and pots and pans spread out on tarps in the back yard. The kitchen counter has been regularly covered in flour as I’ve practiced cooking from scratch.

Sometimes, my husband and I will think of all the things we want to take with us. Other times we think about getting rid of everything and taking almost nothing with us. We have three daughters (ages 5, 3, and 2) and a son (10 months), so thoughts about taking nothing usually don’t last long. Having so many young children also means that the best time to organize all our “stuff” is after 9pm. Often, I roll my eyes and think about signs I’ve seen in people’s homes that say, “God bless this mess!”

When I find myself starting to get overwhelmed, I look around and thank God for blessing me with the mess. I am thankful that my kids have clothes to wear and toys to play with, and I am thankful for the many people who have provided them. I look at the overflowing tub of crayons and Play-Doh and I thank God for giving me creative children. Piles of tools remind me to be thankful for the blessing of a handy husband. I thank God for blessing me with this mess, and I pray for the wisdom to manage it well.

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