Worth the mess

Yesterday, I cleaned. No, really.. you can pick yourself up off of the floor, and you don't need to move so far away from your computer. I really don't think lightning will strike. It might be akin to viewing Haley's comet, though, so you CAN make note of it on your calendar. Anyway, I cleaned the wood and tile floors, vaccumed the carpeted ones. I scrubbed baths and polished furniture. There are still a couple of rooms that need to be visited by a front loader before I can do much there, but things were looking good.... for all of, oh 10 minutes. Or maybe even 5. Then, Bug Hunter started tramping in and out, bringing wet leaves back every time. And Blackie recreates herself in shed hair on a daily basis, so tumblepuffs of black hair were soon once again rolling across the floor. It didn't stay pristine for very long, but still, it looked at least "cared for" until today. When we got back from church, Bug started playing with the girls. They played outside for a while, "trimming" the ivy (oh, and the poor shrub up front, that now looks like an over-pruned crepe myrtle--ouch!). Then they came in and played, I don't know, something. And then they went back out and played with the turtles, but they were back and forth, in and out, and when I finally stopped to look around, it was pretty amazing (no pictures... I don't want to be responsible for any medical issues out there). Towels were askew in the bath, and the sink was a mess. Leaves on the floor, stuff scattered around everywhere. BUT... there was also the aroma of love and friendship and the remains of a good day spent together. I thought "this is what it would be like to have more than one child", and it was a good thought. And then I thought "I'm blessed that my boy has such good friends with whom to make a mess." In the end, I decided that the love and companionship of the three friends was worth the mess that it took to feed it, and I was OK with what I saw.
That's when it hit me; do you think that's how God feels about us? Here we are, messing up this earth, messing up our lives. Tracking dirt everywhere, leaving things all out of whack, but oftentimes we're also doing what He asked us to do; loving one another. There have been times when I've wondered why on earth.. or rather, why US on earth? Why did He even create us when He knew how messy we were, and how much pain we could bring to Him? Today, I got a tiny glimpse of why, when I realized that the mess was worth it; that to have a perfect, beautiful show home would NEVER be better than having my loud and crazy boy and his sweet friends running around. I LOVE them; I WANT them here. And I guess that's how God feels about me.
One more thing; I came upstairs when the Bug and one of the girls were up there at the kitchen table; I could hear her singing. When I came into the kitchen, she stopped and said "Were you listening to us?" I told her that I'd just come up, and Bug blurted out that they were writing songs. He sang his for me, and then she sang hers. Have you ever tried to smile and look pleasant when a tear really wanted to trickle down your cheek? Oh my. Here are the words to Bug's song; he may never win a Grammy, but he won the Golden Heart award from me today:

Thank you, Lord!

My hands, my feet
I'm burnin' up like a sheet (no sheets have EVER been on fire here, btw)
But You put me out,
And now I'm free!

Thank you, Lord!
Thank you, Lord!
I worship, I worship,
Thank you, Lord!

You're the one
To save my world
Before my life
Has uncurled.

Thank you, Lord!

--by the Bug Hunter

Wow. Truly... thank you, Lord!