"The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry..."
-Translated from Robert Burns' poem, To A Mouse, 1785
I wanted to fold laundry today. Actually, I did not want to fold laundry, but more like folding laundry was on my list for today...and yesterday, and the day before. Anyway! Laundry- washed, dried, folded, and (sweet Baby Jesus- dare I say?) PUT AWAY! was on my list today. Talk about ambitious. The day meandered on, and I was actually starting to think I might get the job done. (Silly me!)
Then, it happened.
I heard the pitter-patter of little feet playing upstairs (that's normal.) Then it stopped. (Not normal.) And I realized that I had left a whole bunch of carefully folded, meticulously sorted laundry on my bed. I flew up the stairs at mach speed and burst into my room only to find that The Great Laundry Massacre of 2015 was underway. Springtime fresh laundry was flying through the air. All of the clothes- I mean EVERY PIECE- was thrown from the bed without mercy. There was laundry everywhere: on the dresser across the room, behind the headboard, covering every inch of the floor...everywhere except on the bed in neat little piles- like it should have been. Oh, the tragedy!
Deep breaths....deep breaths....deep breaths.....TIME OUT!
Best Laid Plans
Why am I telling you this? After I sent my husband pictures of The Great Laundry Massacre of 2015, and had the kids pick up the laundry, I had to admit it was kind of funny. As I started to think about it, I realized that this was a perfect example of what moms everywhere deal with all the time. We have a plan, a schedule, a "list" of how the day should go, what we want to accomplish this week, what needs to get done.
Then, there are the kids. They have no lists, no agendas, no obligations. They're just kids. Our agenda + kids = What was it I was trying to get done today? And yesterday? And the day before that? Usually, the day ends up looking something like this:
Naptime is at ten. Wait, they're melting down. Naptime is NOW. They sleep for 2 hours. Wait- why are you up after an hour? Okay. We'll run errands now. Wait, you're hungry? Lunch now. Errands later. Lunch. Now errands. You pooped? WOW, did you poop! Oh my gosh- it's everywhere. Bath (and laundry!) now, errands later. You're tired...Right. Because you didn't sleep before. Nap now, then errands....
Anyway, you get the idea. Flexibility is key. At times, I find myself getting grumpy because things are not going the way I planned. Stop laughing. It's not funny.You would think that after the first or second year of mothering, I would have gotten used to it, but because I am such a fast learner...I still struggle with the idea that the day is not going how I wanted it to go. (Hilarious, I know.)
Tonight, as I was RE-folding the laundry, I realized that my kids are helping me learn a very important lesson: it's not about me. What was that popular scripture I had on a tee shirt once?
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
How have I managed to forget that? How, when my whole life revolves around the little people in my house who need me so desperately, did I forget that this life is not about me? It is about Him. Jesus. The one who LOVED me, and GAVE HIMSELF for me, the one who saw fit to bless me with these two precious little people and entrusted them to my care. That's who this is about. And if He wants me to learn some patience by refolding laundry on a Thursday night, well then, I'm gonna fold it with a smile on my face and be thankful.
I am reminded of the quote, "The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry..." by Robert Burns. To say that I'm not going to plan anymore would be foolish. I will still attempt to keep some sort of schedule. However, I acknowledge that my "plans" often don't go according to plan, and I choose to consider God in the midst of the madness. What is it that I am to learn in this situation? God, what is YOUR plan in all of this? Because, in case you haven't noticed, God doesn't fit into the "mice" or "Men" category, and He certainly is not surprised by things like The Great Laundry Massacre of 2015. Happy folding.