Had anyone stopped by my house yesterday, they would have been greeted by complete chaos. The kids and I were taking down the Christmas tree, so ornaments, boxes, storage bins, and strings of lights were strewn about the living room. Branches of the artificial tree were tossed around haphazardly. My two-year-old’s blocks and wooden train track pieces were mixed in with the Christmas stuff. One could hardly walk through the room, it was so cluttered. It was a total disaster. But that was okay. It was, after all, only temporary. It was a work in progress.
My experience is hardly unique. Transitions are supposed to be somewhat messy. Whether you’re taking down Christmas decorations, switching out clothes from one season to another, painting a room, packing for a trip, moving, or adjusting to a new baby in the house, transitions are just chaotic. Had someone dropped by unexpectedly yesterday, I would have explained what I was doing, and they would have understood and thought nothing of the mess surrounding them. We give ourselves and others that grace when there is a work in progress going on, with one notable exception. Raising children.
[for the rest of the article, go to Raising Godly Children]
TruthNotes 