Please Pardon My Mess

I need four of these signs printed.
Big fancy letters, so people know I’m not as junky as I appear.

I see these signs all the time...especially in shopping centers. A few months ago, Kohls decided to up their curb appeal and improve one of their entrances. It was a mess. A portion of the front of the building was iced with thick, white plastic- shielding customers from flying dust and debris. Blocking the construction site was a sign saying, “Please Pardon Our Mess. We are improving our facility to serve you better.” While I appreciated their efforts to serve me better, the construction caused me to have to walk an additional 30 yards to the second entrance. My trip between Old Navy and Kohls seemed to significantly lengthen...almost to the point where I didn’t want to go in. Almost.

My four signs would be posted in the following locations:

>Our Apartment<
Patrons: Parents, In-Laws, Us
The Mess: At the foot of the stairs sits two guitars to be picked up Thursday nights for band practice and Sunday mornings for church. We tire of carrying them up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, boxes packed (and, now, slightly unpacked) for the postponed move spill from the dining room into the living room. Laundry lies in the bedroom floor, in wait of unoccupied hands to toss them in the wash...and the dryer...then fold them...then put them in their appropriate homes.

>Our House<
Patrons: Parents, In-Laws, Neighbors, Us
The Mess: My lovey-dovey-hubby-bubby (The Husband did not like the label “The Husband” because he said it sounded cold, so this is my attempt to conceal his identity, yet warm the term-of-endearment**) in his own crazy, hectic schedule somehow finds time to mow the grass at our house. But we’ve been known, in the recent weeks, to have mulch beds full of giant weeds. Our back deck is home to a rusty sink, an old toilet, random pieces of plywood and cement board, and an inch of saw dust. The house is furnished with 5 gallon buckets, scattered screw drivers, drill bits, and red rosin paper- finely laced with sheetrock dust. The front porch is littered with old paint cans, a fluorescent light covering (I can’t part with it just yet because I think I can do something cool with it), and a three gallon bucket of joint compound...accented by a gangly rose bush with no roses...so, a thorn bush, I guess.




>My School Work<
Patrons: Professors, Classmates, Myself
The Mess: This time last semester, all of my notebooks were properly tabbed and filled with fresh notebook paper. Now, all handouts get stuffed into the front pocket of a binder- as the tabs are not labeled and my three-hole-punch is packed away in a box labeled “DESK STUFF”. My daily planner is lucky to feel the graze of a pen- and even if it does get lucky, it probably won’t be opened until after the event occurs. Miraculously, my assignments are being completed in the Ladybird fashion they deserve.

>Me<
Patrons: God, My Husband, Family, Friends, Myself
The Mess: My Bible follows me into the rooms where I need it to be...bedroom, living room, bathroom, dining room...and patiently accepts being opened at my convenience until I realize that I need it more than sleep. My mouth is trying to slow down and think before it blabs some unnecessary, idle, unproductive word, but when everything else gets in a tangle of stress and mess, its unbecoming nature is revealed. My mind is so preoccupied with juggling priorities (as I am unwilling or too uncertain to decide what or Who takes the number one seed) that I forget to pray or call my family to check in or call my friends to see how they are doing. I haven’t cooked dinner in two weeks (I am truly embarrassed by this).

The sentiment of the signs in each of these places is simply to say, “Please be patient with me. I know this isn’t perfect, it may even be irritating or disappointing to you, but just hang on. I promise something wonderful will come. All of this mess right now will soon clear up and the result will make you think, ‘Hmmm...the process was worth the product.”

When I think about my mess right now, I think, “This is all going to kill me. I just know it. I will not make it through the demands of maintaining my responsibilities of school, work, apartment, house, church, husband, God, et. al.” But maybe, more than for any other patron of the current mess, I need to be reminded to pardon my own mess...that progress will come and stress will not reign forever. I pray and ask God to forgive my negligence and inconsistency...and He reminds me...

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:23

I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6

The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. I Samuel 16:7

In essence: Daughter, look to Me first, all this other stuff is going to work out (maybe not as you planned or think you want) according to My plan. I promise. You know I have a wonderful plan for you...yes, better than anything you could even imagine. I’ve started something good in you and I am not finished yet...be patient and obedient with Me as I work it through to completion. I know you feel like you’re a mess, but I look at your heart, Ladybird, and I know what you hold there. Let me have a hand, the hand, in working this out, won’t you?

I say, OK, Lord. Thanks for pardoning my mess. And for helping me clean up.


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It's not all a mess...here's the progression of part of our kitchen remodel. (This isn't even the most up-to-date, but it's all I've got pictures for right now!) We tore out a laundry closet and relocated it, leaving much more room in the kitchen...we are going to add some more cabinets and counterspace! YAY!! Now some of you will say, "What was wrong with how it was?" Well, probably nothing except we didn't like it.














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**Other Terms-of-Endearment to consider...
- The Rocker (He is incredibly talented in the music arena, but this title conjures images of a naked Rainn Wilson playing the drums in The Rocker.)
- My Best Friend (He truly is, but I don’t want to make you think of a country song each time you read the name. He wouldn’t want that either, trust me.)
- The-One-Who-Falls-Asleep-On-The-Couch-At-Ten-O’Clock-Every-Night (It’s just too long. TOWFAOTCATOEN is too long, too.)

What pseudo-name do YOU suggest for my rockin’-awesome-best-friend-of-a-husband-who-falls-asleep-on-the-couch-at-ten-o’clock-every-night?

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Definitely did not cook ANYTHING today. But I did enjoy a Skinny Pumpkin Spice Latte w/ an extra shot of espresso from Starbucks! mmmmm (You should also try the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate!)