Tortilla Chip Trouble

It’s been nearly six months since we moved into the “new” house. Why the quotes, you ask? Well, the “new” house, while new to us, was in dire need of some serious updating. The bones of this house are incredible, but most of the rest sort of looked like it had been pulled from an early episode of “The Brady Bunch.” And so, for the last six months, my life has felt a little bit like I am living on HGTV.

People say that if you can make it through building a house, you can make it through anything. Nay, I say if you can make it through a remodel, you have earned a special place in heaven. Especially when you are living in the house you are remodeling. It’s a messy commotion. And friends, I don’t do messy commotion well. On the plus side, we have gained a second family at Lowe’s and Sherwin Williams…

So headed to Lowe’s we were for another round of Lord-knows-what. The boys and I were loaded up in the truck when I sent sweet husband back in the house to check a certain light bulb. My oldest asks, “Momma, where’s Daddy going?” Now, if you know my child, a simple “back in the house” would simply not do.

“Buddy, Daddy is going in the house to check Momma’s light bulb to see what kind we need to get at the store.”

“Why, Momma?”

“Because Daddy is smart, and he can fix anything.”

“And you too, Momma!”

You see in his little four year-old mind, we are still superheroes. As his parents, we’ve got it all figured out. He doesn’t worry incessantly over every decision he makes or trouble himself over whether or not he will get it all right one day. He simply lives his daily life in the best way he knows how, according to what we’ve taught him, according to what he knows we will expect of him. He does the best he can, and he trusts us to take care of the rest. He has made mistakes along the way (like the time he chose to throw crushed tortilla chips all over the kitchen… oh my), but he can live in the comfort of knowing that as parents, we will clean him up, teach him better, and love him anyway. What a concept…

Looking back on my life, I can see several times where I must have looked like my son sitting in a pile of crushed tortilla chips. I didn’t mean to mess it up so badly. I had good intentions when I started, but I just didn’t get it right. The beauty is that God’s desire is to work everything out for our good.

Someone very wise once told me, “If you are honestly seeking God’s will, if you earnestly want what He has for you, He won’t let you miss it.” He is a good God with good plans for our lives. He wants us to to live our lives trusting in Him. Sure we should do our best to live according to what He has taught us or what we know that He expects of us, but the reality is that we might mess up along the way. Even still, God loves us enough that He wants us to have four-year-old faith. Faith that can bring anything to Him and let Him work it out for our good.

Today, remember that He can work all things– even the ugliest things– together for your good…