More than just a mess

This morning Gretchen asked to play with the fake grass from Easter.  I wanted to say no.  I almost did say no.  My mouth was open and my tongue was planted behind my upper teeth with the word already formed.  I was envisioning little strands of green plastic all over the house, and we have guests coming tomorrow and plenty of things to do other than clean up plastic grass.  But then I considered whether or not my "no" was for a good reason or merely selfish impulse.  Really, what's the harm?  There's a limited window of time in which something like fake grass is so alluring.  I asked what she needed it for, and she said she needed to make something out of it.  She looked so excited and full of 3-year-old joy that I said yes, but only in one room, and it must all be picked up. 

Ugh.  The result, as any sensible adult could predict, was a house covered in green plastic strings and a crying three-year-old who claimed it was too hard to clean up.  Well, yeah.  I made her do most of it, but once she had buckled down and was working, I went in and helped; I was feeling annoyed though--with her for the mess and with myself for not preventing the situation that was always a foregone conclusion.

"What were you making with this?" I asked as I hastily and impatiently raked my fingers through the carpet.

"A bed for Jesus," replied my sweet girl.  Oh.  That stopped me for a few seconds.  "I know he's not a baby anymore," she continued, "but sometimes I like to pretend he's still a baby, and I wanted to make a bed for him."

Suddenly, I wasn't angry at either one of us anymore.  Turning the stupid secular/pagan tradition back into something about Jesus?  Worth the mess.  We cleaned it up together with more patience, fewer tears, and loving hearts.  I consider myself wiser for the situation: (1) Put the plastic grass away immediately after Easter, but even though I didn't, (2) to a Godly heart, even  a mess can be something holy.

God be in my head and in my understanding.
God be in mine eyes and in my looking.
God be in my mouth and in my speaking.
God be in mine heart and in my thinking.
God be at my end and in my departing.
                                            --Sarum Primer via John RutterGod be in my home and in my parenting.