Tropical Storm Andrea

1 John 3:2
"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be."

When I heard the name of the latest storm on the coast, I joked with friends and family that they must have seen my house.  Actually, I often feel like a storm that brings drama and leaves damage wherever I go.  It seems like even with the very best of intentions and my biggest effort, I often fail. 

For me, usually it is the house.  I am one of those people that sees potential in shabby, sees what everyone and everything can be.  My family resides in an old house built in the late 1800's that has uneven floors, creaky stairs, cracked ceilings, and wall-papered plaster walls...and I love it.  I see a home that has seen several families' children run through the halls, beautiful woodwork and character, spacious rooms, and a lot of love to grow.  My problem?  I watch too much HGTV.

Every room becomes a giant art project.  Things get tackled and left unfinished.  I have intentions of making them beautiful, but, more often than not, life gets in the way and they end up half done.  Then, this family of six leaves its chaos all over and *BOOM* Tropical Storm Andrea has swept through.  I look around and see my failure in every room and then I feel really low about my abilities as a wife and mother to provide a "homey" environment for my family.

My six year old son once told me that if the house were any messier he would just buy some wood and nails and build a new one in the backyard.  *sigh*

The good news?  God's love is not dependent on whether or not I keep my house clean...whether or not I finish my projects.  In fact, I am His unfinished project!  He sees my potential and is molding and making me into who He intends me to be.  None of us are perfect, but that's okay.  His love for us is so great, His plans for us so big, and His grace so unrelenting that we never have to feel imperfect. 

My kids know a little tune that they like to belt out on our road trips:

"He's still working on me 
To make me what I ought to be.
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars,
The sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be."
He's still working on me."

So today, I sit in my imperfect house and rejoice in the Lord's grace and my potential.