Hy husband and I are adopting (and have been trying for 2 years now).  Our social worker is coming for our review on Sunday.  So, in preparing for this HUGE event, I asked my kids a simple question..."Will you please go and clean your rooms?" 

Now this is something they have done on their own before...I still help out my 3 year old a little bit, but she cleans her own room.  I prefaced it by saying that we need to do this because the lady who is helping us get our "Ileah baby" is coming over.  I also said I needed their help because I had a whole house to clean. 

When it was actually time to clean, all I got was "but Mom", "I'm tired", "I'm thirsty", "You can't make me", "I don't want to", etc.  Some days I think that I have the best kids in the whole world.  The next day, I think..."Where did my kids go?  And who are you?" Sometimes I just don't know how to make them listen.  I cannot do everything - Don't they know that?

As I was standing in my room trying to "cool off", my husband came to remind me that they are cleaning like a 3 year old and a 5 year old.  They are making progress.  So I thought I would go out and try to see for myself.  And, by golly, they were making progress!  Maybe they actually did listen and I just didn't have the patience to wait for them to do the work.  I want immediate results and when I don't get that I'm immediately frustrated. 

I am reminded so often of my shortcomings and how God places things in my life to show me what I need to work on.  Even in the simple things like my children cleaning their rooms. 

My daughter is done cleaning her room and came to sit next to me in my chair.  She told me she had something to tell me.  She whispers in my ear, "Mommy, I love you."  Instantly my heart melts and I am reminded that I am unconditionally loved.  Even when I am mad and frustrated that things don't go my way, I know that my kids listen the way they are created to listen.  Maybe sometimes I just have to change the way that i listen to my children.