Good morning…
“Oh Sue, I know what you mean!” one subscriber wrote to me after reading last week’s posts, Welcome To Our Messy Home, Does My Mess Bless, Seasonal Insanity, and Dust If You Must. “I think any mom who has cherished the happy chaos of childhood gets it. Ok don’t laugh, but one of my favorite rainy day activities was piling flour onto big cookie sheets and letting the boys play with their bulldozers and dump trucks. I think the greatest joy of childhood is the freedom to make a mess!! Then we’d move on to solo cup towers and “camping” under sheet tents in the den in sleeping bags alongside our dog. Precious memories that I will treasure forever. Never did my home feel more like a home!! And maybe provided the earliest lesson that life is messy, but still such joy and there is always grace to cover the mess.”
“Your email reminds me of one of the stupidest things I ever did as a mom,” I responded. “We had a ‘cookie baking’ birthday party for my oldest daughter, when she was probably turning eight or nine. A group of about ten girls made batches of cookies from scratch, a yummy joy some of the girls had never experienced. But in the Allen home, we made cookies from scratch a few times a week for a very long time.”
“The party was great,” I re-lived the memory. “UNTIL… a flour fight broke out and everyone joyfully tossed flour everywhere. I mean everywhere. Of course, here is me laughing right along, snapping pictures, having a ball. UNTIL… the flour fight naturally ceased and we looked at each other, covered in flour. We looked at the wood floor, covered in flour. We looked at the kitchen island, covered in flour. We all went outside and shook ourselves off, brushed ourselves down, freed flour from our hair, our clothes, and every crevice imaginable. UNTIL… the moms picked up their daughters and were stunned by stories of the birthday party that will never be forgotten.”
“We did a ‘cooking show competition’ birthday party a few years later,” I recounted, “and my only rule was ‘No flour.’ I had learned a lesson about my own limits when it comes to the magic of mess. These are great memories we will cherish forever!”
“I love it, Sue – those girls will never forget it!” encouraged her return email. “That’s so funny you mentioned the moms – reminded me of a friend stopping by on one of those rainy days, the den covered in stuffed animals and toys, the kitchen (and us!) covered in flour and the look of complete shock and concern on her face as she asked, ‘Is everything ok???’ To which I replied, ‘Best day ever!’ I will miss the messes!!!”
This email exchange happened as I spent a working weekend with our web designer in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Welcoming and well-dressed, her basement apartment is a sanctuary for small, loving gestures. No mess, all fresh. A French press for coffee. Cool, original paintings living on each wall. Soft, silky sheets, and piles of pillows whispering “Rest well.” A cozy kitchenette, well-stocked. Open screen windows and sliding screen doors to invite in cool breeze. Ceiling fans to stir up gentle movement. A private bath hosting every amenity. New paint on the wall, white and inviting. Passionately pampering, she cares for her guests with delightful detail.
Exchanging the messy memories of two aging moms in such a beautifully ordered space sparked a deep truth: “Home is not about messy or clean on the surface, it’s about sowing seeds of love from a generous heart.” Messy mayhem or organic order, joyful generosity in the heart of the giver makes all of us feel peacefully at home. Silently we sense, “God’s Spirit expands here.”
Entitled in my Bible “Generosity Encouraged,” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV) highlights the heart of the matter. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound…
…Sue…
