There is something that you don’t realize when you become a parent and something that no one warns you about- the amount of junk you acquire over time. You move from baby toys and devices, to toddler puzzles and books. Then before you know it, your house explodes with a variety of small, random pieces to different board games, toy sets, and sports trading cards left all over the place. As a mom of boys, I can often look in one direction and see a nerf bullet and look in the other direction to locate a hot wheel car. Who am I kidding, there is also often a lonely piece of clothing on the floor that was just dropped where it was taken off. 

Today, I had determined that I was going to clean the house and follow up with some organizing. It all started out fine- the normal vacuuming, laundry folding, and wiping down counters ensued. But as I sought to bring order to the chaos, I opened a drawer in the living room that was full of random things- none of which made sense to me but likely made sense to the one who placed them there. A paper full of written down riddles, a train whistle, a flashlight, handcuffs, a bracelet, a coin, and much more- each item containing a memory of one of my sons. Instead of feeling my usual frustration at their inability to systematically put things in their proper place, I was overwhelmed with a wave of sadness. Sadness that their childhood is going by so quickly and they will never be this little again. 

With each drawer I continued to open, I was hit with the glaring reminder that their time with me is moving at a lightening speed. There is no slowing down time. There is no pause button to press. And before long, they will outgrow these junky treasures. The secret hiding spots in my house will eventually be emptied and the barren drawers will long to be filled. They will mock me with their neat and tidy demeanor.

So today, I will rejoice in what a privilege it is to shepherd these boys. I can swim in legos, nerf bullets, ping-pong balls a while longer. I can savor the season we are in, knowing that seasons never last. I can be okay with the disorganization of my house. I can know that God sees my boys for their individual gifts and quirks.

Most importantly, I can remember that the Lord will take all our “junk” and turn it into eternal treasure. Heaven has no need for seasons because God never changes. There will eventually be no wishing we could go back and only the joy of moving forward. May it be so, Lord, may it be so.