The Problem With Being a Messy Person

The problem with being an innately messy person is that sooner or later people are going to figure it out.

You can do your best to cover it up.  Do some surface cleaning, keep the big stuff from laying out in the open.  You can crash clean when you know someone is coming over.  Make them think you've got things all under control.  But when you are messy in your very core there will come a time when you are caught unprepared.  Eventually, someone will knock on your door and want to come inside when your just not ready.

I am an innately messy person.  Earlier this week some dear friends of ours (whose home is at all times IMMACULATELY clean) had problems with their AC.  It got up to 93 degrees in their home.   And although they called the repairman as soon as they realized the problem- even though it was 11:45 at night,  the end of the next day came and the AC was still not working!  We found out about this at church that evening when we were all there for VBS.  Of course, Erik and I instantly insisted that they stay with us for the night, the whole family, even their dog (but not the fish - I didn't want our cat to eat him!)

Here's the problem.  My house was VERY messy!  I had been at the church ALL day setting up for VBS and would be at the church all evening doing the drama.  There was no time to crash clean, no time to stuff the clutter in the closet.  They were going to see the real me and there was nothing I could do about it!!

As they followed us home that night, I kicked myself for the 1,000th time for NOT doing a better job of maintaining my house.  And then hit me.  My house was dirty because I had been doing what God asked me to do.  And when I got home the day before, from doing what God had asked me to do, I was tired, so I rested.  Instead of cleaning, I rested, so that on this morning I could get up and go do what God was asking me to do all over again.  I LOVE doing what God is asking me to do.  I dislike that my house is as messy as it is, but then again I am an innately messy person.  If I have to choose between keeping my house tidy and doing what God wants me to do, I'm going to choose God EVERY TIME!!!

And you know what? My friends still love me.  They have now seen the real me, the way I really live and they still love me.  They didn't mind that my house was messy.  They were just happy it was cool!  You know you have a true friend when they have seen who you really are and they love you anyway!