My wife and I pulled up from the gym the other day, and before we got out of the car, she said, “Cute Rachel, she’s not big enough to get the trash in the can.” I looked over and we started laughing. It was Rachel’s day for trash.
I thought how proud I was of our short little 7 year old for even trying. Stacey has an awesome system going right now to get the kids chores going. Whatever she’s doing I’m not messing with. Even if it costs me money!!
Now, some parents would say this picture is a total failure. I mean look, the bag isn’t all the way in the big trash can, and an empty gallon of milk is on the driveway; the chore isn’t technically done, right?
Then a thought hit me harder. And it’s that so many of us, you and I, somehow think we need to be perfect in order to please our Heavenly Parents. So many truly believe that. That blessings only come when and if we’ve fulfilled 100% perfection in our “chores”. That God will only love us if we are perfectly obedient, all of the time.
There was a point in my life when I actually believed this. And when I would inevitably screw up in the day, I would beat myself up so bad. It was mentally and spiritually exhausting and unhealthy.
But I came to learn something through parenting my own kids.
When God looks down and sees His children just thinking about trying to follow Him, He is smiling. Now can we be better? Always. Does He want us to become better? Absolutely. But why beat ourselves up in the process of becoming? It’s all line upon line. The truth is, God smiles with ANY effort we put in for the Housework here on Earth and in Heaven, even if it’s messy. Just like Stacey and I smiled to see that mess of Rachel’s yesterday. I testify it’s true.
We don’t earn His love, it’s already there.
