I eat my special K with a play spoon from their kitchen. And in the doing, I realize there’s a reason it’s only for make believe. Cereal doesn’t stay long on flat. But they play like it’s real, and I think about how much they long for their own real kitchens and spoons while I use their play ones because the real ones are dirty.
***
The girl tried out for American Idol and was so thrilled to get her ticket to Hollywood. And so she packed her bathing suit up in her bag, I’m goin’ to Hollywood, baby! But once she got there, her suit sat in her suitcase. There’s too much work to do. I don’t have time to swim.
***
Sometimes you ask the kids to help you clean and they surprise you with their willingness and ability. And you give them checks on their little board because they earned them. And then, you go check their work.
But you smile in spite of yourself, because they are kids after all. And you consider your goals, how maybe the goal you thought you wanted isn’t the best goal after all, that your heart and efforts may be better spent enjoying the process, the humor, and the life rather than constantly reaching for the future, the dream, the clean.
Pretend spoons never get dirty. And it isn’t a mistake to bring your bathing suit to Hollywood, exactly. But real dreams take real work, and to keep them neat and tidy is a mistake, I think. Making your dreams come true isn’t always so dreamy. And it’s always good to remember the most important thing.
“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD, “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” – Isaiah 55:8
Surely that applies to everything – to the everyday things of mothering and loving and to the someday things of maybe and impossible. When we begin to realize our dreams and we discover they are nothing like we thought, remember the ways of the Dream-Maker are different. And that dreams have nuts and bolts, too. If they didn’t, then surely they would fall apart.
“the ways of the Dream-maker are different”–i love everything about this post. the beauty of real life and faith.
suzannah {so much shouting, so much laughter}´s last [type] ..ShoutLaughLove- resurrect a tuesday meme
thank you for getting it.
I always want the dream to be neat and tidy, easy to see and explain. So often though, my own dreams remain a bit ambiguous for even me, let alone try to explain them to someone. I always seem to have more questions then answers and get bogged down in the muddiness of that. I want it all figured out at once. The wading through is such a slow process. Thanks for your encouragement here.
Emily´s last [type] ..Grace Notes- When things are hard
thanks for this post emily. i am always trying to get my kids to do stuff my way, which really is quite a difficult task for those of the ages 3 and 2. this was a great reminder that although it may not be done perfectly, they did something and i should be grateful for that. i often get frustrated in how our house looks sometimes. my husband reminded me the other night that he loves when the house is less tidy because it means i spent more time that day loving on and playing with our boys.
Mikelle´s last [type] ..yogurt inspired colors
Somewhere I read recently that if our homes looked the way we dreamed (clean, organized, perfect) then we would be living alone. How true. And how different that is from what we really, truly want. Blessings to you as you love those boys.
Yes, what’s the proverb? Where there are no oxen, the trough is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox. (Prov. 14:4) I remember that every (well, almost every) time I catch myself grumbling about finding socks under the couch. I wouldn’t trade my “ox” for the cleanest house in the world.
Sharone´s last [type] ..free dress friday
Yep, I am finding my house stays cleaner a little longer lately. My youngest 2 are 18 and 20 and though they still *live* at home, they are rarely here. And so they they make very few messes (I don’t count their rooms!) And one day, I will be watching the driveway waiting for them to pull in and visit…
Bernice
Living the Balanced Life´s last [type] ..Are we there yet
Thank you so much for this Emily! I really really needed it this morning. I am stuck in a motherhood funk today. I want so much to enjoy their life and laughter and sparkle and sometimes I just don’t. And then I feel ungrateful. Your words spoke to me so clearly…..I think I need to get out there and enjoy this Dream the Maker gifted me with….messy and confusing as it may be….I need to just live
Hi Emily,
I enjoyed this post. It so captures a moment in motherhood. Thank you for giving me something to think about this afternoon:)
And again, you write it. And I love it.
Jo@Mylestones´s last [type] ..Everything Under the Gaping-Mouthed Moon
“Making dreams come true isn’t always so dreamy.” Well said! They do take work, don’t they!
Emily Joyce´s last [type] ..God Doesnt Make Junk
Dreams with nuts and bolts! I like that!
Lindsey van Niekerk´s last [type] ..Friend Makin Mondays- 100 Million Bucks
Our dreams are never quite what we expect, are they? It’s got something to do with God having a much bigger imagination than we have, I think.
Kelly Sauer´s last [type] ..A Restless Heart Time and Faith- and Here-Mercy
I sent them to their rooms with the command to clean… and truly I have not been consistent in teaching them to do it correctly… so why should I expect it to be tidy? their version and my version are definitely not the same. I am learning to accept it. (Paul says we have to *learn* to be content right?
As for the dreaming? I stretched watercolor paper and it still sits unpainted… having a hard time deciding where to start… and realize the last time I touched brush to pigment there weren’t 4 kids underfoot… so I really need to allow myself some grace. The Dream is going to look different than what I expected… and I am starting to see that now too.
Thank you for this post, Emily.
Sharon@Hiking Toward Home´s last [type] ..Gratitude List 451 473
My sister told me once that God wasn’t going to just drop my dreams in my lap if I wasn’t willing to pursue them. Ever since then I’ve been trying to find a balance between keeping the magic of my dreams, and tightening up the “nuts and bolts,” as you put it. It is walking a tightrope, but I am determined to keep at it!
Louise´s last [type] ..Still Here- But Barely
That is so, so true. I mean, He could just drop things in our laps, and every now and again we get a blessing like that, but for the most part we have to work for our dreams. And we learn so much about ourselves, about the world, and about Him in the process!
Great post Emily!
Bernice
Living the Balanced Life´s last [type] ..Reach out and take a hand
And then, you go check their work…
I love that picture! At least you had the presence of mind to take a picture.
Love the words here today. The picking up has gotten easier as they get older and move out. And it makes me sad. Love them and their messes. Time keeps marching on.
Southern Gal´s last [type] ..The Week of Birthdays and Blessings
hey! i love their style of cleaning… i think i clean like that more often!
can’t wait to see you this weekend!
melissa´s last [type] ..Just a Little Pixie Dust
I needed this post so much more than even I could have known today.
Thank you, Emily. ?
You’ve done it once again! It’s like you know me…but you don’t…He does and He strategically planted me at your blog so that His words through you could minister to me!
I am such a perfectionist and always thinking of the future…my kids (4 1/2 year old daughter & 1-week-away-from-being-1 year old son) bring me back to reality sometimes, with their messiness and their innocence and remind me that life is here and now! I need to smile at the mess and relish it instead of worrying about it and stressing myself over it.
Thank you so very much! God bless to you and yours!
Victoria
Um? Can you sprinkle some of your incredible writing mojo on me while we’re in the Philippines?
That was gorgeous and wise.
Emily!! This is the BEST thing you have written! I have read almost all of your blog and have been inspired more times than I could ever list but today? Today is the best tasting frosting on top of my favorite cupcake! Thank you for continuing to share your heart when it is difficult, real, and/or messy. That’s why I love ya girl!
Love, love, love this. I have discovered as I have kept honing my writing craft that to be an excellent writer requires a lot of work and discipline. There will be times to swim, but most of the time, it’s time to work. And I think it requires work not even to realize a particular dream, but to live well. Life is messy, and while we can’t avoid the mess that comes with life, we can certainly do our best to live well despite the messiness we encounter. Mess is a part of life, but that doesn’t mean life itself should be a mess.
Annie´s last [type] ..yellow
When I read your tweet about bringing a bathing suit to Hollywood my first thought was that maybe, just maybe, you were heading to my neck of the woods! *sigh* But what you write is so right and so necessary. “The ways of the Dream-Maker are different.” Part of what I’ve been doing in the last few months is related to what you’re talking about here: I’m trying to allow God to be the Dream-Maker in my life. Allowing the dreams to be fuzzy and unformed, letting Him guide me as they take shape. But that kind of dreaming is work! It’s much easier to say “I want this particular thing,” and much more tempting to then try to force that thing into existence.
It always comes back to grace. And Emily, I’m so grateful to you for always leading us back there.
Sharone´s last [type] ..free dress friday
Ha! I loved this post! Isn’t there something so wonderfully freeing about posting pictures of your home when it’s not “perfect”?
Love everthing.
Cat Moore´s last [type] ..Check Out This Giveaway
Emily, I love your blog, I check it everyday because it has become to me another way of connecting to the One who created us to be creative and dream dreams. Keep writing, don’t stop, because I and many others are looking forward to buying your book(s)!
Mercy, peace and love in abundance, Carol
i adore you. and that is all.
angie´s last [type] ..panic & peace
One of my favorite verses–and your take on it is wonderful.
seekingpastor´s last [type] ..Mercy and a Nissan Quest
Oh, I just went back and actually looked at the picture of your kids’ cleaning job! Love it! Absolutely great! That is one you will look back on and laugh at, for sure!
Bernice
Living the Balanced Life´s last [type] ..The world really is at our fingertips
i love the “clean up”!!!!!!
Holy smokes, you are super smart, ya know?
Pondering the nuts and bolts of my dreams today…
I agree with Angie,I just adore you!
asnipofgoodness´s last [type] ..UMMMM- I just dont know
Such beautiful perspective – once again. I love the verse with this post… such a great reminder.
Bevy´s last [type] ..-Hospitality-
this really spoke to me, i’m trying to cope with little boys being big enough to enroll in activities and preschool and trying to be balanced, and make sure they are prepared, but not overwhelmed. I loved reading this today. It’s okay to be outside of a box.
JoAnn´s last [type] ..We Shall Eat CAKE- Ode To A Man
Emily, I just loved this post! It really does take a bit of reality to make a dream go from being just a pie-in-the-sky idea that never amounts to anything to an attainable and tangible part of real life. I suppose it’s perfectly okay to have some dreams that stay dreams forever, but only if their remaining so is not something that will cause harm in any way. I like your words here because they’re so helpful in sorting through and understanding what’s actually happening in day-to-day life.
Tracy´s last [type] ..Far-From-Homemade Jambalaya
goodness gracious – this made me teary! Oh, I love Is. 55:8 …
amanda´s last [type] ..doing the unthinkable
i feel like i’m repeating that to myself a lot lately… that it doesn’t matter that i can’t see it because I know He can. good reminder
gitz´s last [type] ..Limited Visibility
I so needed to hear this today! I forget that God’s plans are always bigger and better than my own…thank goodness.
Oh! Amen to that!
m ^..^
I was only reading this recently…”Do not look for God to come in any particular way, but look for Him. That is the way to make room for Him. Expect Him to come, we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that at any minute He may break in. We are apt to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. All of a sudden God meets life…” “But when it pleased God…” Gal 1:15…taken from Oswald Chamber’s..My Utmost for His Highest.
When we dream..I suspect it is only in part…when God dreams..I know it is in whole! His dreams constantly expand our dreams.
Naturally Carol´s last [type] ..Delightfully Debbie!
I so enjoyed your post today. I enjoy reading your site each day. Today I actually laughed because it made me think of my grown daughter and daughter-in-law and what they are going through with their daughters and how I watch “their” dreams and how I see now that those too were my dreams at their age…..but as a grandmother it is so different. My dreams are in the every-day moments. I love it. Got gave all that He had – His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ because He valued us so highly. Since Go thought this much of us, shouldn’t we show that we value Him by putting Him first in all that we do – our family life, our business life, our spiritual life? “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? Psalm 8:4
Thanks Emily!
Melissa
Melissa´s last [type] ..Time for a Season Change
Dreams are not neat and tidy. Neither is life. I am beginning to like it better this way. I get a small glimpse of how God must see me when I look at my son. He is two and many times wants things that would hurt him, or would be of no benefit to him. I try to give him good gifts, but he can’t see the good because he is focused on the want. I think to myself, one day I hope he realizes I want better for him than he wants for himself. And it hits me, God wants this for me. The process of learning is messy, but I want to get it right and let my dreams align with Gods. Thank you for doing what you do.
David Willis´s last [type] ..Awesome Skirt Steak Tacos
Thank you, once again. I needed this today.
You have a such a beautiful way with words, Emily. Praises to the Dream-Maker for giving you the boldness to share your gift with all of us!
Courtney Milam´s last [type] ..Reflections on the Busy and the Productive
Ah, I remember those days! You probably said something like, “And I want all this stuff off the floor!” LOL
The nuts and bolts part is the reality I needed to hear – I’m smack dab in the middle of the non-glamorous, dirty part of the dream.
Thank you for the sweet morning reminder.
And thank you for your prayers last week. I felt them. <3
Joy @ B-Joyful´s last [type] ..break through the ignorosphere
I enter the “nuts & bolts” stage of my dream in 2 days. I embrace the hardware: living in a 5th wheel & 3 years of school (nursing.) Christ is all!!
Emily: you rock! Thanks for hosting this soul space.
Reese´s last [type] ..chairprayershealing
Another fantastic post, Emily. Dreams are so important, but they have to be His dreams first. Thank you, once again.
Amanda asweetliferocks´s last [type] ..Planning is Peaceful
Thank you once again for a fantastic post. Good reminder about the Dream Maker!
Amanda asweetliferocks´s last [type] ..Planning is Peaceful
Wonderful post… this is so true. SO true…
misty´s last [type] ..And I landed flat on my face
I love this post! Such a wonderful reminder! I needed this:-) Thanks~ I always enjoy your blog~
Beth´s last [type] ..A father of the fatherless
Emily, these words are so beautiful! I could sit and read your prose for hours
The stack of toys. Priceless!
You always help to refresh my perspective, Emily.
Melissa Brotherton´s last [type] ..vow
Such great encouragement to remember that dreams take time and work and most of all…the Dream maker.
Love the tidy pile of chairs and such…lol.
imoomie´s last [type] ..The Flame…
Great post!
Amanda asweetliferocks´s last [type] ..Planning is Peaceful
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Amanda asweetliferocks´s last [type] ..Planning is Peaceful
I walked into my 4 year olds room yesterday, surprised at how clean it was. I hollered out to the living room “Lucy! Your room is so clean!” And she hollered back “Look behind the door!” And there it ALL was
Wonderful post. You have a wonderful way of making things relate-able. Thanks.
Chelsea´s last [type] ..Victim
Lord have mercy Girl, I needed this today!
!!!
Thank YA!
Mrs.B´s last [type] ..Love Story
perfect, emily. perfect.
xoxo
patty´s last [type] ..rhythm and breath
I love the picture of “checking on their work” ! My husband fully believes that if things are piled up then they are cleaned up. If my kids help quickly and with a good attitude I hardly care about the results.