Refocusing (Day four)

Our dream house when the kids get married and move out on their own

With a family of seven, we automatically have to operate on an entirely different level than smaller families.

For instance, we will spend hours cleaning only for the kids to faithfully rearrange the entire house in “kiddie order”. That drives me insane because I just want things to be where I left them.

However, today I am accepting that that “ideal house” vision will not manifest itself until they all get married and move out.

The irony in all of this is our children will go to everybody else’s house and praise them for their well-organized homes, but they have us running around cleaning all day.

Why do we fight back and clean, clean, clean? Well, because we never want to fall into any stereotype. People expect for your house to be this way or that way because you have a bunch of kids.

And this is the part that gets to me. We always get visitors, not when everything is put back in order, but after these children decide to create “kiddie order”.

It took me 18 years to come to this conclusion of accepting that my “ideal house” vision needs a goodbye ceremony.

This means our house will never be the type of house you see in the magazines. Nonetheless, our house will never be trashed because Momma Bear Facey will not live like that.

Yes, you will always find one pair of sneaker in the wrong place, a sock on the stair, or someone’s math homework lingering behind something. Yes, that drives me up the wall, but I have to accept that this is what God has given to us.

We were called to raise righteous children, not robots. No they won’t help us keep up that “beautiful house” image, but they are eager to have Bible study, family time, game time, prayer, church, and other meaningful activities.

We won’t be inviting anyone to our house anytime soon because you might find praise flags, furniture rearranged for dance practice, or a sneaker here or there.

Look at that, I’m part of the “disorder” with my praise and worship items. Okay, laugh out loud, I’m guilty too. God made us this way for ministry. Hallelujah!