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real light living

because the milk will probably spill

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Yes. The milk will spill. And it will probably be chocolate. And it will probably spill on the floor you just mopped for the first time all month.

Not only that, the kids will run through the house with muddy boots. The dog will eat your still-warm, from-scratch cookies off the counter. The toilet will overflow because someone tried to flush a Lego creation. And the computer will crash just before you save that 800-word blog post — the one in which you poured out your heart with deep vulnerability.

I’m just here to encourage you.

 

The milk will probably spill.

 

Seriously, though. These are the things that can get to me. In fact, it’s often the little daily annoyances that bring out the me that I can’t stand. The one that I hope no one else sees or hears or remembers. Because she can be jacked. up.

So in recent years I’ve asked for wisdom for those kinds of moments. Because they’re gonna happen. And I really don’t want to hurt anyone. Literally.

The only solution that seems to work sounds so churchy. But it really helps me keep perspective, especially when the container of 5000 plastic beads gets poured across the kitchen and you’re still stepping on them eight days later.

 

Pause. Breathe. Pray.

 

I told you it sounded churchy. But it’s just true. The spilled milk won’t matter in ten years, but the hearts of those who spill it will. When I pause, breathe, and pray, it changes my perspective.

I may say something profound like, “Lord. God. Help me not hurt someone.” Or I may go deeper, “Father, it’s just milk. Give me your perspective. I want to reflect You and Your grace, even now. Show me what to do.”

God loves it when we simply turn to Him. He’s knows we’re dust. He knows we’re going to lose it at times. He remembers our humanity. And He just loves it when we turn to Him.

We won’t do it perfectly. We’ll still totally overreact at times — especially during heightened hormonal seasons. Can I get a witness? But even when we completely fail, He’s still grace. He still lavishes grace.

So if…when…the chocolate milk spills today, I’m asking Him to remind us to pause, breathe, and pray. We’re such a needy people.
 

What do you do to keep perspective when those daily annoyances arise?
 

Looking forward,
Lara
ToOverflowing.com
 

Comments

  1. I had one of those crazy mornings today, and I just love how He comes and lavishes grace . . And how He helps me to see Him . . how He helps me to turn. So thankful to have a Father who can handle me, in all of my mess. Thank you, Lara.

  2. Lara. Thanks for the reminder to pause, breathe, and pray. Your right, it sounds churchy and hokey, but it’s TRUE! It reminds me of the verse in Psalms 131:2 HCSB
    “Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself….” I have this posted in my house to remind me to pause breathe and pray. Thank you for your honest reminder.

  3. Amen! You are speaking into my mama heart this morning – I have said that prayer, snuck off into my “office” (ahem…it’s in my closet) and stolen a moment to breath because breathing is safer than the words I want to say. And more productive than just throwing away ALL THE THINGS because I’ve stepped on them for the 100th time that day. Yes. Pause. Breath. Pray. Repeat 😉

  4. Love this, friend! I sooo needed to hear this, and I don’t even have kids to spill the milk yet (it’s usually my husband 😉 Thanks for sharing your heart, this encouragement, and a reminder that even what feels like the cliche churchy thing to say is actually the answer–and that’s a good and ok thing! Love this!

  5. YES! I am still stepping on beads from a spill about a month ago. They are in places one would least expect 😉 I will be re-reading this in the confines of my bathroom today as a reminder when things get hairy. Great post!

    • Ugh. My kids did spill that 5000 bead container a few months ago. And I stepped on them for weeks. Ha. And believe me, I regularly locked myself in the bathroom to gain perspective. Love to you, Christie.

  6. Preach it Lara!! I can get so “spiritual” that I miss the very most spiritual parts of my day- how I care for the hearts of my kids when they mess up…or spill whatever it is that will get spilled. ‘Cause really, that’s holy living- when we respond to GOD and not the situation.

  7. Lara, I love it – mostly because this D.I.D. happen to me about 3 weeks ago. My dd tipped the glass in the fridge of chocolate milk [that dh made for her earlier] = all over the *inside* of the fridge + onto the floor + splashes onto the cabinets + ++++ hey, those are crosses – those little pluses. Look at that grace. It was SO MANY little plus signs. God was there; He was – I did not freak. I think it was my letting go – it was too much for me alone. Silly when I think of it – spilled milk = too much for me and my big self? It’s laughable now, but God was there. Thanks for sharing your story and words.

    • Seriously. Just after I wrote this post I spilled colored water from a science experiment and my daughter ran through the house with muddy boots. Putting it into practice today…by His grace.

  8. Thanks for the simple reminder this morning. I love the phrase – The spilled milk won’t matter in ten years, but the hearts of those who spill it will. I think I will tattoo that to my forehead. 🙂

  9. Yep, happens at my house all the time! In my better moments I grab the camera and snap a few pictures for posterities sake (ie. black mail when they are grown). Unfortunately, my better moments tend to be fewer than my bad moments.

  10. Breathe, pray, repeat, and do my best to take the long view. Speaking as a mom who is soon to be a grandparent, I can’t stress enough how right you are about the spilled milk not mattering one whit in ten years, but the hearts of those who spill it will remember.

  11. “…but the hearts of those who spill it will.” Yes! We can’t afford to wound a spirit over a temporary thing that was just a hiccup, an annoyance. Thank you, Lara, for reminding me (us) to pause, take a deep breath (or two) and pray before we respond…grace indeed 😉

  12. Your words reached right in and touched my heart. “The hearts of those that spilled it” mean the most around here, and I needed that perspective. I also try to repeat Proverbs 15:1 over and over to myself. Thank you for your words here, Lara.

  13. Oh, Lara! You’re ringing my bell today. I’m leaving town for a couple days (mom retreat!) and was so harsh with my kids this afternoon, I started to think about how they prob needed a break from ME! Thankful for your transparency and for this simple reminder. Love your heart!

  14. Does anyone else find that as moms, the pausing & praying is just as important for the dads to see because they have even less patience than we do for the “spilled milk” moments. Pausing & praying helps me to realize who the spiller is & their age. Who are we to think God is going to make our kids act like perfect adults right…… May God show himself through us as he sees fit, through the milk, beads, markers on the wall & all. Thank you sister for sharing & always being real. Love you!!

  15. “Pause, breathe, pray”. A perscription for any day, no matter what we are doing. Thank you for this beautiful post.

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