Coat Check

It's always interesting the little things ya learn along the course of a day. Take for instance my day. (At least indulge me anyway...) It was indeed a regular day with all of the hustle and bustle we cram in here--get up + have everybody ready to head out the door by 8:30 to get to school on time, a morning of grocery shopping (which to me is never a picnic on the best of days), an afternoon of cleaning, playing and more cleaning, supper, helping out at our church's kids club and after all that to come home to yet more things to do.
Now, a little history so you understand; I take our older two children with me to kids club and my husband stays at home with our 2 yr. old. It's a great outing for the kids and I and some great time for Daddy and "our not so much a baby anymore", Becca. Would you concur with me then that maybe, just maybe the supper dishes might be put into the dish washer (which was indeed empty) or that maybe, just maybe a sandwich or two might be prepared for school lunches tomorrow, or maybe, just maybe the valentine's Grandma sent that are strewn about the floor might be picked up or the socks or the pieces of a game, etc. You get the idea. Not that we live in squalor but on a busy day things can fall apart a little.
Now my carnal self is thinking, "why do I have to be the only one always doing this? Is it not clear these things need to be done? It's not rocket science! Does my husband need a map of the kitchen and an instruction manual of How Tos?! If he really loves me he'd do the dishes!"(how absurd) And that my friends, is exactly when the voice of my Jesus says, " Wow Dawn, that's a lot of expectations. Especially for a guy who just finished a day of busting his butt teaching a whole lot of little people (who are draining even at their best). " And so in my repentative state I began cleaning the kitchen and doing all the things needing to be done all the while thanking the Lord (rather sheepishly) for reminding me about the expectations I sometimes connect to home life/marriage. My husband does love me and does help out...quite a bit when he's not totally drained. And even more so when I don't breath down his neck all my false expectations of him.
It's interesting when we check our expectations at the door, so to speak, it may cost us a bit of something. Just like when you check your coat at a fancy restaurant or when at the symphony. Sometimes $2 or $5 per coat or sometimes a little more time spent cleaning up your kitchen. Thank you Lord for the reality of love and for sometimes humbling me.