Colorful Candy Confetti

The sound of giggling from behind the closed bedroom door was a dead give-away...the girls (Amaris, Eliana, and their cousin Maggie) were up to something.  

"Girls", I called, "Is everything alright in there?"  My words brought with them a quiet hush to the laughter. 

Finally, one of the girls bravely responded to my inquiry, "Yes mommy, everything is fine.  We are just having a party."  

At that moment I should have swung the door wide open to expose the intent of the girls, but instead I decided to walk away for a few moments to complete a few chores.   

Again, the laughter was heard.  This time louder, along with a few high-pitched squeals and some strange sound that I could not easily identify.  Standing with my ear to the door, I listened, intently trying to figure out what the odd sound coming from behind the bedroom door was. 

Without warning, I swung open the bedroom door.  The girls turned quickly, facing me like a deer caught in the headlights, wide-eyed and shocked to see me standing there.  

Sternly I asked, "WHAT ARE YOU GIRLS UP TO?"

"We are having a party, mom!"

Two empty bottles lay empty on the floor next to the girls.  I walked over, picked up the empty containers to see for myself what this threesome had been up to.  

"SPRINKLES!  GIRLS, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SPRINKLES?"  

"We used them.  Sprinkles make nice confetti."  

For the first time since entering the room, I allowed my eyes to scan the perimeter.  Nearly every flat surface in the bedroom was covered with brightly colored candy sprinkles. Upon closer inspection, I realized that sprinkles were even scattered throughout the freshly made beds.  

I WAS NOT HAPPY!

"GIRLS, YOU KNOW BETTER THAN TO THROW CANDY ALL OVER YOUR ROOM!"

Silence was the only reply...

"THE THREE OF YOU WILL PICK UP EVERY BIT OF THIS MESS, RIGHT NOW!  DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

I am not sure I even gave them a chance to respond.  I walked out of the room, angrily told David what had transpired, and proceeded to collect brooms and dustpans for the three little "party-goers" to clean-up with.

As the girls swept, shook out the sheets, and wiped down the dresser, I sat observing the threesome for a few moments.  The laughter which once filled the room was a distant memory, the smiles had been replaced with a countenance of sadness and shame, and the party which had once rained down "colorful candy confetti" had ended abruptly. 

I am such a party-pooper!  I mean, was there really any harm in celebrating with "candy confetti"?  Of course not!  But, I didn't want to clean-up after the party had ended and the threesome had zonked out for the night.  

The bottom line...I was angry that the girls had "inconvenienced" ME, disrupted MY peaceful afternoon, and used ALL of MY sprinkles...I mean I use them like once a year for cupcakes, now what would I use?   

Isn't it true that as Christians, we can be tempted to allow our circumstances to rob us of our joy in the LORD?  At times, it seems that the mundane tasks of life overwhelm us as Christians, causing us to grumble and complain rather than rejoicing in the fact that we are SAVED BY GRACE.  

But, God's desire for us would be that we would overflow with joy, rooted in the knowledge that as Christians we have been forgiven of our sins, accepted into Christ's family, and we have been given eternal life. 

Maybe you dislike your job, and it takes every bit of energy you can muster in the morning to even get out of bed.  Maybe you have a child who is difficult to manage and feel defeated before you even say hello in the morning.  

God desires to fill you with un-speakable joy in the midst of the circumstances which you find yourself.  Not just an outward, pretend kind of happiness, but an internal joy...giving you hope and assurance for what ever your future holds and producing perseverance .   

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

Today, I was thinking back to the afternoon when the girls threw the "colorful candy confetti" all over the bedroom.  I remember the countenances of the threesome changing, smiles turning to frowns, shoulders slumping under the weight of disappointment, and the boisterous giggling that once echoed throughout the house ceasing to echo anymore. 

May we be different as Christians...

May we look towards Christ in the midst of our trials... finding joy!  May the rooms of our heart always be filled with "colorful candy confetti" raining down, bringing laughter and smiles from deep within us.