Tired of Being Sorry

The other day I was on the phone with a representative from the company we have our truck financed, trying to obtain the payoff quote.  And I kept saying to the lady, "Sorry about the noise.  I have two little ones at home."  After I disconnected, it hit me that I am tired of saying "sorry" for my kids.  

Yes, they make noise.  And yes, they make messes.  But they are also in training, and are entitled to make a few mistakes.  How else do they learn?  

There are times that I have tantrums of my own, when it seems as though no one gets me or what's going on in my life at the present time.  But I am an adult, a time in life when that sort of outburst is discouraged because I KNOW BETTER.

But these little ones biting my ankles on the time ... they, on the other hand, are just learning the skills of expression and communication, of tidiness and responsibility.  

So if you notice that I don't apologize for them anymore, now you know why.  They are in training and will make mistakes.  I will not say I'm sorry that my house looks like Toys R Us vomited in my living room, nor will I apologize for the dishes that piled up when I was playing with the kids.  I've determined that messes are a part of life.  

Jesse read me Proverbs 14:4, a verse that sums it up:  "Without oxen a stable stays clean, but you need a strong ox for a large harvest."  Basically it means this:  you can either have a clean manger or oxen out in the field working for you.  If you've got a working team producing results, you will have a mess.  And so it is with kids, in my mind.  I'm gonna have a mess while the training is in progress.  

And I will be thankful for it, as soon as my OCD lets me.  :)