Promises

Tonight at about 5:30 on the dot, I had a small emotional breakdown. 
Like I wanted to scream and throw things and cry (but I so maturely restrained myself). 
Do you ever look around your house and think to yourself, "who robbed us?" Because that's what I asked myself today. 
Seriously, how does our house look like this at roughly 5:00 every single day? 
And for about half a second, I wanted to cry. 
Instead of crying, I got out 2 huge boxes and told the kids that if they filled 2 boxes with toys they wanted to give away to kids who didn't have toys, then they would earn 2 tickets to see Despicable Me 2 tomorrow. 
Yes, I'm into bribery. 
We cleaned out the living room toys and the toys outside, and then we headed up to the playroom, where I almost had another precious little tantrum. 
Our playroom is a serious disaster area. Everything in me wants to have all the kitchen toys by the kitchen set, and the books in the library area, but that is just never going to happen. We have over a dozen kids playing in that playroom every Tuesday for bible study. 
I mean, do I need to say anything else? 
I just started throwing stuff away. I was so over it. There were broken toys and smashed DVD cases. I mean, it is what it is, and that's just part of inviting a small daycare of children of various ages to play in 1 room in your house 1 day a week. 
Then on top of all that, my dining room and living room are covered in every piece of Grace Adele, Scentsy, and Velata product I own since I'm hosting my open house this Saturday. 
Plus my laundry room is still a train wreck (remember, I was organizing it a few weeks ago?) Well, it's still a mess! 
Oh, and we found a snake in the backyard today. 
A big, long black snake. 
A big, long black snake that Brian was supposed to kill and instead he let that devilish thing escape under the deck.
In his defense, he did borrow snake traps from our neighbor and poured flour around the perimeter of our deck so he would know when the snake slithered out. Great plan.
So that's really the bulk of why I wanted to have a pity party. BUT in the midst of all that, I was reminded tonight of how sweet and patient the Lord is. 
I'm in the middle of an online summer bible study. We're working through Priscilla Shirer's Gideon study, and it is so timely and perfect for where I am right now. 
Tonight as we watched our teaching session together online, I was reminded so sweetly of how the Lord uses or weaknesses and our strengths to create the body of Christ. What a blessing to know! 
But I was also reminded that there are always 2 parts to the story. There is the part that we do, and there is the part that the Lord does. And I am so incredibly thankful for the part that the Lord does. 
He picks me up out of my pity and allows me to triumph in the middle of my weakness. He gives me unknown and abnormal strength to do the things that He has clearly called me to do. 
Priscilla went on to explain that as sons and daughters of Christ, there are over 8,000 promises written in God's word that are available to us through Christ Jesus. 
BUT those promises are not placed within our hands. They are only placed within our reach. We have to do our part and reach out and act in obedience to claim the promises that the Lord has for us. 
Tonight I am thankful for a God who places His goodness and glory and peace within my reach (even in the midst of my mess) and all I have to do, is reach out and act in obedience. What a blessing.