Party Time

I've been having parties at my house lately. But I didn't need to invite anyone because I had plenty of guests. And even if I would have invited you, you wouldn't have wanted to come because my parties were "pity parties." And the guests who came weren't invited and were not any fun. You see, the guests were worry and anger and selfishness and anxiety and sadness and guilt. They came without warning and came in through doors that I thought were locked. Sometimes they brought friends, too,--fear, chaos, and loneliness. And they were terrible guests. They came in and made a mess and wouldn't leave when I asked them to. They just lingered around and touched everything. They hung around when I was trying to teach my boys and care for my baby and love my husband. They whispered in my ear as I tried to do all the things I'm supposed to do each day. Right before my eyes, they seemed to grow as they fed each other. And then one day I saw them for what they were and I was tired of the parties. I was tired of allowing unwanted guests into my life. I was tired of these things ruling how I lived. So I kicked them out.

I knew, though, that they would be back if I didn't invite new guests into my life. So I replaced worry with prayer and anger with love. I invited generosity and peace to take the place of selfishness and anxiety. Joy replaced sadness. And my favorite new guest, grace, swept guilt right out the door. My new guests are great. And they bring friends, too. Friends like patience, mercy, and self control. They don't make messes but clean up the ones already here. They, too, touch everything in my life, but with light instead of darkness. They hang around my family, but instead of spreading pain, they lavish goodness. And best of all, they bring their own whispers to guide me through each day. They remind me of my blessings. They help me see the cutest smile in the world on my sweet daughter's face and point out the goodness in the hearts of my sons. These wonderful party guests help me appreciate my husband and be grateful for all he does for us. They gently show me how to prioritize my life and remind me that a spotless house isn't as important as a memory made. So now, when I have parties at my house, there is no pity allowed. Those old, dark, miserable parties have been replaced by "peace parties" that pass all understanding.