Managing Chaos, part II

Phew! I'm finally back to blogging my Managing Chaos posts, and if you missed the first one on Beauty, you can find that here. The second part of my thoughts refers to the idea of Quality. I actually wrestled with what to write, partly because I'm still stuck on the notion of Beauty (the 2 can very well be interchangeable at times), and partly because quality seems to speak for itself. However, the more I thought about what Quality means, one concept came to mind. When I go to a restaurant or make a phone call needing sales support (or the like), I expect quality, demand it even. I know there are times that I have pitched a fit mentally or otherwise simply because I didn't get what I thought I deserved. Yet, how often am I the one with less than satisfactory service to my own family? I've served food with a bad attitude, I've cleaned the house with a grumbling spirit, and I've pitched my own temper tantrums with the slightest provocation. Thinking about the quality of service I offer to my own family has been humbling, particularly in this season in my life when I've been pretty selfish and frustrated. I am not going to freak out with unrealistic expectations, but I am going to attempt to think about serving them in a manner that tells them I love them enough to pull out all the stops for them and give them the best. I can offer the best quality food (whole, nutritious things with very little processing), I can offer the best room service (ha!) with natural ingredients instead of a bunch of scary chemicals, I can provide the best we can afford in terms of environment and toys, and I can put their needs over my own. I bet life wouldn't feel as "chaotic" as it does sometimes if I simply remember why I'm serving them and the best way to do that! This was a good lesson for me this week.

(And on a completely separate note, would you please pray for me as I have to make a big decision this week about my prenatal care?! Thanks!)