Seeing Joy in Chaos

Written By: The Good and the Beautiful Published On:

In the midst of mess and chaos, step back and see the bigger picture. It’s beautiful because it’s motherhood. Sit down with Jenny Phillips as she reflects on the hard days of motherhood in this powerful blog and video.
  • An image of a clear glass cup of tea with steam coming from the cup | The Good and the Beautiful

  • Joy in the Toys

    This morning I had to step over dozens of toy cars in my kitchen as I went to make my herbal tea. Years ago, I think I would have felt frustration that my kitchen had cars strewn all over it. But as my older children now have grown and left home, I see beauty in things I didn’t always see before. I knelt down and examined all the little indications of a creative nine-year-old’s mind. What was he doing with a measuring tape? It’s a mess. There’s chaos in my kitchen today, and it’s beautiful to me.

Joy in the Tears

Maybe the messes and the chaos in your homeschool actually make you cry right now. It used to for me, and sometimes it still does. And that’s okay. I’ve learned that it’s part of life to feel overwhelmed and discouraged at times. Those tears of stress and overwhelm that fell from my cheeks as I dealt with babies and toddlers and messes are actually a very beautiful and sacred memory to me. 

Your tears are beautiful and sacred too, and God sees them. I believe He is grateful that you are willing to push forward through chaos and through the messes. I hope at times you will step back and see the big pile of laundry on your couch and realize, even for just a moment, that it is beautiful because it means that you have the incredible opportunity of being a mother.

  • Joy in the Piles

    Years ago, I was so overwhelmed one day. I was backed up on housework. I hadn’t had a moment for myself, and I had a baby that never stopped crying. The tallest pile of laundry was on my family room floor. I propped my baby right in the middle of that pile and calmed him down by singing, thinking how hard life was. I had to fold so much laundry and sing for so long to keep my baby from crying. But something happened halfway through that laundry pile. 

    I looked over and saw that beautiful baby in the middle of that laundry. I had a powerful and clear thought that totally changed my mindset. The thought was: One day you won’t have a precious baby in the middle of your laundry pile.

  • An image of a blue chair covered in laundry | The Good and the Beautiful
  • "If we look for the good in motherhood we will see it every day; it's in the LEGOs and the scraps of paper on the floor and the fingerprints on the walls. It's in the sound of little footsteps and tiny voices–in hair that pokes up and in little fingers and beautiful eyes." - Jenny Phillips

Reflecting on the Joys

That day has come. My laundry piles are not as big, and there are no babies propped in them. Those were precious days. 

Take a look at these quick but powerful journal entries that I wrote nine years ago when I was just in the thick of babies and toddlers, and you will see how I was learning to see beauty in the chaos, in the messes. But it didn’t mean that it wasn’t hard. It was okay for me to have a hard time. I am so grateful that I was able to pause at times and see the true, incredible beauty around me because it’s not just about getting through it. There is joy we can miss if we don’t look for it. 

These entries were all written in the same month in 2014. I think that there is a lot that my younger self is even teaching me today about remembering to see the joy in the chaos.

  • An image of a person writing in a lined notebooks with a pen | The Good and the Beautiful

  • “My day yesterday was filled with mommy jobs: cleaning up throw-up, caring for sick kids, changing diapers, feeding the baby, making dinner, washing and folding laundry, making dentist appointments, picking up the house, washing dishes, making beds, hugging children, rocking a baby, teaching children. Ah, I am truly blessed. I will dearly miss these days when they are over.”

I wrote this poem about today after everyone finally fell asleep.

  • The floor is wet from bath time,
    Toys are strewn about the room,
    My son needs help with an essay,
    And dinner is overdue.

    My daughter’s crying in my arms,
    Over some small, dramatic thing,
    My four-year-old is calling,
    For a blanket and a drink.

    And suddenly I realize,
    It’s such a truly sweet thing,
    That these little priceless souls,
    Depend so much on me.

    It’s a blessing to be needed,
    I am awed to be the one,
    Trusted to meet the needs,
    Of these five precious little ones.

  • An image of a living room floor covered with different children's toys | The Good and the Beautiful

You may also like . . .

  • A green and hilly mountain with wildflowers and the text "Setting Realistic Homeschool Expectations" | The Good and the Beautiful
  • A light blue background with illustrated tree branches and flowers with the text "How to Get Started Homeschooling with The Good and the Beautiful" | The Good and the Beautiful
  • Having Homeschool Doubts? | The Good and The Beautiful
  • Follow The Good and the Beautiful on Facebook
  • Follow The Good and the Beautiful on Instagram
  • Follow The Good and the Beautiful on Pinterest
  • Follow The Good and the Beautiful on Youtube
  • Follow The Good and the Beautiful on TikTok

Join the Discussion

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

Related Posts