My very own War Room

 This week I saw the movie, "War Room". I went, not really knowing what it was about. I had just heard how good it was. As I was watching and listening to the words, it was as if we were sitting in church. It was that powerful. I loved the story it told. I left the theater, dreaming, that I could have me my very own war room. I loved that idea.The only problem would be where the heck could I do it? I have all of my closets stuffed to the brim!! I have been telling myself for months that I was going to clean them out, one by one, but as usual, life happens and my closets are still full.But the more I thought about it, I realized that it just might happen in my upstairs closet. This is a bedroom that I have turned into my craft room. That being said, you can imagine that this closet gets a lot of "Stuff" thrown in there!!  This is a closet with a window, the only one in the house with a window. BINGO!! I had found my war room. The only thing left to do , was get in there and clean it out!! Ha!!Tom was out of town, so I spent a good part of last night in that little closet. How in the world could I collect as much stuff as I had done?!! I filled about two boxes with trash ready to take downstairs. I have two more boxes with things that I will find a new home for..Now, all I had left was to drag the vacuum cleaner up there and clean that baby out. To be honest, I still have some boxes on the other side, but in my mind, I thought one side might be big enough for me to start with . Just need to get me a little chair, a journal, a pen and pencil and some tape and a fan... then I am set to start using my new little corner.....As with anything I try to clean out, I most always find a little hidden treasure. I found this little book today, only a few pages long and it was titled, "A little Parable for Mothers"  It had been typed in 1940. I am not sure if it belonged to my mother or her mother. I am not even sure when I got it or how long I have had it, but for whatever reason, I found it today. It is the sweetest little reminder of  our purpose, on this life journey of ours....our greatest job of  being a mother.. "The young mother set her foot on the path of life. Is the way long?" she asked.And her guide said, "yes, and the way is hard. and you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."But the young mother was happy and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed with them in the clear streams, and the sun shone on them, and life was good and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark and the children shook with fear and cold and the Mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle and the children said, "oh Mother, we are not afraid for you are near and no harm can come," and the Mother said, "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead and the children climbed and grew weary, and the Mother was weary but at all times she said to the children, "A little patience, and we are there." So the children climbed and when they reached the top, they said, "we could not have done it without you, Mother." And the Mother, when she lay down that night, looked at the stars and said, "this is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude of the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today I have given them strength."And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth, clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled and the Mother said, "Look up. Lift your eyes to the Light." and the children looked and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the Mother said, "this is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God." And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the Mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong and walked with courage. And when the way was hard, they helped their Mother, and when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather. And at last they came to a hill and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.And the Mother said, I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone and their children after them."And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the grates."And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, "We cannot see her but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a Living Presence." And that , my friends....was my day... a day of cleaning a bit of clutter out of my life, and a day of memories... and a day of new beginnings....Blessed to have my very own little closet that I can call my war room and blessed to have had a Mother, just as  this little parable talks about...Have a great new day!!Love,Jane