We Are The Yahoos.

All good successful entities have mission statements or catchy slogans to define themselves. 

So I was thinking what might best define our little family.  When I think of how we do life, what statement best describes us?  Though the options are numerous, this week I would definitely go with

We Are The Yahoos.....We Bite Off More Than We Can Chew!

 

 

That's catchy, right?

  

I mean we did 0 to 4 kids in 6 years flat.  We double dog dared ourselves to become farmers.  We got us a tractor and a combine and a job at the CIA.  We've built some barns and a deck and a treehouse and a room to do some school in for the next decade or so.  And everyday we feed the masses and clean the latrines and iron our superhero capes.
 

Yes, there are days that I do believe we have just about reached our breaking point.  I feel like I do a bunch of things, but don't do any of them well. 

 

I'm not crazy about that feeling.  I'm more of a "Let's just accomplish one thing today but let's make it killer."  I usually slate that one thing to be lunch.  But not always.  Sometimes I let it be naptime.

 

This week has been insane.  Between dentist appointments and a 3 year old with a cavity and field trips and piano lessons and locking myself out of my van we also are wrestling with lots of the 'big' decisions.  Too many to go into now, but I'm sure you know what I mean.  Those types of decisions that you don't have a lot of time to really think about during the day because you are busy ironing your superhero cape, so you are up all night tossing and turning and wrestling with it in your dreams.  Those kind of decisions. 

 

I struggle with decision making.  Because I don't trust myself.  I can come up with the best reasons to excuse myself from doing things I don't want to do....or that I'm scared to do.  And I've taught my kids to do the same thing.

 

Like for instance the other night when we had some friends over and a certain Yahoo started waving his middle finger at everyone.  And his wonderful, sweet friend said "Ninja, don't do that.  It's not nice."  And that certain unnamed Yahoo said

 

"It's OK.  I'm homeschooled.  I don't even know what it means."

 

Nice.

 

And then of course another Yahoo saw the whole thing and thought it was funny so he, too, started flipping everyone off. 

 

I tell you all that to say that if my kids flip you off, don't be offended.  We haven't covered that yet in school.

 

As ridiculous as all that sounds, I am honestly not too far from it.  Sometimes I use some equally ridiculous excuses to continue doing the things that I want to do. 

 

Things like

 

"But I was up all night on Pinterest researching better ways to organize the school room, so I'm too tired to do school today."

 

or the equally moronic

 

"The cookie that was the size of my head that I ate while the kids were resting made my stomach hurt so I couldn't possibly make supper."

 

or maybe

 

"I was too swamped with reading books about the Bible that I didn't get time to read the Bible"

 

I wish I could say that I am exaggerating on some of these.  But the honest truth is that I can find lots of reasons to justify whatever it is I want to do.

This pretty fabulous lady once gave me some pretty fabulous advice about how to guide my Yahoos in matters of decision making and obedience:

Do the next right thing.

 

Ouch.  And Ugh.

 

That simple little admonishment is a kick in the tail to me.  Because I have no excuse.  I do know the next right thing.  Because we are worthless and God is magnificient He gives us beautiful gifts like our conscience and His Spirit to be our moral compass. 

 

So then I'm left with this

 

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

 



I do look forward to one day having my act together.   But until then I guess I just have to keep preaching this to myself.  And maybe after years of training we can change our family motto to:

 

 

We are the Yahoos.  We do the next right thing.  And we eat chocolate.