O is for Orderliness

Each week of our homeschooling has a letter attached to it.  It helps me to have some sort of plan for snacks, virtue to be studied, and Saint for the week.  This book helped me organize our day in this way, I have had to adapt for the older children. 

Honestly, order is not my strong suit.  I sit here in a house that is getting there, but lacks an ease of use because of my lack of discipline.  My prayer, for a long time, has been that I would develop a gentle, quiet spirit and create for my family a bright, cheerful home. I start off pretty good when I commit to my sweet Christ to TRY... but it gets hard and I get a little grouchy.  I have been reading a book about virtue that has re-opened my eyes to the beauty of order.
 Order... must touch all the other virtues or those virtues will become a burden.  If the virtue of chastity or purity is out of order, it becomes prudish and judgmental.  If the virtue of gentleness is out of order it can become insecure and shy.
Some virtues come naturally and some are work.  I have to remember God is honored in that work!
 I feel like the queen of *all or nothing*.  I look at a situation and if I can't tackle it and make it pretty awesome in a short amount of time I'll turn up my nose and move on.  Order on the other hand has an element of necessary repetitiveness.  It is essential to do something over and over to make it a part of your heart, your personality.  Virtue is the HABBIT of doing good.  When you first start (or restart) something weather it is tennis or kindness it feels unnatural.  It is through training and repeating the movements ("going through the motions") that it becomes easier to you and humanly perfected.
I have to remember this with my kids.  They are young and when we discuss a virtue I want them to be emulating it with in the week.  I wouldn't expect that kind of perfection in guitar playing, or basketball.   It takes many... many weeks of going through them motions imperfectly.  Like when I remind my son to say "yes m'am"  and he slumps down with a huff and says it. Well it wasn't perfect but it was said.  With patience I (should) say "No that's now how you talk to me, lets try again" Practicing the art of virtue!