Keeping Things In Order

My youngest daughter once complained to me, "Doing housework is like trying to string beads with no knot at the end of the string."  I suppose to some degree that statement is true.  In fact, on occasion I've been known to say that I no more than get the kitchen cleaned up from one meal than it's time to start work on preparations for the next one.  The laundry hamper is never completely empty, and dust settles back onto the furniture just moments after I've gone through the house with my Swiffer in hand.  And don't even get me started on fingerprints that instantaneously appear on the storm doors immediately after I've diligently cleaned the glass to a sparkle.  Perhaps the realization of housework is what gave birth to the saying, "A woman's work is never done."

I remember one day some years ago when I was damp mopping the kitchen floor following supper.  My husband walk through the room and casually stated, "I don't know why you're doing that.  You clean things that aren't even dirty yet."  Of course, he had not really taken a close look at the floor prior to making that judgment.  Hidden beneath the table was a layer of crumbs and droppings from breakfast, lunch, and supper that day.  Over by the back door, shoeprints heralded the comings and goings of three children and a husband who could never quite get the hang of removing their shoes when they came indoors.  Just in front of the stove, a sticky spot reminded me that not keeping an eye on boiling potatoes can end in catastrophe.  Oh yes, the floor needed a quick mopping to clear away that day's deposit of family living.  My reply to Bob's observation was, "It's much easier to keep something clean than it is to clean it after it's gotten really dirty."

In our spiritual lives there are daily clean-up activities that we should do if we're going to protect ourselves from an accumulation of  "dirt."  When we begin each day with prayer, it's just a little bit like making the bed.  Once finished, we know we can launch into our day without that feeling of guilt associated with having an unmade bed lurking behind the bedroom door.  As we do some daily Scripture reading and Bible study, our eyes and hearts are opened to areas of life where we need to accomplish a little clean-up.  Getting to the matter quickly prevents a build-up of problems that are always much more difficult to handle.  When the fingerprints of harsh words, a quick temper, jealousy, or bitterness appear, we have the ability to instantly wipe them away by turning to the Holy Spirit for strength and sanctification.  If we overlook any of our spiritual life, the "soil" of  this world can leave a nasty mess behind that may be very difficult to clean away.

Housework is not always fun, but I've found that when I have completed my work for the day, I feel empowered and free to enjoy anything else I choose to do.  If I leave the house for some reason, it's always a good feeling to come home to a neat, tidy, and clean home at the end of the day.  It is a haven from the outside world, a place of comfort and rest.  In like fashion, when I begin my day with prayer and Bible reading, everything else just seems to go much more smoothly, and when nighttime approaches I can crawl into bed with a sense of peace and restfulness that comes from knowing my spiritual house is in order.

"My son, keep your father's [God-given] commandment and forsake not the law of [God] your mother [taught you].  Bind them continually upon your heart and tie them about your neck.  When you go, they shall lead you; when you sleep, they shall keep you; and when you waken, the shall talk with you.  For the commandment is a lamp, and the whole teaching [of the law] is light, and reproofs of discipline are the way of life."

Proverbs 6:20-23 (Amplified Bible)