Monday, April 11, 2016

A Little Housekeeping for the Soul


Housekeeping.  Keeping a house.  What does that mean to you?  It sounds so grand.  A housekeeper sounds as if they have a plan; a schedule, an orderly way of doing things.  Lately, my Instagram feed has been full of photos of beautiful kitchen sinks full of bubbles (and, supposedly, some dirty dishes in there somewhere.)  It's spring and there are lots of posts about cleaning and organizing.  There's apparently something motivating about a clean sink  full of hot, soapy water and all the lovely scrubby things you can do with it.  

Truth be told, though, my sink wasn't that pretty this morning.  After breakfast was cooked and eaten and the lunches made, I took one look at that mess and it made me want to close my eyes and go back to bed.  However, comma, no Alice, Rosie the Robot or Mrs. Hughes had plans of showing up today , and those dishes weren't going anywhere until I got down to business.  So, I cleaned off the countertops, scrubbed the sink and filled it with the requisite hot, soapy bubbles.  That was a nice start and I made a pot of my favorite Irish Breakfast Tea as a treat to further fortify my resolve.  

Washing dishes is my prayer time.  I can be alone with my thoughts and I talk to God about what's going on, my friends and family who are in need, and give thanks for the blessings I've received.  It's usually quiet enough than I can listen, too.  Not that I'm hearing actual words, but my heart can hear when I'm quiet long enough to be in His presence.  With my hands submerged in the soapy water, washing and rinsing, I feel my own heart being cleansed and cleared of all the things that need to be washed away.  

As I scrubbed those dishes and cleaned the stovetop and swept the floor, the chaos of my kitchen started to disappear and order took its place.  And as I spoke the words of my heart to my Lord and listened quietly for his Word, my worries and stress took their proper place and my world felt restored.

A sink full of soapy water, some pretty flowers and a pot of tea:  they're good for the soul. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)


No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.