Tuesday Morning

A moment of respite. . .

I’m rewarding myself far more often than I should. When I clean for awhile, I find myself grabbing something to drink and heading to this monitor. Away the keys go clicking while I read emails, check out links, throw an update/status from my inbox and scatterings such as that. Smiles.

Housework has been sorting into our new school days and I love it! In the mornings, I read my Bible with some hot coffee and journal with whatever beloved pen I have handy. Laundry gets tossed in the washer while the coffee is making so I keep that moving until 1-3 loads are washed, dried, folded and put away. This should keep our laundry off the floor for a change! I have one hamper and baskets in the bedrooms but I put it on the floor to sort it and end up with it looking wretched until all is washed. Now, I have more time to focus and keep at it so it is coming along neatly and nicely. About time.

It is good to have certain chores for morning, afternoon and evening. The earlier part of the day is when I set to task on the main cleaning. The afternoon is a quick pick up and help from the kids and the evening is just a 10-20 minute pick up all over the house. Each person has a way, which works best for them and as long as some work is getting done… all in that regards is well!

My laundry is moving along today, the refrigerator is clean and looks so much better. I just used a soapy dish cloth and some hot water to wipe down the shelves, walls and the all on the inside. Most of the glass shelves and bins were taken out and washed thoroughly in hot, soapy water. Then, I rinsed well in very hot water and dried completely.

All the basics got done (making the bed, doing a quick clean on the toilet, gathering dirty laundry, sweeping, and such) so I just need to finish the things on today’s list.

I was blessed today and reminded of a time I was more thoughtful while I cleaned and worked about my home. While I was folding my husband’s worn blue jeans . . . I thought of how hard he works and how he keeps working no matter what things look like financially. I considered how strong he has to be to keep at it no matter what anyone says (sadly enough, at times even me… his own wife) and I prayed for him. I prayed for his work and just anything that came to mind to pray for him over. It was a gift for me by the time the load was done and I headed into our bedroom to put it all away.

Once there, I made our bed with sheets and pillow cases I washed this morning and whipped over our very, very worn quilt. It is a wedding ring quilt my mom gave us for Christmas (she bought it) many years ago. There is a large, black ink stain where our youngest son managed to leave a permanent marker open on. What I thought of as I neatened the corners and tucked the ends before folding down the top was my mother. I remembered her wrapping this and being so happy to give it to us and I was glad to still have it covering us at night… wrapping us continually in her love.

This is getting long so I’ll hurry on up  What about you? Are there feelings, memories, prayers, and/or thoughts you can reflect on while nurturing your home as only YOU can? Are there areas you need to clean out, shine up, or bring to blessed order?

I hope whatever your homemaking today holds. . . you are given the peace to appreciate the beauty and grace God so generously gives. Each and every job we do can be blessed by His hands… often through ours.

I’ll close with this lovely poem. Take from it what your heart will. I thought of the Lord and then my husband, children, and grandchildren when I read it.

Love,
Sandy

Avowal

Love is a shield to hold against the dark,
A fire to warm me, shelter from the night;
A lamp forever burning, and the spark,
The eternal spark that keeps the flame alight.
Love is the merchandise not bought or sold,
The gift, self-giving, counting not the price;
The deep – embedded vein of hidden gold
Refined in crucibles of sacrifice.
If I may have your love to keep beside me,
To hold inviolate, a precious thing,
If I may have its steady light to guide me,
If twill not matter what the years may bring,
Nor what the years may take beyond recall.
If I may have your love I shall have all.

Minnie Markham Kerr