Have you seen that video of the Mom who keeps tidying and her toddler is going behind her basically undoing everything she does? My daughter is like that, though admittedly on a smaller scale. She also is enamored of water, which was translated into finding joy in spitting liquids on my floors. Yes, spitting. And since I have a long-hair indoor/outdoor pet these little pools of toddler joy-juice quickly absorb dog hair and dirt and become brown splotches on my floor. Eww. She rarely does this in front of me, limiting my ability to say ‘No’. Granted, when I do say the N word, she just gives me a blank look like I’m speaking Korean. Yay toddlers. So if you popped by for a spontaneous visit, you’d probably be like ‘Does this woman ever clean???’ And unfortunately yes, yes I do….
I have long been envious of those who find joy in cleaning. Despite the benefits of living in a clean home, driving a clean car etc… I just can’t seem to trick my brain into enjoying the process. I wish me house-wifing looked like this:
But I was created more like this:
To be transparent, I hate it. I hate dishes, I hate sweeping, the whole shebang. About the only thing I don’t hate is laundry folding, forget putting it away –yuck! Unfortunately, these things still ‘need’ to be done (but do they really??) with some regularity to avoid living in absolute filth (read: young kids and indoor 50lb pup). But who wants to regularly do something that makes them miserable? Not I.
Here’s where perception and greater meaning comes in. Sometimes, the way you perceive something can be more important than its true reality. And some tasks have value not just in their more basic results, but also in the part they play towards a greater purpose.
I firmly believe that since humans are undoubtedly spiritual beings that attitude is everything and mundane tasks can be transformed simply by looking at their broader roles in ours and others’ lives. Or in my own case, approaching these tasks with what my own mother lovingly denotes “An attitude of gratitude”. And while I will probably never enjoy (different from finding joy in) housework, if I’m being transparent, I do often find myself with an attitude problem. So what’s a girl to do??
In the spirit of Marie Kondo, I have learned to speak prayerfully while I do housework in an effort to change my heart regarding these tasks. I got the idea from her ‘thanking her clothes’, although I’m taking it in a very different direction. As in, I’m no way talking to inanimate objects- that’s a bit beyond my level of weird for now. But I do like the spirit of gratitude behind the process. Line of thought: I don’t like to clean dishes or the kitchen in general. BUT I do like to eat inside my home, as well as fix fresh, minimally processed foods for my children on a budget which requires me to cook. When I stop and assume an attitude of gratitude for: running water, electricity, access to fresh foods, and a safe space to prepare things… I find my heart has little room for complaining about having to clean the aftermath. When you are picking up the hundredth toy or clothing item from the floor to put away, try and focus on the wonderful blessing of God’s good provision, and maybe that which was dreary can become an opportunity to find joy.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24. I try and be conscious that I’m serving Christ whenever I’m scrubbing pots or cleaning green poop off a cloth diaper so that the task transcends its mediocrity and gross factor, but that’s just me.
Love, Charis
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