Housekeeping Tip #5: Look Ahead

I tenderly touched the items that were buried away in a closet. Tiny outfits, worn-out books, little blankets… they all tugged at my heartstrings.

“What do you do with the baby items when you think you’re done having children but you know you’re not immune to little surprises?” I texted to my friend Kelli, a mother of five.

The answer beeped in a few moments later. “Pass the items along. Don’t think about what you’re giving away – think ahead to the joy of what you’re gaining as you make room for new things. Trust God to provide if you do have another tiny blessing.”

Brushing soft tears from my cheek, I went back to the closet and started filling donation sacks with baby items. When I finished, I dragged our camping gear – evidence of a new favorite hobby – over to the closet and started filling in the empty spaces.

With each shelf I filled, my heart grew a little lighter and a little happier. Kelli was right. It felt good to pick the newer items off the floor and put them into a place of real belonging.

When we look ahead instead of behind, we’re creating space for life to be lived instead of holding on to a part of time that can never again be more than a memory.

When we look ahead, we’re able to focus more on the feeling of a clean house later rather than just the desire of wanting to rest right now. Looking ahead allows us to think about how we’ll feel if someone stops by unexpectedly when the house is clean – and when it isn’t.

Thinking ahead causes us to consider how we’ll feel when we lay down at night. Will we feel good knowing that we’d used little minutes to tidy up and wash some laundry, or will we feel guilt in knowing we’d been too distracted with technology to make sure everyone had clean clothes for the next day?

And when morning comes, will we be ready to greet the day in a clean home or will we feel dread, knowing we’re about to face an overwhelming mess?

Sometimes we desperately want a fresh home but feel too busy to clean. When that happens, we can look closely at our schedules. Perhaps we could temporarily lessen our social engagements, cut back on time spent with television or social media, or even re-prioritize service projects.

Even if there’s not much we can realistically minimize right now, we can still choose wisely to make a positive difference in our homes.

“If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn

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Tidy Up friends, Have you ever noticed how draining it is to live in disorder?

After a few days of recently living in an exhausting mess, I pushed through fatigue so I could make my home nice again. The following morning I was up and starting my day before the alarm went off – it is so much easier to get out of bed when we’re greeted by peace instead of mocked by chaos.

If you’re in a place of chaos, I want to encourage you to do one thing today to begin working your way out of it. Maybe you could get your laundry under control, clean the kitchen, or even just clear your bathroom counter.

Regardless of whatever is going on in your life, it’s easier to face other challenges when home is a haven.