Housekeeping Tip #9: Live in Gratitude

I sometimes wonder what it would be like to bring a woman from a 3rd world country into my home.

I imagine her excitement when she notices my sink. So many beautiful dishes! Running water! Oh, look at those soap bubbles! I can almost see her giggle as she washes my plates, absolutely thrilled to help take care of them and put them into cupboards.

When we’re finished cleaning the kitchen, I offer several hand-me-down outfits to her. She exclaims excitedly again, trying to figure out the fastest way to get word back to her friends. There are clothes! Enough for all of us! I can’t wait to show you, to share with you, my friends!

Then, it’s nearly dinnertime. I open my fridge and she gasps with astonishment. So much food! You are rich! Children, we will eat well tonight!

Thrilled beyond words, she asks me how to start a cooking fire in the stove.

As I show her how to turn the knob, I contemplate her generosity and her excitement to work in my home. I know she sees that I have enough for many people. Much more than I truly need.

And I realize that I am blessed beyond measure. Compared to most of the world, I’m rich.

After months of wrestling within my soul, after feeling that cleaning isn’t important, and wishing that I was doing something else, the blinders are removed from my eyes and my heart as I finally understand:

The best thing about cleaning isn’t having a clean house afterwards. The best thing about cleaning is simply having things to clean.

Homes to care for, dishes to eat from, food to enjoy, toys for our children to play with, plenty of outfits to wear… it’s all so much. We are abundantly blessed.

No amount of possessions or blessings can cultivate a thankful and content spirit – that has to be a choice we make from within.

Friend, our assignment this week is to focus on the heart issue. When there are mountains of laundry all over the place, are we thankful that our families are blessed with plenty to wear, or are we annoyed about the work needing to be done?

We should regularly pay attention to how we feel about messes in our homes, and gently redirect our thoughts as needed:

• When we see a pile of laundry, let’s say, “I’m so thankful that we have so many clothes to wear.”
• When our sinks are piled high with dishes, let’s tell ourselves, “These dishes are evidence that we’re creating memories around the dinner table.”
• If our kids’ bedroom is a danger zone, we can decide, “I have an incredible opportunity to teach my child an important life skill today!”

We have a choice – we can be thankful to have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a home to enjoy, or we can be mad about the mess. Let’s choose to have an attitude of gratitude.

I’d love to hear – what area of homemaking do you most struggle with, and how will you work to keep a positive attitude in that area this week?

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