Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Spring Cleaning


Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Winter has flown.  Spring has sprung.  And, with it, the deep and compelling call for that dreaded, but much needed, spring cleaning.

I'll be the first to confess.  I hate housecleaning!  But, I love a neat and tidy home, so I do what needs to get done.  Some chores, like wiping down the stove and counters after dinner, keeping up with dishes, pots and pans, making the bed, and sweeping the floors, I do daily.

Dusting?  Sadly, not until I actually see those infintesimal varmints coating the surface of furniture.

Vacuuming?  Always after I dust.  The two go hand-in-hand.

Bathrooms?  Once a week, with touch-ups in between.

Windows?  When I see a smudge.

It's cursory cleaning at best.  Spring cleaning means more.  Much more!

It's time to get down on hands and knees, wiping every baseboard, vanquishing every spot marring the wood floors.

It's time to haul everything out of closets.  Sort through the clothes and pack up for donations what is still in good shape, but needs to be purged.  Dust and vacuum closet shelves and floors.

It's time to grab my step stool and scrub down every surface I can only reach when using it.  This includes emptying out the kitchen cabinets so I can 409 to my heart's content.

And, it's time . . . time to wipe down the blinds.  This wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have 14 sets of blinds in our house.  I'd rather take down 14 sets of curtains and wash them any day than have to face this painstaking and tedious chore.  But, face it, I must.

Because, just as the rigorous, sacrificial practices we take on during the Lenten season help create within us a clean heart, one prepared and pure to meet the risen Lord on Easter Sunday, the discipline of spring cleaning rejuvenates and enlivens the home I share with those I love.  A house which shines with peace and joy and comfort.  A house which says, "Welcome home."

So, I'll don my I-pod, crank up the tunes, gather my cleaning supplies, and plunge in.  With some stick-to-it-ness and elbow grease, my spring cleaning will be done by Easter.

~

Is spring cleaning a ritual you perform every year?

Will you pray with me?
Dear Father, as this Lenten season draws to a close, let us reflect upon how the practices and disciplines we have taken on have helped prepare our hearts and minds for the glory that is Easter.  Help us to examine ourselves prayerfully and honestly.  Renew a steadfast spirit within us.  Amen.

12 comments:

  1. yep....I had a party last wkend and so sping cleaned the whole house. the house was so spotless when we had company to watch my sons sporting events one of my sons told the guest not to mess up my pillows!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lol, Annmarie! Kids will, indeed, say the darndest things. :)
      I've started the cleaning, but nowhere near finished.
      Blessings to you!

      Delete
  2. I did a deep cleaning after my kids moved out last December. It was part of my reclaiming the house for myself. I really enjoyed it, although generally I am not an enthusiastic housekeeper. Like you, though, I do like a clean and tidy house. Since my beloved kids moved out and my beloved dog died, I have clean much less.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Galen, cleaning is easier when fewer people and pets are underfoot. My cat, Jordan, was never much of a shedder; now that we have Allie in the house, it's a different story - she is constantly shedding! I'm constantly sweeping and vacuuming as if kids are still parading through the house.
      Still, love having her, and wouldn't trade it for the world.
      Love and blessings, and thanks for coming by!

      Delete
  3. Hi Martha :o),

    I hope you're doing well preparing for Easter.
    Personally,I don't have a yearly cleaning routine.But,I'm a clean freak,so I clean my apartment quite often.I must say that while cleaning I really calm down,sort my thoughts and feel also cleaner inside.Sometimes I find myself thinking:'Others might have yoga,I've got cleaning :)!'
    Thanks for the verse at beginning and the prayer at the end.It comes right on time for me,because lately that's what I've been praying God for.I hate it when I feel that my heart is not pure.Yet I hope for the best...
    Happy Easter to you and your family.

    God bless you.

    XO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for visiting, Jasmina!
      Sounds like cleaning is very cathartic for you, and that's a good thing. I do manage to keep things under control around the house because I hate messes, but the big cleaning? That's a workout! :)
      May your Easter be a happy and blessed one for you, too!
      Blessings always!

      Delete
  4. Cleaning...ughh. I wasn't born with the cleaning/organizing gene, at all. I wish I had been. I have friends who can zip through the process in no time at all, whirling through their homes and snapping all into sparkling order. I'm much better at creating clutter!

    That being said, my spring cleaning happens at odd times, and not necessarily in spring months. I do it when the urge hits and it does appear, coincidentally, to be ramping up for me right now. I'm between work contracts and have time at home to devote to serious cleaning and organizing. I won't enjoy it (can't lie - I really hate doing it!), but I'll enjoy the results. :)

    Happy Easter, dear friend! <3

    - Dawn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy Easter to you, dear Dawn, and thanks for coming by! (I'm headed off to read your post in a moment.)
      You sound a lot like me when it comes to cleaning, but I have really been at it this week - company coming is a great motivator!
      Blessings and love!

      Delete
  5. We don't have Spring cleaning but I always think of it that way when we clean the house in preparation for Easter.

    I love cleaning the house but now I don't do it as rigorously as before because it takes away my time...I'm a sucker for 'details' and that includes cleaning, literally speaking, 'everything.'

    I love how you connected spring cleaning with preparing ourselves for Easter. You make things clearer for me...and it makes me reflect on my daily chores as something that I could relate with spiritually.

    Lots of love always and I pray with you...HAPPY EASTER!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa, I'm so glad the analogy of spring cleaning as preparing ourselves for Easter helped you see this glorious day in a whole new light. :) That makes me feel wonderful inside . . .
      And, again, Happy Easter to you, dear friend!
      Love, prayers, and blessings!

      Delete
  6. Ah yes, spring cleaning! It can be pretty tedious, especially if regular cleaning keeps getting put off. I try not to let that happen. I don't really have time to do my own house, so I hire trusted cleaners to do it for me.

    Martha Freeman
    HJS Supply Co.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It’s really nice that you have overcome your initial hesitation towards spring cleaning. Anyway, spring cleaning is composed of a bunch of stuff that a lot of people are already doing everyday, such as sweeping the floors and eliminating dust. It's all the matter of getting into the groove of it, more than anything. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter. Cheers!

    Nathan Riley @ Steemer Atlanta

    ReplyDelete

. . . Good Tidings of Great Joy . . .

  . . . Good tidings of great joy . . . ~Luke 2:10 Pictured above are my daughter, Sarah, son-in-law, John, and their three girls, Virginia,...