Every spring the robins build their nests,
the daffodils pop up, the tulips bloom and women everywhere clean their houses
from top to bottom—or at least that’s what Marty believes. He wonders why
spring doesn’t happen at our house.
Oh, the grass turns green, and soon he’s
mowing the lawn every week; the daffodils bloom, and I canvas for the Cancer
Society; but spring and cleaning are two words I have a hard time putting
together.
Some years I tell myself—and Marty—that I’m
waiting to begin on a perfect spring morning. Then I will be able to fling all
the windows open and hang out the bedding —an essential part of Marty’s idea
about spring cleaning.
Yet the longer I wait for a fine spring
day the more unlikely I’ll want to spend it indoors cleaning when I could be
outdoors enjoying.
Some years I’m too pregnant to clean; some
years I have a backache, and some years we simply move. This year we’re not
moving, I’m not pregnant, I don’t have a backache and my house is noticeably
gritty. I hate it when that happens.
Marty mentions the grime as much as he
dares; I’m very touchy on the subject. But knowing my house is dirty is
slightly more painful than cleaning it, so this year I am actually spring
cleaning.
For inspiration I’ve been asking friends
and acquaintances about their traditions and habits. A few admitted that they
enjoy this chore. One lady said cleaning is one of her favourite things to do.
One friend is so efficient she does her spring cleaning in February and fall-cleaning
in June.
But most people I talked to either dislike
spring cleaning or hate it. Some do it anyway. Some don’t. Some scrub walls,
floors and everything in sight. Others would rather paint over the dirt. Some make
it a family weekend project because both partners work outside the home
full-time.
Some people can do their entire house in a
week. I haven’t been inspired to that point, but I have decided to dedicate a
weekly morning to the chore. This is my fifth week and I’ve done the kitchen
(but not inside the cupboards), the washrooms, the hallways, and one bedroom. I
may be through by Christmas.
I will sprinkle clean water on you,
and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all
your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will
remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel
36:25–26)
My heart could use a good scrub. There are
cobwebs in the prayer room and the Bible study area. The worship room is filled
with all sorts of distracting trivia, while the other rooms are strewn with
selfishness, pride and discontent. I prayed for help. So now in addition to my
morning per week spring cleaning, I’m planning to spend an hour a day in private
devotions with the Lord.
It’s a plan. I tend to wonder which will
get cleaned up first—my heart or my house. I have a suspicion both are ongoing
projects.
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4 comments:
Marian, what a delightful face crackin' excerpt from your book!
Oh, but you do make your application point well. Serious business, this spiritual house-cleaning stuff, eh?
Serious but worth the effort.
I agree, who wants to stay inside and clean when we can be outside playing in the dirt, ie gardening!. I get outside as soon as I can, as soon as I can work a few inches of soil I'm planting pansies, later it's alyssum and snapdragons. All these tolerate cold and some snow. (Heck, pansies bloom in the snow.) Or I bundle in a heavy jacket and sit enjoying the outdoors, robins singing, etc. So, I'm with you. Fie on spring cleaning. I'd rather save it for a thick humid day in summer when it's too hot to garden. Then I'll stay indoors in the A/C and clean. (smile)
Thanks for this reminder, Marian. I need to do both the internal and the external cleaning, and like you, I expect this is a long term project.
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