“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly… Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another.”1 Peter 4:8-10
Dearest Daughters,
As we bring our six-week focus on housekeeping tips to a close, I want to leave you with one more practical skill, but above all, with a few final perspectives on homemaking itself.
The practical skill is one I learned years ago from Sink Reflections by the FlyLady. I may have altered it a bit over the past two decades, but this is the way I adapted it in my own home. She had much good advice, some which fit my lifestyle and some did not. But this one has been part of my housekeeping ever since.
Take two bags, one for trash and one for giving away to charity, Goodwill, or a neighbor. You might even add a third bag for a garage sale or fundraiser. Then set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes and head into the closet, dresser, pantry, or storage area you want to tackle. See how full you can get those bags before the timer rings.
I especially loved doing this in the fall with the children’s toys. Christmas was coming, relatives would soon be sending gifts, and I wanted their toy bins to have room to not overflow! I’d quickly gather broken toys for the trash, toys they had long outgrown or no longer enjoyed for the giveaway bag, and occasionally a few nicer items for a garage sale.
It was amazing how much lighter the room felt simply from removing the excess!
Although I usually set the timer for only ten or fifteen minutes, I often found myself finishing the entire project, or at least accomplishing far more than I expected.
The same method worked beautifully with my own closet. Perhaps not the entire closet at once, but one section at a time. One day the dresser drawers. Another day the upper shelf. Another day the hanging clothes. Pull everything out, don’t be afraid of the temporary mess, and sort quickly into the three bags.
You’d be surprised how much can be accomplished in fifteen focused minutes. An entire child’s dresser can often be finished in that time. I found I could usually do about a quarter of my own closet, and since Dad and I share one closet, that meant nearly half of one person’s belongings. Two short sessions in a day, and most of the closet was finished.
I’ve even used this method in the pantry, the kitchen cupboards, and storage sheds. It’s a wonderfully refreshing way to declutter without feeling overwhelmed.
But now, let me leave you with what matters most. Do not look at housekeeping as a job to get through. Look at it as membership in a community of homemakers—a community you have the privilege of joining.
It may take a little Olympic training to reach your goals, but you made it into the club. Hallelujah!
Homemaking is not about who has the cleanest house or the prettiest decorations, but about who has created a home: a place of peace, love, welcome, and belonging.
Ironically, when that becomes your goal, your house often becomes cleaner as well. More importantly, it becomes a place where your husband can rest, your children can flourish, and your guests can find peace and friendship.
And please, never compare yourselves among yourselves. As I mentioned in an earlier letter, there are seasons when homes are naturally more cluttered than others. A house full of toddlers may stay tidy for only a few moments at a time, perhaps only while everyone is asleep. An empty nest may remain orderly for days, but both can be beautiful seasons.
Do not judge your sisters, and they will not judge you. Instead, build a sisterhood, a community of homemakers who encourage and support one another through every season of life.
I think of the words of that wonderful song:
“All of my life, in every season, You are still God. I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship.”
Let Him be Lord of every season, of the attitudes and the atmosphere of your home, and in time He will also become Lord of the tidiness, the meals, the schedule, and the countless ordinary tasks that make up a faithful life, because you are on a journey with Him, and the goal is up ahead!
I love you all.
I pray you discover the deep joy that can only be found in making a true home.
Welcome to the community of homemakers!
Love,
Mom