Tuesday, October 7, 2008

What I learned from my housekeeping abilities (or lack thereof)

There is A LOT to be done in order to achieve excellence in homekeeping. The deficit in cleanliness and orderliness is staggering. I could work all day, everyday, never taking a rest (or at least very rarely) and the work is still never done.

Never. Never. Never.

Not one day in my life have I gone to bed thinking "Well, there you go. I have completed all the work that needs to be done in my home and in my family." There is always an extra project to work on, a gift to make, a meal to prepare in advance, a school unit to write, a report to correct, a shirt to mend....it is never finished.

Never. Never. Ne.ver...

I want desperately for my efforts to be good enough. I want to know that the work I did was sufficient for the job ahead of me.

It isn't. It hasn't been. It won't be.

Ah yes. And now it sinks in.

I will never be good enough for Jesus either.

I cannot work, serve, give, love, believe, hope, try, want, obey, or think enough to be good enough or to pay off the sin deficit that I have, that I contribute to each and every second of my life. No matter how hard I try I will never say "Ha, there we go. I got it all done today. I bet God is really impressed with my effort on this one."

Only, only, only, ONLY through Christ's sacrifice can I be saved. I'm still not good enough. Still can't be. But His blood over me hides all my sin and washes it away.

And you know what? It makes me cry (with Joy? With Relief? With Incomprehension?)when I read that Christ said "It is finished". At least one part of my life is done. Completed. Accomplished.

Sola Fide. Sola Gratia.

Lord let me remember every day that I work in what seems like futility that I cannot do it all. And that is exactly the point. I Can't. But You Have. Thank you.

Now back to my vacuuming...

3 comments:

Lindy said...

Thank you for sharing these thoughts today. I usually feel that trying to clean with small children in the house is like trying to shovel snow in a blizzard. And that housework could be manageable if only no one lived in the house! I am grateful that cleaning up my life does not depend upon me... I needed to hear this today. :)

timheerebout said...

great post Barbara. A fantastic thought. Well written. Whitty. All of the very things we know you to be. Fantastic!

halfpint said...

That is exactly what I have been thinking the past couple of days. I'm afraid it was only the housework part though. I needed the reminder that 'something is done' thank-you for telling me again that I have a solid rock to stand on.....