Cleaning, Shining, and Glorifying

They were grooming me way back then to become a housewife, homemaker, domestic engineer…whatever you want to call it.  I call it a holy work.  Please don't think that makes me sound like I have a big head, certainly not!   I’ve learned that if we work as if working for the Lord, then all our work becomes holy. 

Their grooming worked. I’ve been a homemaker for almost 30 years now and have always loved it. I figured if Jesus lives in my heart, then He is in my home as well.  So, when I sweep the floors, I sweep for Him.  When I wash the dishes, I wash for Him.  When I clean the porcelain bowls in the lavatory, yes even that, I clean for Him.  The one job where I have to put effort in having joy is ironing, my least favorite job.  But when I praise Him through each swipe of the iron, and thank him that I have a husband who is faithful in his work that requires these shirts he wears, that he has a job at all, and that I am healthy and strong enough to be ironing, I begin to glorify Him in this job and my heart bubbles with joy that otherwise could be bogged down in drudgery.  And so I thank him for my ironing board, iron, and clothing.  I thank Him that we have indoor plumbing and even for that cottony, quilted paper hanging on the roll.  I don’t mind cleaning, shining, and washing because it means He has blessed me with a family to clean for and a home to be cleaned.  These last two winters as I have met the homeless, I’m sure they wish for a floor to sweep, a bed to make, and fridge to clean out.  And I’m thankful that I live in the time era that I do.  For our grandmothers, it was a little more work.  I read this article below in the Historical News Paper and had to smile…it reminded me of helping my grandmother with the laundry when I was a little one. . .

Washing Machine Recipe

Years ago an Alabama Grandmother gave the new bride the flowing recipe:

Washing Clothes



Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water.  Set tubs so smoke won’t blow in eyes if wind is pert.  Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin’ water.

Sort things, make 3 piles

1 pile white

1 pile colored

1pile work britches and rags

To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.

Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, then rub colored, don’t boil, just wrench and starch.

Hang old rags on fence

Spread tea towels on grass

Pore wrench water in flower bed

Scrub porch with hot soapy water.

Turn tubs upside down.

Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

I’ve always been thankful but Ann Voskamp of 1000 Blessings, had taught me to look even further, deeper, with wider eyes to see the gifts that can so easily slip by.  She says, “when I give thanks for the seemingly microscopic, I make a place for God to grow within me.  This makes me full, and I magnify Him with thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:30)

What are you thankful for?

159.  thick, cottony, quilted paper
160.  brooms, mops, and steam machines
161.  lemon and pine scented cleaners
162.  old t-shirts for great dust cloths
163.  coffee filters for sparkling windows
164.  pretty, colored sponges
165.  clorox to make that porcelain shiny clean
166.  mountain air soap for laundry
167.  fresh air scented dryer sheets that laundry soft
168.  modern day washing machine and dryer
169.  being able to feel joy in what could be the mundane and glorifigying the Lord through daily work

Things to do with those old wash tubs. . .

Happy Cleaning!