The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. ~ Psalm 16:6 nasb

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Drudgery or Dominion?

Daily chores.  My days are sometimes seemingly consumed with maintenance, keeping the house clean and things running smoothly.  One day I was frustrated with how messy things had become after just a few days, so halfway through cleaning the kitchen, I started taking before-and-after pictures.  That always helps.  :)


Oh, the kitchen!  That's the never-ending cleaning chore, isn't it?  It looked like the above for about ten minutes--then the guys came in and decided they were really hungry.  I remind myself that this house, this home, is my domain, over which I am to take dominion!  The Lord has given this realm to me, and I am to subdue it.  Who says housewives--or whatever you want to call us--are weak?  Or empty-headed?  Or mindless slaves?


This is not merely cleaning.  Oh, no.  This is about creating beauty.  (Even if I'm not very good at it!)  I know that the Lord is the only One who truly can create beauty.  But I'm responsible for ordering, organizing, and arranging my environment so that it is a place of beauty.  First and foremost, I do this for the Lord.  The side benefit is that my environment is beautiful to me.  That makes me happy.  But the other reason I do it is for my family, for them to have a beautiful place in which to live, to relax, to interact.  Even if my men don't notice their beautiful environment, I believe it affects their sense of comfort and safety.


Taking dominion over this little realm isn't simply about cleaning; nor is it about creating beauty for the Lord, myself, and those around me.  I can arrange beautiful physical surroundings, and yet still be ugly in my heart--whether it is in my attitude, thoughts, actions, or words.  Just as it is a surrendering of my own selfish desires to perform these daily chores, I must surrender my heart to the Lord to work His beauty in me.  Arranging my home to be beautiful reminds me of this.


Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Psalm 96:6 NASB


Back to life,
Christine

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5 comments:

  1. CanadagirlMarch 13, 2012 at 12:10 PM

    You have such a lovely and inviting home. I have to admit I really struggle in this area. My home at this point would take some more work but the Lord has inspired me to get it under control. Please pray for me as I work at it this next couple of months. I need prayers for clarity and motivation.

    Blessings and ((HUGS))
    -Mary

    ReplyDelete
  2. PhiaMarch 13, 2012 at 5:14 PM

    Oh Mrs. Soto - *so* inspiring! I wish I could have chatted with you longer yesterday. =/

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 13, 2012 at 6:50 PM

    Sometime you should see my desk - it would make you cringe.

    Women have a calling every bit as important as men do.
    I think we men should congratulate them on it more often.

    So, I will.
    Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Illinois LoriMarch 14, 2012 at 2:36 PM

    You need a big, hairy, sheddy dog.

    :-D

    ReplyDelete
  5. ~the gambill gals~March 16, 2012 at 5:32 PM

    I so enjoyed the tour through your lovely home. Thanks for sharing.

    ~jane~

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your encouraging comments! I appreciate them very much, and will visit you in return. :)

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