Every year before school starts, my husband gives both my son and me a priesthood blessing. For my son, we have done this since kindergarten. It is to give him comfort and guidance for the coming school year. And now that we home school, I get a blessing too so that God can guide me as a teacher.
A Surprise Blessing
This year the blessing I got from the Lord was different than I expected. Along with the comfort and peace, the Lord blessed me with an unexpected gift. He blessed me that I would enjoy the details of housework.
If you know me, that was a stunning gift. I’m an artist type. I thrive doing my creative work. And making meals, doing laundry and housework most often are a nuisance that I try to avoid.
But as the mom, and often the only parent available, things in the house fall apart without me. So I have grudgingly done all the things I needed to do. And most of the time felt like a drudge doing it. But this blessing was such a wonderful shock. And the Lord has come through for me big time.
A complete change
My house usually looks like a bomb went off. But I know it stresses my sweet son out to live in chaos. And since I have suddenly started enjoying housework, you’d never recognize the place.
The countertops are clear. The floors are clean, the dishes are done, and the laundry is put away instead of folded in a pile on the couch.
I even dove head-first into the storage room in the basement and sorted through years of extra stuff. I got rid of seasonal decor I don’t like anymore. I donated toys my son has outgrown and is willing to part with. And I’ve opened cabinets and found items that expired years ago and tossed them out.
I feel a new freedom
It’s so liberating to let go of the things that we don’t need or use. It has opened space up, and now the clutter that crowded every surface is put away in an organized fashion. And the house feels so much bigger!
I’d like to say that it’s because I have started following a new group that taught me to organize. But it’s all on the Lord- it was all thanks to His gift of enjoying housework. Suddenly things just made sense!
On a side note, I did try to follow a few different organizational methods years ago. The Home Edit and Marie Kondo were both favorites. But nobody told me that if you want to have room to put things away you need to empty closets of things you don’t need anymore. All they ever said was not to let clutter build up and make the closets look pretty.
The dots connect!
But somehow they never connected the dots for me. It wasn’t until the Lord opened my eyes that I started loving making room in our home so we could live in a peaceful and clean environment. It’s such a wonderful blessing.
I’m so grateful for the Lord and His gifts. I am grateful for the power of the priesthood that has been restored in these latter days. And I’m so glad my husband lives his life so he is worthy to give me a priesthood blessing when I need it.
God surprised me this time and granted my whole family a new way to live. I am determined to continue the trend and get every closet and cabinet cleaned out. I can see the difference it has made for my son. His stress levels are much lower. And we both feel liberated. Who knew that donating things you don’t use anymore could literally lift a weight off your shoulders? It’s wonderful!
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