Down Mulberry Lane

I learned how to clean from my daughter...

Our Christmas tree is finally decorated.  We put the tree up last week, but no one wanted to put lights on the tree.  But yesterday, my Megan decided she would do that.  She was quite the busy bee yesterday.  We finished up some odds and ends from school that we hadn't gotten done last week, then we cleaned up from the past couple days of comings and goings. 

After watching Megan clean and get much of it done in such a quick fashion... I mean she really buzzed the house, I realized I have some stuff to learn from her!  I am such a perfectionist that I would take me all day to clean one room to my satisfaction... taking an hour to dust a piece, as I would then take all the drawers out and clean them one by one and then sort all the stuff in that drawer... I just get carried away and then it takes FOREVER to get the entire house done... but Megan just went to work, vacumned, swept, piled items to destinations and then dropped them off and it all looked very nice.  Her goal was to pick up... to clean the major messes (like fuzzed up carpet, dirty wood floors, etc.)  She didn't linger on the minor details (that's where I get lost!)  I looked in the bathroom... sink was clean, floor swept and it looked quite nice and I looked and saw she didn't empty the dirty laundry, just made sure it was all in the basket for when I do laundry next time.  Funny how just seeing that step averted... made me think... why do I think that every time I clean a room, I have to completely take it apart and clean it with a toothbrush?  Why can't I save dusting... for another time and do all my dusting at the same time?  Why not leave the laundry in the bathroom basket until I'm ready to do the laundry?  I began to realize that I often add steps to my day's work that are not needed and likely cause me to lose alot of time.  I deviate from the task of Picking up... to one of detailed cleaning! 

Well, I've got much to ponder on how to incorporate this into my life... How do I accomplish the task at hand?  How do I pick up with out getting carried away in the silverware drawer once again!  I realized I am fanatical about my kitchen organization... when the kids put things away in a wrong drawer... it literally drives me nuts!  I will spend an hour cleaning the kitchen reorganizing it to my specific needs before making a meal, even... no wonder my meals are NEVER on time!  Oh to let loose of these details without losing my mind! 

What a wonder that God will use our own children to show us our own weaknesses, yet within that I was given the power to change!  God is good!  I pray that God will give me the strength to change in this area that He has led my heart to change. 

Warmly, ~Melissa