Does My Outlet Make Me Odd?

I might very well be nutty. You’ll have to let me know, okay?

I like to clean my house. There, I said it. The first step is admitting I have a problem, right? So, am I nutso? I can’t be the only one out there… I’ll find myself randomly wandering around with a bottle of Thieves cleaner and a rag… And then I’ll rearrange decor, move some furniture, and swap out the throw pillows.

I like to clean and decorate my home!

I’ve always been a neat and organized person. Friends will call me to help clean out a room, reorganize a space, and rearrange, redecorate, or stage a space. Oh, it makes my heart happy. (Note to self: possible future career path.) Cleaning is stress relieving for me so after a bad day, you can bet I’ll be scrubbing SOMETHING!

Now here’s the catch. I don’t have my own place to clean or decorate right now because we are squatting at my MIL’s house for a while. And, on top of that, it took me moving out of my own home to realize that my joy, my passion, and a bit of my identity comes from creating and maintaining a pleasant, clean, and pretty home for my family. That’s who I am.

Now I have no doubt that we are right where God wants us at this moment and I also believe that He is growing me during this time. Don’t get me wrong, my MIL and I have a good relationship and we’re managing just fine cohabitating. However, it IS her house. It’s her furniture, her decor, and her cleaning lady. And ALL of that is well and good. But what’s a gal like me supposed to do?

Managing without my own home…

Glad you asked! Here’s what I do. Pray. A. Lot. There are lessons to be learned during this temporary situation and I want to make sure I learn them well. One lesson I’ve learned is that I have my own ideas of how God is supposed to make things happen.

Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course but the Lord determines his steps.

Have mercy! Well, ain’t that the truth! God answered our prayers, just not how we expected. Right now, my job is to rest in God’s peace until I can clean my own house and rearrange my own doodads again.

Ecclesiastes 3:11. He has made everything beautiful in its time.

In God’s own time, I will have my own home again. I know that. But right now is a beautiful time too if I look for it. The responsibilities of maintaining the home aren’t mine to bear. I can help, but I’m not the major player here.

These are truths I know, but I still have a few coping mechanisms in play. I visit my kids. I clean, I decorate, I rearrange – and it’s their homes and their stuff. They just look at me and let me go because they know I need it! Oh, and when my MIL goes out, I clean when no one is looking! 😉 If you stop by and I’m the only one home I may be wandering around with my sprayer of Thieves cleaner, so grab a rag and jump in! So anyway, if all of this makes me an oddball, I guess that’s how I was meant to be!

Here’s to Homemaking!