Today’s post comes from one of our favorites, Lorraine Strohbehn (Brenda’s mom)!
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It’s already the end of January! The holidays with family and friends are long past, and it’s that time again. Yes, it’s time to clean the cupboards!
When I tackle this start-of-the-year task, I begin at one end and take everything out behind the first set of doors, wash things that haven’t been used often, wipe the shelves with soapy water, dry them, and return the dishes. I usually just return them to their original places, because those places were chosen early on so that items are stored nearest to where they are used.
Rather than taking on the entire project at once, I do only two or three sections each day. The one that takes longest is the area where I keep my spices, followed by the section with special kinds of flour. (A funny side note: This year I discarded my angel food cake flour, which had expired in 2011. With my failing vision, somehow I had seen it as 2017 before!)
Once I complete the upper cupboards, I do the lower ones, then under the sink, and finally the oven. With the inside areas complete, I give the outside surfaces their Murphy’s Oil Soap wash, and the job’s done!
The next week, I do bathrooms in the same way.
No, things don’t look any different to anyone else, but I know they are clean, and I love it! As I work on this project, I am once again reminded that the Lord has faithfully entrusted to me everything that I need.
Early in the year, it is a great habit to do the same spiritual inventory and cleaning that we do with our cupboards. For example, we should ask: “What worked well last year for my daily time with the Lord?” and “What should I change?” Because of my impaired vision, I now must listen to the Word instead of reading it, requiring a change of plans. For the past several years, I could read my Bible chronologically. Now I need to read (listen) beginning in Genesis and go straight through. Regardless of the sequence or methods, it’s always a blessing to begin each day with the cleansing power of God’s Word (see Ephesians 5:25–27, which surely can apply to all of us though it speaks especially to husbands).
The challenges we find in God’s Word are a daily joy, but if there is something in our lives that needs change or a talent or skill that we have not been using to its fullest, the early months of the new year can be a catalyst to take action. Let’s strive to have things decent and in order (see 1 Corinthians 14:40) so that we have the peace of knowing that all is well with the Lord, and that we are ready for another year to serve Him!
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Lorraine Strohbehn, Brenda’s mom, occasionally contributes posts to Petals from the Basket.
Her wisdom, experience, and advice make her a reader-favorite contributor!
To read more from Lorraine, you may click here
to purchase her book Petals of Wisdom from Grandma on Amazon!
