Desperate: Chapter 9

I must admit that I laughed when I looked at the topic of this chapter and started to write this post. Why? Because this chapter was all about cleaning and taking care of our homes. This has been my biggest struggle lately.

Keeping a cleanish and organized home is a monotonous task that I'm not found of. It's frustrating to have to do the same things over and over again.

I cook. They want to eat again.

I mop the floor. They spill something again.

I wash clothes. They wear the clothes again.

But in all seriousness, with working from home, homeschooling, and having little boys, keeping my house is difficult. Keeping my home in order is a difficult task. I read Sarah Mae's ebook 31 Days to Clean a while back and it really changed my mindset. It didn't make things easier, but it made it easier on my heart.

Then everything fell apart last August when I found out I was pregnant with Baby #3. I was so sick that I couldn't get out of bed for days at a time. This eased up during the second trimester, but came back again in the third trimester. There are piles of dishes, messes on the floor, mountains of laundry, and dirty bathrooms all taunting me. Even now, there are massive piles of dishes, we've eaten out too much, and there's are stains on my living room carpet. They've been telling me what a terrible mom I am. You're in bed all the time and getting nothing done. You are nothing.

Have you heard those voices before? Those voices are straight from Satan. The condition of your house is not who you are.

I had to accept help during this season. This was hard because the mess was so embarrassing. A friend has come several time to help with my kitchen, laundry, and bathrooms. I have to rely more on my husband and be content with what he's able to accomplish and how he does the tasks.

Stop striving for perfection. Even in the best of times, I don't want my house to be a museum. I don't want my home to be so pristine that my family feels like it's not a place to live in. I want my home to be a home. The point is to find balance for whatever season you're in. Your home should bring joy to your family, not stress.

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It's your turn. Share your thoughts on this chapter of Desperate in the comments here or on Jodi's post. If you've written about this chapter on your own blog, feel free to leave the link in the comments.