I don’t write much about my homemaker duties, because that would defeat the purpose of writing as a means of escape from this life of mine in which something always needs cleaning. But something pretty cool happened recently that actually has to do with cleaning products – and God. It turns out that cleaning the kitchen is not of the devil, after all…
The story begins with 40 pounds of beef. Even those of you who don’t know Big Boy personally could probably guess (based on his nickname and his picture) that he is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy, and you’d almost be right. He is actually a meat-and-more-meat kind of guy. So when I found a way to buy some quality lean ground beef at a good price, I went for it. The only catch was that the smallest amount I could buy was 40 pounds. (If you happen to be interested, I bought it from Zaycon Foods. Please note that this is my referral link.)
Boy 1 is showing that one 10-pound "log" of beef is as long as his arm,
and that he is apparently incapable of keeping his eyes open when the shutter opens.
When I got the beef home, I began the process of dividing it up, freezing some raw, freezing some cooked, making meatballs, meat loaf, etc. It was a messy process. I went through a lot of paper towels.
At some point along the way I had to set the meat aside and fix some food for Boy 2. (The only person on earth with a shorter list of foods which he is willing to eat than Big Boy is Boy 2. He is a fruit-and-dairy guy.) I put my dirty cutting board in the dishwasher, washed my hands within an inch of their lives, and wiped down the kitchen counter with disinfecting cleaner. I got out a clean cutting board and washed some strawberries. In transit from the sink to the board, I dropped one of the strawberries on the counter, and instantly thought, Aw, dang! Now I have to wash that strawberry again.
As I re-plunged the wayward berry under the water, I realized something was wrong with this situation.
I just cleaned the counter. If the counter is so CLEAN, why would I not want my child to eat a strawberry that touched it?
So, yeah, I knew I had a problem. I didn’t really have a clue what the solution would be.
The very next day I was browsing around on Pinterest (another good way to avoid cleaning, I might add) and I saw this:
For the instructions which go along with this brilliant idea, click here.
I declare, my fingers knew something my brain had not yet realized when I re-pinned it and typed in my own note: “I believe a prayer has just been answered!”
Y’all, a prayer was answered, but it was a prayer I never uttered. I would love to tell you that after the strawberry incident, I went into my room and asked God to help me figure out how to make this home in which my beloved children and husband live truly cleaner. I would love to tell you that because it would make me sound so good! But it didn’t happen that way. I didn’t take my problem to God… yet She* gave me the answer anyway.
Yesterday I poured my orange-infused vinegar into a cheapo spray bottle and cleaned the heck out of the kitchen and bathrooms. I’m not going to tell you it was magically fun, but it really did work, and I didn’t get choked up by a ghastly chemical smell. And I feel better, I really do, about cleaning with natural ingredients. It’s good to know I’m doing something right in this mom/wife business.
Sometimes I feel frustrated and even mad at God for not answering my prayers. I’ve got a couple of those right now, to be honest. But then God goes and does something like this – gives me something at just the right moment – and I’m reminded that She is so in tune with me that She knows what I need even when I don’t think to ask.
Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. [The Spirit] does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. [The Spirit] knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.
-Romans 8:26-27 (The Message)
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