I spent most of this morning doing housecleaning ,I mean literally housecleaning. I finally got around to some of the things that Val had asked me to do. As I was cleaning I thought of my mother..espy when I got to the bathroom. Let me explain. See my mother was not one of those that just let you clean with a hit and miss approach. Nope! Mama took you to every place that needed to be cleaned and demonstrated in detail how it was supposed to be done. For some reason I have always remembered her showing me how the bathroom was supposed to be cleaned. She would show me behind the toilet bowl..under the sink, the floor how it should be cleaned and how it should look when you were done! And you couldn't go outside until she came and inspected and it passed her seal of approval! So as I was cleaning the bathrooms and washing dishes and mopping floors this morning I thought of my mother Malettor Cross and was laughing my butt off! I used to hate cleaning and ironing clothes and housework and used to think "How is this going to help me in life! I aint going into housework for a career! And don't get me to talking about the folding clothes parties! (you gotta ask my sisters and brothers about that one) Oh by the way- there are 11 of us 5- girls 6 boys and Mama certainly didn't play that "housework is a girls job!" everybody was taught how to clean and had chores.
I remember how easy it was for me when I went to boot camp and the first thing you learned was how to fold your clothes the Navy way. It was easy for me because of all the folding clothes party that my Mother made me be part of. One of the things that Val said earlier in our marriage- "well at least you clean good! " Lol! Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way
he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" Powerful verse on every level, I can remember many times as I struggled to get clean and even sitting in crack houses thinking "My parents didn't raise (train) me like this" As you struggle through recovery or just life on life's terms how are you training your children ? Even the little things like "how to clean a toilet or fold clothes" can be an important reminder of the impact they left on your life. Ok..I gotta go see if the kitchen floor is dry!...and Mama..you can stop laughing now!
Btw- cleaning the carpet in the morning!..brotha is tired!!!
Stay focused!
Pastor Tim
