Mrs. Proverbs did you Always have a Clean and Tidy Home?

I feel caught between Mrs. Proverbs standards and my own shortcomings, desires and the reality of my life. I can imagine if Mrs. Proverbs lived in our time her family, friends and neighbors would have been blessed, loving and admiring her. But would her home always have been spotless?

Being a family with three young children living cross culturally overseas means we have a busy life. There is endless guests coming through our home from just popping in to use the toilet to staying for a meal, meetings with coffee and cake and often people staying with us for a week or more at a time. I find myself constantly organizing things, cooking, cleaning, wiping down floors, toilets etc. The worst is me not feeling motivated to clean most of the time, or ever if I have to be honest.

I feel the constant stress between being a wife that serves my husband and family with love and respect. My husband appreciate and enjoys our family wearing ironed clothes. I dream of having a tidy and clean home. I dream of having coffee with friends, learning the language well, having solid relationships with my neighbors. Home School my children with excitement so they can excel and be what God would love them to become one day. Here just here is where I read through the beautiful story of The Woman of Proverbs and wonder where the balance is? A dear friend of mine has a sign at the entrance of her door: "It's either ME or the HOUSE we can't both look good!"

"Karin, how do you keep your house clean?" was a question a mother with young children asked me this week. At first I was embaressed because my house is not clean. Another lady added on: "Your house seems so neat and tidy always." My thoughts went to a week ago when we moved some furniture around and my husband jokingly said after a bed was moved away: "There is a whole person made from dust hiding under this bed!" "Well, I only clean the house ones a week, from top to bottom. It takes about three hours to work through. But everything has a place or box and gets put away after use. I believe totally in the power of wet wipes. Before guests comes over quickly wipe the toilet floor etc. down with wet wipes and flush some nice smelling disinfectant down the drain." I had to add with a smile.

The story in Proverbs about this lovely lady is inspiring, but I think I would love to know how she kept her home clean and tidy. Yes, she probably had multiple servants as we can see from verses in this piece. I had to come to a place in my heart checking into reality that I do not have servants but the dishwasher, washing machine could be added here for a modern perk. I would love to serve and honor my family with a clean home etc. In the heart of this "Woman of Proverbs" how would I do this?

My first stop would be at the foot of the Cross. I want to be honoring, worshiping and serving my Shepherd first. I want to honor Him first in all I do. Not driven but serving in love. How comforting that He knows, He sees and He is God. It is not ultimately in what I do and how clean my house is, but firstly about my heart in this. My prayer for us all walking this tight rope balancing life, may we know His heart for us. May we know when to sit at His feet and when to do what needs to happen.

"So Mrs. Proverbs I like to imagine you might have had "dust bunnies" collecting in the corners of your home at times but your heart had peace. You knew who your Maker was and what it meant to be at rest with life and its demands."