Wednesdays

Wednesday is my "task" day off.  It's the perfect day in the middle of the week to just get things done.  Like cleaning, grocery shopping, and laundry.  The "meh" duties that just have to get done every week.    On days like today, I like to throw a little "refreshing" into the blah cleaning routine.  Refreshing is more fun that cleaning.  Now, you can't really refresh unless you have also cleaned, or it kind of spoils the effect.  But, for me it's what makes me feel like the cleaning was really worth it.

What is "refreshing" you ask?  Well, it's the little stuff.  Like putting some fresh flowers or greenery in a vase on the kitchen table.  Setting out some fresh fruit in a bowl.  Fluffing your pillows.  Changing out your pillows.  Changing a picture in a frame. The little details that make home a nice place.  It helps your home feel fresh and seasonal without breaking the bank or taking up hours of your time.

A new addition for me is this chalkboard in my dining room.  I already had the frame (more on what I moved out of there later) and the chalkboard paint, so all I had to do was buy the plywood to paint and put in the frame.  Minimal investment- both financially and of time.  For a while I've wanted a way to change out quotes or verses in a visual display at the house easily.  Why I never thought of a chalkboard here I don't know, but I love it now that I have it.  Part of refreshing today was putting a new verse on there.

God works in mysterious ways.  I had the idea while I was cleaning today to post on refreshing your home.  Every last piece of my (multiple) Bible studies have been throwing little "repentance" darts my way.  Apparently God is trying to get my attention.  After my class tonight, I came home and this verse just popped into my head.  The two ideas, repentance and refreshing had never been linked in my mind before.  What a beautiful picture of how God works in our lives.  When we start hearing the call to repentance all we see is usually what we are turning away from and giving up.  What if we turned our eyes to what we are getting? Seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Just like you have to clean first to be able to see and appreciate your freshening (I mean, you don't notice a vase of flowers amidst a table full of clutter), God wants us to allow Him to clean our spiritual house first. He can take our lifeless, dull, soul homes and spiff them up with flowers that last more than a few days.  For seasons.