- Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks. -
I have a problem. I am a compulsive cleaner.
That doesn’t mean everything I own is spotless. Rather I cannot feel at rest while something in my house is dirty.
If the dishes are filling up the kitchen sink, I feel every single one of them, including the time and effort it will take to clean them.
Can I sit on the couch and be lazy? Sure, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not thinking about what needs to be done.
It makes my rest restless. Now, I think in some ways this emotion is common to most people, but I do believe, especially in my conversations with others, I feel it more acutely.
It is one of the reasons I feel disconnected from a common comment from those within my generation regarding home ownership.
I hate home ownership. Something is always breaking!
My initial thought is of course it is. Even with my predilections, I find a part of the emotion they are communicating within my own chest as well.
I want to spend most of my time relaxing and enjoying the conveniences of modern life. If I’m really honest, one of the reasons I work so hard is so I can sit around.
So, what can I do? Well, if I decide to rest more than I want to work and maintain my home, what is the consequence too that?
The roof caves in. The house leaks. The floors creak. The HVAC system gets ivy in the motor. That mold keeps growing.
Houses tend to fall apart on their own. They need no encouragement from us to start being run down and ragged.
The real truth? This is everything in our lives. Even marriages and the like will begin to crumble if we do not take the time to make them special or provide the routine maintenance they need.
The question then becomes why ever own a home? It’s a chore you have to work through your whole life! Why would you give that to yourself.
Perhaps you might even ask the question, why get married. Who wants the extra burden in their life of taking care of someone else.
Isn’t life complicated enough with all the other problems that it has thrown your way? Why put more work on your back and make things more difficult?
The answer is simple. Have you been in a home? It is a house that has been cared for. It provides more to your life than the good itself.
Have you ever been in love with your spouse for years after you have been married? It is better than being married for one year even with all the newness of the relationship.
The maintenance creates safety, security, and acceptance. The work, even if its mundane provides a real security that makes your life more at rest.
There is that word again. Work leads to a deeper rest. It is a removal of all the snakes from underneath the floorboards. It is not accepting a stone that hasn’t been flipped over.
Once you know that there are no unknowns throughout your house, your rest can become deeper because you and your family have made it a home.
How much more than our Savior and His work that has made our eternal house a True home.
May we trust in His great work.
Housekeeping – Hey everyone, Katie and I have made the decision to proceed with a surrogate for at least one of our three “snow babies.”
With that all being said, I’m picking up a second job and she will be working overtime as well to help pay for this and potentially future transfers.
For the foreseeable future, Broken Wheel is going to a once-a-week post on Wednesday. If this changes how you want to contribute, no hard feelings.
Thanks for going on this journey with me! I am determined to finish this project and have loved every time I’ve had the opportunity to write here.
Have a great rest of your week, and God bless.
Ecclesiastes 10:18