Taking pride in our homes ... whaaa?

You know something? Taking pride in my home seems like a foreign concept. The idea that I wouldn't be terrified of unexpected company is just plain weird. Who doesn't rush to pick up socks, throw dirty dishes in the oven (oh, yes I did), and swipe down the toilet seat as fast as possible while yelling, "JUST A MINUTE! OR SEVEN!"?

I mean, they're called chores for a reason, right? You do them because you have to ... and because you don't want fifteen thousand dog hairs magically migrating to your quesadilla. Take it from me: hairy quesadillas = not appetizing.

According to the Word, this is not the way we're supposed to approach housework.

soooo not there yet

Proverbs 31:10 and 15-18 (MSG)

A good woman is hard to find and worth far more than diamonds ...

First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.

She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.

She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking.

Whaaaa?

I don't know about you, but that passage of scripture makes me feel like a loser. What if I don't manage to drag myself out of bed until 10:30? What if I stay in my pajamas all.day.long? And what if I just don't want to clean the house?

What is the gist of Proverbs 31, anyway? Basically, what it says is that it is our job to care for our homes. And we should want to do it. And be good at it.

Did your feminist side just flinch?

Somewhere amid the bra-tossing (the burning thing was a myth propagated by the media), we lost the concept of taking pride in our homes. Women were afraid retaining any June Cleaver-esque traits would destroy their hope for equality. Now, I am by no means condoning a machismo society. I do not believe women should have to be submissive doormats. Just ask my husband.

I do think we "threw the baby out with the bath water", however. In striving to gain independence, we shunned all things female. We forgot to celebrate the true amazing-ness of women because we were trying to be like men.

True freedom comes when women realize they are perfectly equipped to care for their family, not from wearing (or not wearing) a bra. Let's face it, though, if you've had a kid, you should probably wear a bra. Nipples are not supposed to point toward China.

Women are amazing. We are the only creatures on earth who can nurse a baby, wash the dishes, call the Internet people AGAIN, make dinner, and vacuum ALL AT THE SAME TIME. And really, what man can GROW HUMAN BEINGS? Whether you are a SAHM, a full-time mom, a work-at-home mom, or something else, you are divinely equipped for this job.

I will be the first to admit I swing wildly from one extreme to the other when it comes to housework. One week my house will look like I got bit by a rabid Martha Stewart and the next week it will seem like a tornado (AKA Husband) went through and dirtied every.single.fork.we.own. Some days I think, "I should NOT have to clean month-old tuna out of my refrigerator!" Other days, you will find me scrubbing the bathroom baseboards with my husband's old toothbrush.

I know it is my job to keep this house in order (ugh, that's hard to choke down). And I know that I am completely able and equipped to do it and do it well. But at the moment, my home is a source of guilt, not pride.

For two years, I haven't been able to get with a schedule I can maintain. I need to find some sort of balance if I'm ever going to have the home of a Proverbs 31 woman.

Soooo, I've signed up for this thing called FlyLady. All I'm doing right now are the Baby Steps (baby steps, Bob, baby steps). I'm hoping this will help me tap into that Proverbs 31 grace.

TGFB = Thank God for bras!

Caiti

For more information about the Proverbs 31 woman, check out my mom's book HERE. She draws some fantastic parallels between Proverbs 31 and the bride of Christ.

I was not paid or perked for this blog post. Just wanted to talk about something that might help my fellow mommies out!