Do you ever have an area in your life you wish you could install a “reset” button? I used to play a bit of Mario Bro. back in the day, and that little reset button was my best friend.
Mario is about to fall down the hole? Reset!
I do the same with my electronics. iPod acting up? Reset back to factory settings. One of the twins got ahold of the TV remote and changed the screen to stealth mode (it exists I swear!)? Reset!
I even do this with a bad day. I take a nap, however short may be and wake up to start over: reset!
Today, my home needs a reset button. I wish such a button existed. Or that magical fairies would reset our home to “factory standards” while I take a nap. Alas, I realize that I am the reset button. My efforts are what will take our home from chaotic tornado leftovers to welcoming sense of order and celebration.
Disclaimer 1:
May I just say that I am 100% ok with having a messy house. I have no problem inviting other messy humans into my very real home. However, I do believe that having an orderly and clean environment fosters an atmosphere of welcome to guests and spurs on diligence and discipline for those of us that live here.
Disclaimer 2:
I whole-heartedly believe in saying “no” to chores in order to say “yes” to big moments of ministry, family togetherness, and pursing quiet times with God. This has been our week thus far. And I celebrate my dirty dishes when their presence on my counter indicates my attentions have been kingdom minded (although not so much when my attentions are netflix-minded). Still, now we are moving into a season which incorporates our home as the main sanctuary for rest and discipleship for our college students. Thus, Reset Home Base becomes the next task of the 5 Week Refocus Challenge.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.Proverbs 31:27
The Plan:
My strategy is to clean in short bursts between writing this post. First up: clean out the car. After our ministry overnight retreat, which included the dog, two babies, and half our kitchen, the Pirate Ship (my savvy name for our huge family suburban) needs to be reset…
(1 hour later)
Well, the car is clean, but the kids managed to open a ziplock bag of dog food in the entry way. I don’t know when they figured out how to open a ziplock bag, but it’s a new level of clever. Twins got skills, I’m telling you. With dog food everywhere, including the kids mouths, my next goal is to reset the living space. I imprison the children in the playroom for 10 minutes while I sweep up the puppy chow, only to return to a playroom covered in diapers. Evi managed to pull out all the diapers from a bag I left on the guest bed.
Long story short, the kids are setting the reset agenda for me. And making it feel like a never ending task.
(Next hour)
Nap time is a glorious productivity enhancer! I have now successfully rendered the kitchen, living room, and hallway back to order. (Check Instagram for the before and after photos) And yet, I’ve more to do, so I am going to finish this post so I can be singleminded as I clean.
4 Tips to Reset Your Home-Base:
Clean Sweep: My mom always taught me to start at the door and work your way around the room. Pick up any item in your path and put it WHERE IT BELONGS. Don’t make piles.
Deal with Piles: Ok, I don’t follow all of my mom’s advice. I am a pile maker, people. I make piles of items based on their final location: bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, laundry, etc. My problem is, I sometimes forget the piles, and the piles become unpiled, and I’m back to square one. Don’t move on to the next task without rendering the piles finished. And don’t just shift piles from one room to the next. Find a home for everything
Clean top to bottom: Mom taught us a handy trick: while you are picking up, use a dust rag to sweep surfaces top to bottom, that way you won’t miss any bobby pins or knick-knacks out of place. Clever way to get us to dust, mom.
Focus on the small tasks: I’m putting laundry away one second, the next I am full-on cleaning out my closet. Meanwhile the rest of the house suffers my lack of attention. For my own sanity, I need to schedule big chores, to set-aside time later to tackle them so I can focus on the quick reset needed at the moment.
Whether your home-base is your house, your car, your bedroom, your office, or your bathroom, take some time to re-set it. Clear out the clutter, distractions, and evidence of wear-and-tear to make your space effective to launch you into your day, your worship, and your ministry to this world.
Week 2 Challenge:
- Monday, Aug. 17: List 5 ways you can worship God and start your day right in the morning.
- Tuesday, Aug 18: make a be-still plan.
- Wednesday, Aug 19: Download the free background for your phone, and start memorizing Psalms 46:10
- Thursday, August 20: Reset your home base, and share a before/after pic of the reset on instagram or Facebook using #resettinghomebase #5weekrefocuschallenge
- Friday, August 21: Take a break from all the busywork and re-read (see what I did there) Reinstating Stillness.
- Saturday, August 22: Return here for a recap of Week 2 (and don’t forget to use #5weekrefocuschallenge so your instagram and Facebook posts can be featured here!)
Check-in:
What do you consider home-base and how do you reset it each season?