Spring Cleaning

Does anyone except us older ladies do 'spring cleaning' anymore?  In case you're not familiar with this, I grew up helping Mom and Granny clean first our house, then Granny's house twice a year, from top to bottom.  During the week before Easter and the week before Christmas, every surface would be cleaned.  And every closet and drawer would be taken apart, organized, and cleaned.  This was very hard work!

The house got especially dirty and greasy when we had the old furnaces with COAL HEAT.  Imagine a fine black powder throughout the house.  There was NO filter on the furnaces.  Walls were washed down, rugs were taken up, hung outside on the clothes line and beaten to get out the dirt.  Meanwhile, the wood floors were stripped of wax then re-waxed.  The best dishes were taken out of the dining room cabinet and washed even though they were rarely used. All furniture had to be 'oiled' (all of it was wood back then).

Grandma had wallpaper on her walls. She had this professionally cleaned.  It looked like the worker had a big ball of an eraser and just started going over all the walls with it.

The first year we children helped clean, I was perhaps ten years old.  Grandma told us, "If you help clean, at the end of the week, we'll go to Dairy Queen and you can have the biggest ice cream cone they make!"  This was a good reward for me.  I'm not sure how much actual help I was then.

Fortunately, praise the Lord, my house now does not get very dusty.  I make a list of everything that needs cleaning - cabinets, windows, floors, carpets, and try to do what I can.  I check off my list as I go - it makes me feel like I've accomplished something.

All the cleaning continues through the summer because I can't commit a whole week to just clean.  But it has me thinking: what is there about my 'attitude' that needs cleaning up?  I try not to be prejudiced, I try to never give up on people but I'm sure I can use a 'clean-up' here or there!

Lord, You and I both know my soul needs cleaning now and then.  Please help me make an honest effort!