Today was one of those delicious Saturdays where we didn’t have anywhere to go or anything scheduled.  These days are rare.  I woke up today, knowing that a long full day was stretched out ahead of me and I wanted to make the most of it.  We have had about 2 weeks of summer so far and my house clearly reflected it.  I went into the bathroom and noticed that the drawer that held the toothbrushes for about half of our family was full.  And gross.  There were so, so many toothbrushes in there, and toothpaste with the lids off, and dried toothpaste stuck to bobby pins…..you get the picture.  I decided it had to be dealt with as soon as possible.  My 4 year old and I emptied the drawer and soaked the tooth brushes and threw away multiple free sample size tubes of tooth paste that had no lids….and I scrubbed the drawer.  This drawer has looked this bad for a long time now but today was the day.  Zero tolerance…..not one more day.  How does that happen?  How do I live with something every single day for days and weeks and months….and then one day I’ve had it and it has to get fixed?  

 

This process continued throughout my day.  I walked the dog 2 miles.  I mowed the lawn in the heat of the day…..I got about 17000 steps on my fit bit.  I dusted.  I vacuumed.  I did laundry.  I swept the kitchen floor.  I made meals…..There was a sticker on the mirror in my bedroom years ago.  One of the kids put it there.  My husband removed it soon after but the sticker goo was still on the mirror.  I even got that off today.  Seriously….it was there…..for…..years.

 

I sit here tonight absolutely exhausted with a home much cleaner and more organized than it was last night.  It won’t stay that way, this I know, but for now, I can feel really good about taking care of business around here today.  When its time, its just time.

 

Sometimes, we consider adoption or foster care for awhile, maybe even do some research and ask some questions and maybe we wait years and years ( like the sticker on my bedroom mirror) until it is finally time and we gather the necessary tools and we deal with it.   Sometimes we listen to stories of other people who have done mission trips over and over and then at some point it is time……and it’s your turn.  So you go.  Sometimes we brainstorm fund-raising ideas to support ministries but we never actually make a plan to do it…..until that toothbrush drawer opens….and we know its time.  When its time, it is time.

 

Timing is everything.  Hard work is necessary.  Satisfaction is possible.