Good Thursday to you. 😊
This week has simply flown in. With Easter Monday being a public (national) holiday in the U.K., the work week is one day shorter. Ordinarily, I would be quite pleased about that, but at the moment my mind is cluttered with all that must be done in the house yet before the movers descend in six weeks time.
It may sound as though I’ve oodles of time (Is oodles even a word?!) but the clock is definitely ticking. Between keeping up with regular housework and cooking, laundry, etc, there is limited energy available for the other items on my preparing to move list. Never the less, get there I must, and stressing about it certainly won’t help. I think I have this terrible fear in my mind that the house will not be clean enough for the new folks moving in. I want to ensure it isn’t as it was upon our taking possession, spending 12 hours in the kitchen alone, just to have it habitable. Mind you, it isn’t anything like that now even if I didn’t clean another cupboard or drawer, but…
In the early days as a military wife, I learned that it was definitely about the details! We had our homes inspected prior to moving to ensure readiness for the next family. It’s an attitude I’ve carried through all our many relocations, and knowing that the lady who occupies this kitchen can happily place her items without concerns over dust or any other detritus will ease my mind. Taking personal responsibility to leave things better than I found them is important to me.
I believe we carry that responsibility of maintaining a clean and welcoming home not just for ourselves and our families, but for anyone who happens to cross our thresholds. We represent Christ and it matters. I believe it also matters when it comes to our personal appearance as well.
We of course know that things have slipped markedly in this area in past decades. Comfortable has given way in many cases to slovenly. Why, I have seen mothers in P.J’s and slippers at the school gate, or in grocery stores, and men walking about with t-shirts riding up over their bellies, with unkempt hair and beards. Folks routinely show up to special events as though attending a football game, and I believe this has now translated into virtually every area of life; including good manners and consideration for others.
Disclaimer: I am definitely NOT referring to anyone in a crisis situation through illness or finances, or indeed to those without a home or place to lay their head at night, though I do hope this is obvious.
Having respect for ourselves and others is core to a civil society, and we have seen a sea-change in this in recent years. To illustrate, I shall use examples from my own experience.
One of the stand-out and lovely discoveries I made when first moving to Scotland way back in the 90’s (doesn’t seem that long ago does it, but my word, it really is!) was the simple grace of hospitality. Never once did I enter a home where I was not offered refreshment of either tea/coffee, and almost always there was a plate of biscuits (cookies) or other snack, and upon departing, we were always wished a “safe journey home.”
Most every home that I visited were family or friends of modest means, children were well mannered and the house was neat as a pin. (much like back home!) When out shopping, what I noticed most was when upon meeting someone you knew, perhaps on the High Street, you were greeted warmly by your name and folks took time to actually chat for awhile. You would never, and I mean never, see anyone dressed in an untidy fashion. Most older ladies wore skirts with hose (tights,) or nice trousers, and you didn’t see young women going about in sweats, leggings, or trainers. It certainly made an impression on me since I was used to the more relaxed American style, but I remember thinking how wonderful that everyone made an effort.
When my husband who routinely visited clients in their homes, nearly always had a positive comment on his experience when he returned. How things have changed, and I’m sorry to say not for the better. Within the last perhaps fifteen years, despite the fact that people’s lifestyles have “improved” buying larger homes, more expensive automobiles, exotic holidays, and a plethora of gadgets and ever larger televisions, there’s been something sadly lost in amongst it all.
The hospitality we once enjoyed is not as common these days. Experiences seem more important than families getting together for a simple meal. Less time is available to stop in the street for a chat as everyone rushes about to and fro to the next thing and everyone seems fixated on their phones. The styles are less elegant, more “in your face,” and as mentioned previously, “comfort” has been taken to a whole other level.
When my husband comes home from visiting clients now, his experiences are many times not pleasant ones. He appears to a scheduled appointment and sometimes the client hasn’t bothered to comb their hair. On one such occasion, a client was in the middle of dyeing her hair! The children are often unchecked and unruly, sometimes the dogs are too, all while a giant television is left blaring in the background of a serious meeting where he discusses costs of a project that may well run into many thousands of pounds.
In many of these, he is not offered refreshment, but even so, will decline because of the state the home is in. More often than one would think, the home is not just untidy, but just plain dirty. When my husband does a survey, he must take measurements in most rooms. Beds are left unmade, dirty laundry or towels on the floor, used cups and plates in rooms not just the kitchen. And I think it’s important to add that this is irrespective of the socio-economic status of those concerned.
Yes, things have definitely changed, that’s for sure; but I believe that as it is with our the rest of our lives, we must strive to carry the torch of personal and civic responsibility despite it. I try to remember that I am a servant of the Lord. We are told in Galatian’s 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
We cannot know the influence our attitudes, behaviours, and habits may have in someone or even society at large. In real terms, I occupy a very small spot in this world, and perhaps my influence doesn’t reach quite as far as someone else’, but I am still going to make an effort to do all I can with what God has blessed me with to shine a light toward all that is good in this world and leaving things a wee bit better than I found them.
Thank you for your visit today and God Bless you,
Christine
