“The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.”

― Thomas More

I generally keep things pretty tidy around here now that my kids are grown, but stuff, dust, crumbs, fingerprints on cabinets and light switches, tend to accumulate bit by bit without me noticing. Eventually, a spied cobweb in the corner or spilled coffee stain on the tile will catch my attention, and then suddenly my eyes are opened to a thousand other little messes that need tending to. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was picking up something I’d dropped on the kitchen floor and got a peek at the grime under our stove. That did it. I’d reached my limit! It was time for a deep cleaning! Looking ahead in my planner, I had one full free day in which to throw myself into the task. When that day arrived, I gathered my supplies, downloaded an audiobook from the library, woke up early, and went at it. 

I cleaned from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm. I’m talking dusting, mopping, vacuuming floors and drawers, scrubbing baseboards and bathtubs, decluttering hotspots, watering plants, and changing the bed sheets. I worked until my muscles were sore and I was grimy and sweaty. I fell into bed that night and slept like a rock.

The next morning, I awoke to the most beautiful sight! Our home was bright, clean, orderly, and uncluttered! I lit some candles, diffused some lavender oil, and played my favorite “peaceful piano” playlist. “Ahhhhh,” I thought, “Now this feels like a refuge.” 

It dawned on me that this is how I want my soul to feel: bright, peaceful, beautiful, uncluttered. While recording this month’s podcast, Cynthia brought up how my scheduled deep clean reminded her of Lent, and how sometimes dust, grime, and clutter can accumulate in our souls without us realizing it. It is a blessing, we agreed, that the Church provides this season of intentional renewal, where, together, we put forth effort to cleanse our souls of sin and declutter them of noise and distractions. To open up some windows and let more light in, and to adorn our souls with stillness, prayer, love, and gratitude.

There are spiritual insights everywhere if we have eyes to see them! Here are three lessons I’ve learned from tending to my living space with diligence and intention:

Creating a refuge in our homes and souls requires vigilance

More stuff means more to manage, creating clutter that begets more clutter, leading to overwhelm. Keeping things simple and pausing to think before purchasing new clothing/decor/gadgets/etc. prevents excess that raises our stress levels. This same kind of vigilance is necessary for keeping excess noise/anxious ruminations/information/etc. at bay in our hearts, minds, and souls. 

“Clutter attracts clutter. If you drop the mail on the kitchen counter, someone else is going to find it natural to leave his keys there. A dresser with receipts is also going to collect coins. A purse dropped in the entry is soon going to be joined by shoes and gloves. An empty soda can on the end table usually winds up with a few candy wrappers next to it.”
― Joshua Becker,  "The Minimalist Home"

Maintaining a peaceful refuge requires attentiveness and intention

Presbyteral Stacey Dorrance, home organizer extraordinaire, once told us that you need to be home to manage a home, and that hit me like a ton of bricks. I had a habit of avoiding housework. To get out of tackling messes, I would “run errands” and stay busy out and about while my house got more chaotic (less “refuge”, more “a place to store our stuff”). I learned from her the importance of home-blessing rhythms and routines, where I maintain order daily rather than waiting until things get so bad that I have to dedicate an entire weekend to damage control. Taking care of messes when they are small is so much easier and quicker than procrastinating and allowing them to get bigger and more overwhelming. Now I never leave a room empty-handed, returning out-of-place items to where they belong. I do a load of laundry daily. I wipe down the bathroom sink while brushing my teeth every morning. 

Soul blessing rhythms and routines are equally important for maintaining calm and peace. Regular stillness, prayer, journaling, scripture reading, etc.,  help me identify thoughts and perspectives that lead to inner turbulence more quickly so I can turn Christward right away, rather than letting those negative thoughts multiply and overwhelm me. 

“You can change your environment and change your life right where you are.”
― Joshua Becker,  "The Minimalist Home"

Order, simplicity, and cleanliness make room for hospitality 

In his 55 Maxims for Christian Living, Fr. Thomas Hopko included the maxim: “Maintain cleanliness and order in your home.”  I remembered being surprised (and a little convicted) when I first heard that many years ago. It had never occurred to me that home management was a spiritual endeavor, but now I think I understand why this is so. Our outer world tends to reflect in our inner world, and learning how to create order and beauty in my living/work space has had a direct impact on my becoming more intentional about mirroring that order and beauty in my mind, heart, and soul. 

Just as creating a home refuge has increased my hospitality towards my neighbor, creating a soul refuge has increased my hospitality towards the Holy Spirit, whom I long to abide within me and guide and comfort me. If I think of my soul as a living room and the Holy Spirit as a treasured guest, it inspires me to make it a lovely and quiet space conducive to responsiveness, active listening, and fellowship. 

“Have the courage to build your life around what is really most important to you.”
― Joshua Becker,  "The Minimalist Home"

As we embark on the journey of Great Lent this coming week, we encourage you to contemplate the following reflection questions in your journal:

1. Is my home a refuge? Does it reflect the peace and love of Christ for all who enter? What is one action step I can take this week to increase order and beauty in my living space?

1. Is my soul a refuge from the noise and chaos of the world? Does it reflect the peace and love of Christ for everyone I encounter? How might this season of fasting and repentance bless my inner world with calm and light?