Breaking out the Mop ‘N Glo
Last week, in three different instances, the story of Mary and Martha came up. And while the context of that passage of Scripture was debated in one of those conversations, the overall tone was one of breaking out of what was socially acceptable in order to relax at the feet of Jesus.
And yet, knowing that my Small Group meets tonight, I spent much of last night cleaning the kitchen and living room—doing dishes, organizing the clutter, setting out plates and silverware, even mopping the floor. As I went to bed, I realized that it was a lot later than I had anticipated.
I didn’t want to stay up late getting ready for my Small Group—in fact, I mentally object to making the house look nice for people when they come over. My mind tells me that if people don’t come to our Small Group because a few of my son’s toys are out or because there are dirty dishes in the sink, then that’s their issue, not mine. That “clutter” is evidence of life. But the heart in me says, “make this home welcoming.” How can I remove obstacles? How can I ensure people feel comfortable? I guess my heart hasn’t come to the conclusion yet that my head has. And I’m not convinced at this point that it should.
In fact, as Chris Greer and I were preparing to post “Is there really time to do all this?” on this blog a few weeks ago, we debated whether or not to include a “What NOT to do” section. Cleaning the house was the first thing that came to my mind for this section.
Is it helpful or harmful for me to clean up my home before my Small Group comes over? Maybe it’s neutral. I don’t think the answer is the same for each person or every week; but what I am learning is to allow people to feel comfortable, not because of the way that my home looks, but because of the joy and excitement I feel that they have come to our Small Group.
Jen Hurst
Associate Director of Small Groups
jen.hurst@belairpres.org
