Who lives like this...

"Who lives like this?" could be the most commonly spoken phrase at the new house. When you are scrubbing who knows what off of the strangest places, we will say, "Who lives like this?" I have been totally amazed at the level of gross. On the plus side, all the new neighbors seem REALLY happy that I am moving in :-)

I have found when I am cleaning it is best to NOT try and imagine what you are scrubbing. So, I have made the mental decision to make every stain spaghetti. On the floor, in the cabinets, all over the counter... I just say to myself. "It's spaghetti. It's spaghetti. It's spaghetti." (I feel certain it is not spaghetti.)

The prize for the grossest job of the day may be a toss up between cleaning out the rotted, moldy wood under the kitchen sink or cleaning the guest bathroom. (It all depends on what you find more offensive.)









Here's a little glimpse under the sink. This picture does not do it justice. The garbage disposal is broken and has a big rusted hole in the side. It appears that the previous owners just used it anyway and let food spray all over the inside of the cabinets. "Who lives like this..."












And the second candidate for grossest job of the day... is the guest bathroom.
The 2 pictures above are the before...












And here it is clean, with the linoleum pulled up :-) Did I mention there was some kind of fern, that's right a fern type living thing, growing under the linoleum by the toilet! Amazing! Now if I could just clean away the big hole in the bath tub. Who lives like this?

I think the task I am most proud of is the progress on the kitchen floor. I tried to add up in my head how many hours have been spent scrubbing that floor. I think about 20... most of those spent on my knees. Here's the latest floor improvements...









And we have also said good bye to all the wallpaper (or at least almost all the wallpaper) Some went more gracefully than others. That Winnie the Pooh border is pretty wicked stuff.













So how did they live this ... I have no idea. I have thought about it a lot as I frustrating-ly cleaned off stains using razor blades and every cleaner I own. Why didn't they just clean it as they went along? How can they just spill food on the floor and leave it there for 10 years?
In the midst of my cleaning it occurred to me that I'm not that different from the previous owners of this house. No, I do not have food sprayed all over the inside of my cabinets, but there are some things in my life that I tend to put off, ignore, or let accumulate. Some are small things like laundry or mopping, but some of my delays involve more important things, like sharing about Christ with a neighbor, or writing a note to a friend I know is struggling. I think from now on when I am tempted to put off 'til tomorrow what I know the Lord intended for today I will remember all those "spaghetti" stains. And I will remember that no one was meant to live like this... delayed obedience is disobedience (a common quote from my pastor). But today I would add to that, delaying obedience, makes obedience much harder! What are you supposed to be doing today that you have put off?

Oh, and I cannot end the daily blog without thanking my amazing helpers from today, Marcia and Joan. What a blessing they were! In I John it says that the world will know we are followers of Christ by our love for one another. I certainly felt that love today. I know these ladies love the Lord and I am so thankful that the overflow of that looked like love spilling out on me today.