Snapshots of a messy kitchen, monster laundry, and a short reflection on Things Left Undone

Here are some snapshots of my messy kitchen tonight. The following pictures sort of sum up how I was feeling earlier this evening…messy and overwhelmed.

My kitchen and my house in general are pretty clean now (except for obligatory 2-foot pile of laundry in the armchair, see below), and I’m feeling better. The steady hymns of Gregorian chant and Latin choir music from my iPhone have truly been a sweet helper to calm my soul and refocus me over the last hour as I’ve been cleaning.

Tonight, I tried to make a deer roast my dad gave us a while back, but I’m sad to report that it came out quite horribly. I added about 1/4 cup too much lemon pepper by accident, and also I forgot to prepare the meat the right way by stuffing it with onion and garlic. it came out looking like some twisted, overcooked mysterious animal organ. Especially the image of the meat coming out of the oven in the cooking bag I baked it in….it looked like gory evidence from one of those How-Did-They-Creepily-Kill-This-Poor-Victim shows.

And yes, that’s my pregnancy food aversion talking now.

 

Now for a quick reflection on Things Left Undone.

I struggle with Things Left Undone. Because there are Things Left Undone in my home every single day, and I really struggle with feeling often that I am always, always “behind,” that my To-Do list never gets done.

When I am feeling down about my housekeeping abilities, though, I automatically reach out for God, and He always comes through for me. I have to choose to let Him come through for me though. It is always so humbling for me to let Him gently remind me to live in perspective, to count my blessings, to serve with a smile, and to live out my priorities.

1. Prayer (God)
2. Person (Me)
3. Partner (Michael) 
4. Parent (Gabriel)
5. Provider (My job and housekeeping)