Dig into everyday life with Elizabeth's House Ministries leader Melissa Sharpe on the Elizabeth's House Ministries blog!
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I recently tweeted “If the standard of excellence was the same for everyone we would all be the same”. I've been thinking a lot about what my standard of excellence may be. And who created my standard. Did I let God create it, or do I have something else in my life that the spirit is calling me to give over to God?
This train of thought began the other day when I was mopping my floors. It's routine for me. After dinner (after the kids have managed to smear who knows what under their chairs) I clean up and then pull out my handy dandy chemical free cleaning mop (seriously, the greatest thing ever... all I have to do is wet the cleaning pad) and wash the floor. The whole process takes me five minutes.
But it wasn't the mess. It wasn't the mop. It wasn't the time. It had nothing to do mopping itself (people still need to clean their floors!). It was during this silence and repetitive act that I felt the spirit speak to me. It was loud enough and clear enough in my head that I stopped mopping.
You covet a clean home.
I covet a clean home?!? Wait... that's a problem?! Ok, Ok, I will admit that I love the feeling of a clean house. A place for everything, everything in it's place. I may have a label maker and I have labeled everything from the pantry to the toy bins. My husband might of called me “crazy” a few times in regards to my cleaning and organizing. But to covet it? Really?
Really.
But this is what I have learned about me. The standard that I hold for myself is NOT the standard I hold for others. I also learned a long time ago not to put high expectations on others if I couldn't handle others putting high expectations on me. Because I fail. All the time. My intention is to never let anyone down or hurt someone's feelings, but reality tells us that it is impossible to please everyone. There is no such thing as perfection in human form because we are all flawed individuals trying to make our way in this messy thing called life.
So, I'm working on it. I really am. And today my mop will stay in the closet.
1 COMMENT | POST A COMMENT
Great post, Melissa! You've given me something to think about and listen for.
Blessings, Stephanie
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