I love fall. As the leaves are turning colors outside, my heart is turning back inside our home. Fall is a season when I feel like I enjoy homemaking the most.
After a summer of playing, working, and being outside as much as possible, I start to crave all the familiar homemaking rhythms of fall. I enjoy the process of intentionally creating a comfortable home that is cozy and welcoming to others. Every fall I feel motivated to begin new rhythms of eating and cooking for my family in the kitchen. I’m inspired to reorganize spaces that have spiraled out of control in the heat of the summer. I find renewed energy for decluttering the things we no longer want to manage at home.
It’s interesting to me that the term “homemaking” gets kind of a bad rap these days.
I’m a working woman. I run my own business from home, I volunteer regularly for our church, and I have a family. My house is far from perfect and I’m clearly not June Cleaver; nevertheless, homemaking is something I love and feel is one of my greatest priorities! It’s a blessing to be able to take care of my home as an act of love. It isn’t about creating a perfect home, but rather creating a safe and welcoming haven for my family.
In the hustle and bustle of a very busy life, I find familiar homemaking rituals soothing and comforting to my soul and my mind.
I’ll be honest, I don’t particularly enjoy all the required tasks to maintain a home (I mean, does anyone really like cleaning toilets?) but knowing that I invested myself in my home and it is cared for (not perfect, but well-loved!) gives me a sense of accomplishment and purpose that no job, career, or business ever seems to match.
Home is where my heart is.
Sometimes when I’m busy serving in other areas God has called me to be a part of, I have to delegate or even postpone some of my favorite home-keeping rituals. Even in those seasons where I can’t have the same hands-on connection to my home, I try to find ways to still be involved in the art of ‘home-making.’ Being present at home with the right attitude (not just flying through flustered and exhausted!) matters to me.
I don’t always get it right, but it helps me to remember why and who I serve when I’m “home making.”
A few daily routines like making our bed and wiping out the sinks can bring a sense of connection to my home. Those humble tasks are my hands-on acts of gratitude for the home and people I care about so much. Rather than looking at caring for my home as a chore or an interruption to my life, I try to see it as an expression of love for my people, whether it’s expressed through cooking, baking, cleaning, organizing, tidying up at the end of a day, being attentive to my husband, setting a good example of attitude for our kids, opening our door to others, or creating an ambiance through decorating a welcoming and comfortable home.
There are so many ways to make a house a home! Homemaking with the right perspective impacts me and how I feel about my home as much as it serves others! Perhaps it is an art and an attitude you have to nurture and grow to love, but for me the opportunity to create a home is a real blessing. It’s another way to serve God and love his people well.
Have you nurtured a love for homemaking?
It doesn’t always come naturally. In some seasons we all get into a slump or feel overwhelmed or just get tired of it all. You are not alone!
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