“Who can find a virtuous woman?
for her price is far above rubies…
She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness.”
Proverbs 31:10 & 27
I’ve been noticing recently how everything just stops when I plop down. When I quit, production quits. When I take a breather, the tasks pile up. When I stop vacuuming, the floors get dirtier. When I stop dusting, the house gets dustier. I would laugh out loud but plopping makes me tired. I mean, the minute I sit down and take a quick break from housekeeping, tending to business, or taking care of “things,” things sit undone until I get up and going again. Isn’t it an overwhelming pressure for most homemakers to keep busy? It makes me think about bees. They’re always buzzing around, getting after their task at hand. Have you ever seen a bee just sitting around, doing nothing? Me either.
Idling Down
Me, on the other hand? I’ll idle down for no reason right in the middle of a chore and, may or may not; leave the vacuum cleaner in the middle of the path for hours. (No, you don’t have to ask my husband. I confess. I’ve done it.). It’s not that I plan to plop down and sit idle. It just happens and I give in to it. It’s not that I’m lazy. Maybe I had to stop to chase a squirrel. All I know is, in the morning, I get up planning to get busy and get a lot done. I usually start with surging energy and good intentions and, then, before I realize it, I Idle down and lose a whole afternoon to squirrel chasing.
I bought a used book at the library, a number of years ago, and found this funny newspaper clipping tucked inside about wives and housekeeping. I loved the title and story and had to frame it for my office. You can read the article in the picture if you’d like, but the heading read this way:
Why Wives Get Weary, or Do They?
Doing Things by Fits and Starts Is the Pace That Kills
By Hal Boyle
That clipping has had me laughing numerous times, because I have usually flopped down on the couch to read it. (LOL)
Idling Up
Unlike my mother, I actually enjoy housework. Cleaning wasn’t my Mother’s favorite task and it wearied her more than anything I saw her do. And, she did lots. She was a super busy Mom of four, registered nurse, teacher, church member, book reader, etc. I remember her cleaning days well. She had to idle up first and ease into it (after a cup or two of coffee.) Once she got started, she was all in—washing linens, dusting and moving furniture, cleaning baseboards, washing windows, and, basically, turning the house upside down, etc. —until her face got flushed red and she plopped down exhausted with a glass of iced coffee (which btw tasted yucky). The problem is, she didn’t pace herself and when she stopped, it would take her weeks to idle back up.
My mother taught me how to clean (bless her heart) but, fortunately, I had some other sweet mentors, teach me how to keep busy like a bee and do a little every day to stay on top of “things.” Working at a safe pace helps me stay healthy and happy too.
Keeping Busy to Avoid Idleness
I don’t want to sit idle. I like spending my time in productive and profitable ways, while understanding that some seasons will be busier than others. I’m good with considering my season and keeping busy at a reasonable pace to avoid the pitfalls of getting overwhelmed, plopping down and falling into idleness. Like bees, we have to gather pollen when the pollen is available.
Spending my time “looking well to the ways of my household” is something I wanted to do even as a little girl. I guess I enjoy the peace and accomplishment of things being efficient and running smoothly.
There are so many things depleting us and taking our focus away from our own families and households today. That can include many extracurricular activities, serving in community services, over-committing to church programs, engaging in too much entertainment, scrolling social media, shop-till-you-drop shopping, and the list goes on. We are all busy, but are we productive? Or, are we finding “things” unfinished or ourselves unfulfilled?
If we look at the Proverbs 31 women we see that she was called “virtuous” because she was always busy about the business of providing for her household in various ways.
It’s great to be busy, but if our families and home are being neglected, we may be too busy working on the wrong tasks. Remember, bees keep busy, without plopping down or buzzing around without a distinct purpose.
BRINGING IT HOME
What’s keeping you busy as a bee this season?
Growing With You,
Smiles, BRC
Leave a Reply