Yesterday I began spring cleaning in the apartment in Brooklyn. In this way, I am continuing a tradition that my mother observed for all the years of her life. For mom, spring cleaning meant washing all the windows, draperies, cleaning out the closets, getting the backyard ready for entertaining and so much more. To be honest, my version of spring cleaning is not as thorough as my mother’s, but it is better than nothing!
As I washed the front windows around 4:00 PM, I was reminded of my mother in so many ways. Those memories gave me great comfort, since they point to the greater truth that all who have gone before us, standing upon a distance shore, are alive and waiting for us to join them in glory. I guess in heaven there will be no spring cleaning!
I was also struck with a profound sense of the Lord’s presence around me. The beauty of the weather, the feeling of a new beginning, the fresh smell that comes from a clean room filled me with the sense of God’s life all around me, calling me to recognize His love in the ordinary moments of my life. For we often neglect to feel God’s presence because we fail to stop and notice Him in the little things of life.
At the end of the day, with the first part of the apartment clean and a renewed sense of the Lord’s abiding presence, I am ready to welcome the rest of spring!
