The Morning I Walked Into a War
lessons from the homefront
“Oh my goodness…..”
These were the words that fell out of my mouth as I descended into what I perceived to be chaos. I crossed the threshold from sleepy bliss into the remnants of a war. A war which I was losing.
The rising sunlight coming in through the windows couldn’t hide it. Turning around and walking back upstairs couldn’t make me forget it.
Our kitchen was a mess.
There was no way to avoid it.
When Chaos Creeps In
As someone who tries quite hard to keep kitchen clean, I was confused by the sight.
How did it get so messy so quickly? It’s only Wednesday morning and it looks like it hasn’t been touched in a week. Everything was clean Sunday night…..we started the week with a blank slate. How did this happen?
These thoughts and more flooded my brain.
I suspected Tuesday was the likely culprit. Everything was clean Monday night and laid out to dry. But Tuesday….Tuesday brought a cacophony of commitments. Commitments that kept me from cleaning.
So the island was covered with dried dishes begging to be put up, the sink was covered with the remnants of meals from the last 24 hours, and crumbs had free reign over the countertops.
24 hours without diligence brought a typhoon of messiness.
And a lesson.
The Drift into Disorder
Keeping the kitchen clean is an ongoing affair.
It’s a constant cycle of tiny moments that require attention and intentionality. Getting it messy is as easy as breathing. Keeping it clean takes effort.
What’s true of the kitchen is true of our souls.
The Jesus way requires careful attention to our souls. Left alone, we drift toward vices. Only through discipline, effort, careful attention, and the empowering work of God, can be the kind of people Christ calls us to be.
For me, this lesson hits hard.
There are a number of things that don’t just require me to take action but require me to exercise discernment.
To make decisions that will lead to flourishing and growth.
This means I have to bring my best foot forward. To be prayerful and attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. If I’m letting the landscape of my soul get messy like my kitchen, then I can’t bring my best foot forward for the important things.
But this isn’t just true for me — it’s the reality for all of us.
Is your soul piled up with dirty dishes like neglect, suppressed struggles, mindless content, and idols? If you have a pulse, the answer is yes. And you’re also not alone.
Take this as an invitation to take a look inside, face the mess, and invite Christ in to clean it.
Then do it again and again and again.