Trying to be a better shepherd ...

Yikes … it is January 4 and I have not yet undecorated my tree … nor have I put any of my Christmas stuff away! But I have been busy, you see … trying to be a better shepherd to the little sheep in my life.

A very long time ago, I tried to make a difference in the house where my grandchildren lived. I thought that perhaps cleaning it for them might help, but it didn't last long -- only for the week I was there cleaning for them. So I kind of gave up … because basically, it is none of my business.

But now that the grandchildren are "home" here in Michigan and they have purchased a nice house on the northwest side … AND … now that the three older children are old enough to keep their areas cleaner, I really felt the Lord speaking to me this week about teaching them and showing them what it would look like if they could accomplish this!

So … we started with their bathroom! Emma and I "gloved up" and removed every nasty thing that was in that bathroom. And then we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned … until it was CLEAN. I filled out a 3x5 card with five instructions for keeping the bathroom clean. I am going to pay Emma $5/week for this job. She says she can and WILL do it! I went to the dollar store and got every cleaning supply she would need: gloves, bucket, spray cleaners, toilet brush and waste basket. I went over to Marshall's and got some really nice towels, wash cloths, and hand towels that would go with the wall color. I purchased a cloth shower curtain with fancy hooks and a new inside liner. And I got a really soft rug for the floor! I asked Jesse to hang a 5-hook unit for towels and other items. It took us one entire afternoon … but we accomplished the mission! I prayed that God would give me the strength and the courage to do this, as well as the wisdom to teach Emma this task. I also talked at length with the boys about how a bathroom should look just as good when you walk in as when you walk out!

It's difficult to get a good picture of the bathroom because the area is quite small ... 

Everyone was pleased with the result and pledged to take CARE of this little space so that it could be a pretty room to bathe, shower, and get ready for school.

So the bathroom cleaning/rejuvenation happened on Wednesday (New Year's Eve). But then I really felt that God wanted me to be of further "help." Matthew really struggles with organizational skills. His young brain just isn't wired to … organize! So his room was a true nightmare and I really felt he was overwhelmed with the task of cleaning it up.

Yesterday, after our weekend together, we drove back to Matthew's house with a few storage containers, more cleaning supplies, lots of prayer and determination. I did not take any pictures of this project; but I am very pleased to say that we made a HUGE difference in Matthew's room. He was VERY pleased. We talked lots and lots while we were cleaning. I showed him how to put his stuff away and provided a place for him to do that. Isn't that what a good shepherd ought to do?

When we were finished, Matthew had the hugest smile! He gave me a big hug. I knew he felt relieved. Keeping it clean, however, is going to be a challenge for someone who has not made a habit out of putting his stuff away. So … we are going to pray about it together. I am not going to give up on Matthew. He is a sweetheart. He just needs some extra encouragement and love to help him along the way. Thank you, Lord, for speaking to me this week about being a better shepherd!

Tomorrow … I am headed on over with more containers to start on Kaity's little room. She is 2-1/2 and doesn't know a single thing about cleaning her space--so we are going to put all of her toys in sealed containers and put them high on a shelf in her closet. We are going to leave enough toys that are accessible to her so that she can play, and then switch them out every week or so. It will make cleaning her room much easier if there are not a million toys to try to pick up!

And Little Fellow here … I hope to be a better shepherd to you too, dear dear little boy. I need to make room for you in my life at least once per week! With God's help, that is what I hope to do in 2015.