As I do dishes, laundry, and clean I often wonder "What's the point?" Truth be told, I never make my bed. NEVER. Why make it? Within 12 hours I'm going to crawl back in and mess it up again.
Homemaking could be described as doing a bunch of work that will have to be done again soon. Everything is constantly getting "undone." It reminds me of the principle of entropy, from high school physics.
"One of the ideas involved in the concept of entropy is that nature tends from order to disorder in isolated systems." See source here. This picture makes sense of it:
The box on the right is my house, after I've cleaned it. The box on the left is my house a few hours later.
So the other day I was reading an article by Elder Oaks the Ensign. It said this:
The Savior Builds Us Up
President Brigham Young (1801–1877) gave us some practical advice on how to recognize Him whom we follow. “The difference between God and the Devil,” he said, “is that God creates and organizes, while the whole study of the Devil is to destroy.”1 In that contrast we have an important example of the reality of “opposition in all things” (2 Nephi 2:11).
So here I found my answer. Why clean up, day after day? Because "God creates and organizes." The Lord's work is never done, but that's not the point. The point is, good must stand against evil, order against disorder, creating against destroying. So it's not about conquering entropy, it's about being a force that counters it--creating order and peace in my home. And I do it because that is the Lord's way, and I want to be like Him.
7 comments:
When I saw the word "random" in the title, I knew this had to be good. Just before sitting at my computer I mumbled under my breath, "laundry and dishes, always doing laundry and dishes." I always dread doing the same thing over every day because I know I'm going to have to do it again. Thank you for sharing this perspective. It will help me a lot!
And yes, I do make my bed every day. It just makes the room look so much neater. And John likes it, so I do it. And I once heard my mother-in-law tell my sister-in-law that she could take 30 seconds each morning to make her bed, so I feel like I should.
So...your children are forming secret combinations with the devil to unite against you and destroy your house? I like it.
That makes my kids little devils, just like I've always suspected!
thank you! thank you! as always great perspective and quite inspiring. you are loved!
oh - and pleeeeeese can I copy to my blog so that i can be reminded of it forever while always giving credit where credit is due?
As always I find words of wisdom from you. I got the bed under control, Howard makes it. Now if only I could get the dishes, backpacks left in the living room, laundry put away and the list goes on and on.
Thanks! What a great perspective--I'll enjoy thinking about it as I do my daily (or more) straightening! And by the way, your kids are growing up way to fast! We are going to be in Utah (first time in 5 years) in October and I'd love to see you!
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