Cleaning House

Childhood memories of Saturday mornings:
"Mama, can I go outside and play?"
"Have you cleaned your room?"
"No, but can't I play first?"
"No, honey, you know how it goes. Get your jobs done first, and then it's playtime the rest of the day!"

This coming weekend, my siblings and I will clean up at 849 Pendleton Street in Pickens for the last time. After over 56 years, my parents no longer live there. They have been fortunate enough to sell their house rather quickly, & they are scheduled to close in a couple of weeks.

As with any move, there is much to be done. We're fortunate that my parents were able to move into their new retirement apartment back in October, so we've been able to take our time in going through things, dividing up the furniture and belongings, and sifting through our memories. This coming weekend is it, though. The house will have to be empty, cleaned, and ready for it's new owners.

Without doubt, this is one of the hardest transitions I've had in my life. Being the baby of the five children, I lived there most recently, and it still seems like my parents ought to be living there. If it's this difficult for me, I can only begin to imagine how my parents feel. They are certainly keeping the right perspective, and it helps to know that it was their idea to do all of this in the first place! With my mom's declining health, their safety and well-being are priorities, and they are exactly where they need to be.

Still, just the thought of the final cleaning out leaves me feeling
empty. But at the end of all this, will there be a "playtime" waiting for my family? Oh, how I hope so! I am praying already that there will be joy in the middle of the tears as we go through the house, inch by inch, being sure it is ready. I am praying that memories will flood back, and they we will all be able to capture them. I am praying that God will be especially close to all of us this weekend. Most of all, I am praying that for my mom & dad, the rest of their days will be the best of their days. Even with my mom's condition and my dad's physical pains, I pray they find sweetness, playfulness, and JOY!

For those moving into our home, I pray that they will be blessed by the lasting legacy that was built inside of those walls. A lot of "cleaning house" went on with us children as our parents instructed us, corrected us, and helped us grow to love Christ. And as for all of us Farry children, may we be encouraged by our time together, and remember that the hours of laughter and playtime are what we will carry with us.

Cleaning house is never fun, but it is always necessary. May God be close to us and teach us as we walk through these next days together.

"If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house!" 1 Samuel 7:3a (the Message)