Raise your hand if you hate to move. Yeah, you and me both. It’s not the change… I love the change of scenery, that’s for sure. It’s the actual task of moving. The packing, the hauling, the unpacking. It’s all for the birds. One of the worst parts of moving is cleaning the place you are vacating. You know the feeling… you’re done with it. You’re over that place and ready to move on to the next. But yet… the final cleaning cannot be avoided.

About two months ago, my family moved out of an apartment that we were living in for the last year and into a house. We moved with over a month left on the apartment lease, so I had plenty of time to get everything out. Although I did that well and met my own personal timelines, the end of the lease date was looming over my head with the final cleaning fast approaching. I loaded up my bucket with all the typical cleaning supplies and headed to the apartment one last time. 

When I arrived, I just stood there staring at the empty apartment thinking about how much easier it would have been just to have paid someone else to do it. In that moment, as I was trying to psych myself up for the hours of cleaning ahead, I remembered something a wise Sunday school teacher told me years ago. Ironing was her least favorite task. She told me that she decided to start praying for each person as she ironed their individual shirts or pants. Not only did that help to pass the time, it also took her mind off of how much she hated ironing and allowed the time to serve a greater purpose. She was able to find joy in this mundane, time-consuming task as she lifted up each family member in prayer! 

I decided to put that same principle to practice and began praying over each person as I cleaned out their room. As I washed their windows and vacuumed their floors, I prayed for each of my sons individually. As I mopped the kitchen floor, I thanked God for all the meals we were able to enjoy there as a family. As I cleaned out the pantry and the fridge, I thanked the Lord for the food that He provided. This last year in that apartment was such a formative year for my family in many ways; we saw the goodness of God in our lives there within those walls. We made friends in the apartment complex and were able to spread the love of Christ to people we never would have otherwise met. As I prayed and talked to God, the time began to fly and by the time I was done, I had had a very thorough conversation with Jesus! I’m grateful that the Lord brought the words of my Sunday school teacher to mind. Maybe you too can pray over people as you perform the mundane tasks of life. I know I’ll be doing it again! ☺

Angi Flatt – Project Manager – Engage Media Partners