Finding Joy in the Domestic

Amelia Bentup learned to find joy in the mundane tasks of keeping a clean, orderly and tidy home in the midst of a very stressful time.

I have never considered myself to be a very domestic person. I would never have said that I found joy in tidying up, dusting and vacuuming. I don’t particularly enjoy cooking, baking, and gardening, although my enjoyment of eating does drive me to find joy in the fruits of cooking and baking, if not in the process.    

My ADHD brain rebels at the thought of doing things I find pointless — such as cleaning grout, dusting baseboards, and washing windows. It’s just going to get dirty again; what is the point? No one could ever accuse me of being too clean or having a house that is too organized. My motto has always been “clean enough.” As long as things are hygienic and generally safe and livable, it’s fine in my book.   

The same goes for outside spaces. I could never muster up the energy to care if there were weeds in the landscaping,  bare patches in the grass, and flowers outside dying from lack of water. These things just generally are not important to me. Call me a cruel, heartless flower killer, but I can never manage to keep anything alive that doesn’t complain or try to get your attention if you don’t feed it or give it water. 

Why Things Changed  

Until we put our house on the market, that is. Suddenly, I had to care about housekeeping and landscaping. I had to care a lot. I was agonizing over every weed that popped up in the landscaping, every kid’s shoe left on the floor, every stray piece of paper, every toy left on the kitchen counter, every dog-nose smudge on the window, and every bit of dust that landed on the ceiling fan. The problem with dust and dirt is that it just keeps coming back.

More than once, I have found myself bemoaning the fact that I was sweeping the outdoors as I once again swept the front porch or the back patio. Tasks like making my bed and washing the windows became a regular occurrence. I have spent more money on cleaning supplies and more time using them than I ever have in my life before.   

Work is Prayer and Prayer is Joy  

And I have discovered, much to my shock, that cleaning really isn’t all that bad. There is a lot of satisfaction and joy to be found in a clean house. Taking care of our items and keeping things clean, organized, neat, and minimalist does bring me some joy.   

The time I spend cleaning and organizing has become a time of prayer and reflection. As I organize our pantry for the 57th time, I feel gratitude for all the food we have. As I clean smudges off the windows, I am thankful for the kids and dogs that make those smudges. There is a type of peace and calm that comes from bringing order to the disorderly.   

While cleaning and work with kids around can feel chaotic at times, even children can learn that there can be joy found in domestic duties and that caring for our things and our home and the gifts that have been given to us are a way of showing love to our families and those around us.   

Even outside, I have somewhat come to enjoy yard work. Working outside in the fresh air to remove weeds and cut the grass brings a sense of peace and accomplishment that feels reminiscent of older times. I imagine the rhythm of yard work and housework to be similar to the rhythm found in religious orders. Instead of bemoaning the fact that housework just has to be done over and over and over again, I have come to find peace in the routine.  

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. (Proverbs 31:27)   

Through all the stress and work of getting a house ready for the market and keeping it ready for showings, I have learned to say no to the bread of idleness. And in saying no to idleness, I have learned to say yes to God and to find prayer in the work and joy in the prayer that accompanies the mundane.

Selling a home is stressful and we are praying daily for the right buyer to come along. The waiting can feel agonizing at times, but in the midst of the waiting there is the work. And joining that work with prayer brings peace and joy in the midst of all this anxiety. 

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Copyright 2025 Amelia Bentrup
Images: Canva