Life is Like a Dirty Oven
Self-cleaning the oven seemed liked the perfect task for a Sunday morning. I knew that it would be cycled through by the time my crew got home from church so that I could have a nice, clean oven to cook lunch on. It has obviously been TOO long since I last cleaned the oven because the heavy smoke (that came from the small fire) has chased me out of my home. Now I have to let the oven cool down before I can start the process of just cleaning it myself.
Life is a lot like my oven. There are so many tasks that I over look or put off as long as possible and then I try to find an “easy way out.” The result is a smoky mess that requires delays, changes and adjustments before I can begin the process of just doing what I should have done in the first place.
Tips for a Clean Life
-
1. Clean up the little messes when they happen. I noticed the small spills in my oven over the last few months of cooking but I was always too busy getting ready for a meal to bother with the small stuff. Things keep us distracted from dealing with issues when they come up but the truth is the small things only take a fraction of a moment to deal with if we deal with them when they come along.
2. Take time to take care along the way. The biggest mess in the oven came from cooking down an old ham to make treats for the dogs. I didn’t take the time to put anything under the ham while it was cooking so all of the drippings fell straight down to the bottom of the oven. Even after I realized what I had done I just figured that I would clean it all up later instead of messing up a pan at that point.
3. Do things right the first time. Common sense told me that the mess at the bottom of the oven was not going to be pretty when the self-cleaning cycle started up. That is the reason I was going to do it when most of the clan would be out of the house. The question I am now asking myself is why I didn’t just clean it right in the first place. All of the time that I was saving myself by using the oven to do the cleaning has been wasted (and then some) because of the mess that the self-cleaning has caused.
4. Go with flow. The mess is made and the easiest thing to do would be to hide in the back room away from the smoke and watch some television – or go down to my FIL’s and eat some breakfast. Instead I have taken my laptop outside (where I can still get internet access) and am using the time to do a few articles.
5. Learn something from the experience. I know now that I need to clean up the oven as I go instead of waiting for one big cleaning (something I am learning about all aspects of life). I have also discovered that sitting on the front porch with my laptop is quite inspiring! Oh – and one not so nice lesson that I learned is that if I want my crew up and out of the house quickly all I need to do is set a little fire in the oven. 😀
Life doesn’t get to be a mess overnight. Every issue that I have to deal with – from losing weight to changing sleeping habits to cleaning the oven – all start with just a little here and there and work up to a mess that can no longer be ignored. Dealing with the little things along the way will help me keep my whole life clean and shiny.
Its always easier to wipe up the drips immediately. I tend to put off the small stuff myself until it becomes somewhat overwhelming. I think it’s human nature to procrastinate. We all know that if we follow the carnal we end up with a mess.
There was no need to invoke the “p” word. 😀
You have been in my kitchen! Just Friday evening I was making Saltine Cracker Toffee and it dripped into the bottom of the oven. I totally forgot about it because I was in such a hurry to get things done to entertain. I quickly remembered Saturday morning when I put a pan of biscuits in the oven.
My actual life hasn’t been that messy in a while, but I do have to be mindful to clean it up or correct the messiness when I first see it.
I kept cooking AROUND the mess which only made the mess worse (and made my kitchen stink each time I cooked). This lesson was learned the hard way.
Oh my goodness! Have you been looking in my oven? 🙂 (And isn’t “self-cleaning” kind of a joke? All it does is get hot and stinky, I still have to do all the dirty work!)
Yes, you have a great point. Anything we let go in our lives has a way of getting out of hand. I know I tend to think “Oh, I’ll just do it later,” but things don’t usually get easier just because I put them off.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!. Your sweet comment was appreciated. I want to be the Proverbs 31 woman when I grow up!
Oh Kathryn! This is awesome! It really spoke dto me. Would you consider letting us use it over at the Cafe?
Hey Amy,
I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s taken me a week to brave actually using that oven again. It’s made cooking a real adventure this week ;).