Subtitle: Why Would Anyone Want To Clean Houses For A Living?
*Author’s Update October 2018:
I originally wrote this blog post in 2012 and it’s original title was Dear Katie.
A lot has happened since then. A lot of water under the bridge, as they say. While reading over it, I’ve thought of several things I’d like to add.
I’d like to give credit for the new title of this article to my dear friend and customer Sheila, who passed away a few years ago. She would never let me put myself down and would always tell me how much I was SO much more than a cleaning lady because my heart is not to clean but to MINISTER!
First of all, I originally entered the housecleaning business for a few different reasons.
Just out of college I moved an hour and a half away from home to work in a Howard Johnson’s restaurant. Two ideas fueled my working there: I wanted a business of my own and I thought it was a restaurant; and I wanted to move to Colorado and we used to stay at Howard Johnson’s in Colorado Springs, so I knew a transfer was in the realm of possibility. Plus, I was able to train at the Howard Johnson’s near my parents home before I moved away.
My thinking was that HJs could be my ticket to transferring to Colorado Springs, and I could learn how the restaurant business worked so I could start my own.
I won’t get into the details but I became Assistant Manager of the Howard Johnson’s in my new town. However, the whole working environment was extremely unhealthy. After about a year I left there to work at Pizza Hut as assistant manager, a much healthier work environment I might add.
During my time at Pizza Hut, I was dating a guy who’s mother was looking for someone to help her clean her home. I helped her out and she encouraged me to give housecleaning a try. After all, it was really difficult to find housecleaning help that could be completely trusted and she knew I was completely honest and could do a good job.
After two and a half years total in the restaurant business I had had ENOUGH and decided I’d rather clean people’s toilets than work in the restaurant business!
This all took place in 1987, the year I gave my heart to Jesus. Long story short, I took my first leap of faith as a new Christian, gave my notice to my employer, put an ad in a local newspaper, and within one month had a full schedule!
Let me tell you something, that time in my life was PRECIOUS and God used it as a time of incubation and extreme spiritual growth.
I spent so much time working alone. As an only child, I had no problem with that at all. I had also discovered Christian radio and I spent HOURS listening to Christian music, Christian shows, and sermons. I carried my radio/cassette player to every job. Sometimes I only had an old book-sized cassette player, but I slowly developed an extensive library of music and sermon tapes.
Focus on the Family was my absolute favorite, which God used to develop and fuel my current passion for family ministry.
During that period of my life people would ask me, “What about your education?”
I understood their question, but the way I looked at it, I was my own boss, running my own business, and I was excited about it!
What’s so wrong with being a house cleaner? A mechanic? A trash collector? A waitress? A babysitter? A plumber? Or any number of other service professions?
Aren’t ALL jobs needed?
For a season of time I managed a cleaning company for someone else in addition to working for myself. One of our employees was from Hungary. She told me that in Hungary at that time you could NOT fill a bucket with supplies and start a cleaning business from scratch like I did. Simple business ownership like that was apparently forbidden. I felt privileged and grateful.
I was very hopeful about the future. I could sense that God wanted to do so much more in and through me, but I had no idea what it was. I just knew that I had a tremendous amount of ambition and aspirations, and God wanted to accomplish something more in my life, but I was doing what I needed to do at that time to keep a roof over my head. And I was growing in the Word by leaps and bounds.
Over the years I developed the mystery illness that would plague me for decades, which has led to my desire to develop this blog and the vision for the membership portion that is to come where we minister to others in the chronic illness realm. This “illness” has included depression. During all the years of housecleaning, God was teaching me how to “press in” to Him when I could hardly put one foot in front of the other because I was hurting so badly, and how to focus on others and meet their needs which helps to overcome depression. Yes, the cleaning products were a factor, but they were only a component to the whole “chronic illness soup”.
Before I close this update, I’d like to mention something that the Lord brought to my mind regarding that whole time of my life. The man I mentioned above that I was dating turned out to be a real schmuck. Not a good man. I came to realize that fact years after our breakup; a breakup that was quite devastating to me, but that’s a whole different blog post.
After we broke up I ran into him and we talked for a while. During that conversation he mentioned to me that my housecleaning had always been very degrading to him. My personal self-esteem at that time was extremely low (non-existent really) and that was a deep blow.
That comment also created a lot of conflict in me. I still loved him very much and was holding out hope that God would move on his heart in a mighty way and we would reconcile. But since I didn’t have any healthy self-esteem his comment made me feel like dirt. At the same time, I was having such a precious time walking with Jesus and growing spiritually.
Much internal turmoil and conflict.
I did not have my spiritual armor on spoken of in Ephesians 6, so I didn’t have on a “shield” to deflect the negative comment and protect my inner man. And I didn’t understand that his comment was more a reflection of his selfish, narcissistic character than it was of my personal value.
Fast forward to now, and I recognize that it was just the devil trying to diminish what the Lord was trying to build in me. By having me all to Himself, Jesus was building in me character, perseverance, hope, faith, trust. I was my own boss. I had my own business. I was learning how to trust Him to provide for my needs. I was learning how to hear His voice.
And I was learning how to fall in love with Him.
Anyway, I wanted this testimony to be here for my children to read so they would understand a small part of this phase of my personal journey.
And while I want my children to strive to do meaningful work for the Kingdom of God, and strive to develop businesses for His glory (if that’s His will for them), I want them to NEVER despise small beginnings and to understand that no matter where they are or what they are doing, God will meet them there. He is right there with them, helping them, pouring Himself into them, walking along side them.
He’s always teaching, always training, if you’ll listen and receive.
Following is the original 2012 post:
Years ago before I had children I worked full-time cleaning houses. I left the work force to fulfill my calling, focus on my health, and start my family. A few years ago after a change in my husband’s job status I needed to “work” outside the home because our side business wasn’t producing enough income. Returning to house cleaning was a no-brainer.
If I have to work outside the home and can’t be in the presence of my children all day homeschooling, I am more than happy to enjoy the solitude of the cleaning business. I am an opportunist and this time period has propelled me forward in developing this website. I write articles in my head all day, listen to conservative talk radio, or enjoy audio sermons, books on tape, and dramatized stories. In addition to these obvious benefits, my business is also a ministry, as my clients will attest!
The daughter of one of my new customers asked her mother, “Why would someone want to clean houses?” I understand her question, but I had to chuckle to myself. I thought I would answer her question in the following letter.
Dear Katie,
When I started cleaning for your family you posed the question to your mother, “Why would someone want to clean houses for a living?” I have spent a lot of time thinking about your question and I would like to tell you a little of my story.I attended Penn State University immediately after high school majoring in business management. I now hold a Bachelor’s Degree. Growing up, I had a strong entrepreneurial spirit and always wanted a business of my own. I thought I wanted a restaurant so following college I began working in the restaurant business. During this time I had the opportunity to do a little cleaning for a friend’s mother who was having trouble finding someone trustworthy to clean her home. After working two and a half years in the restaurant business I realized I would rather clean people’s toilets than work in a restaurant!
As a new Christian, I took a gigantic leap of faith, placed an ad in a local newspaper. Between word-of-mouth and that ad, within a month I had a full schedule. My business was born.
You could ask, “What about your education?” Education is never a waste and mine is always with me. It becomes part of your life experience and makes up the fabric of who you are. As a matter of fact, during my time of housecleaning I had the opportunity to do some bookkeeping for a friend’s business. Through this I discovered my love for accounting so I obtained an Associates Degree in Accounting. Education (formal or self-taught) is never a waste; it is a foundation upon which you can build. It helps you piece together the way our world works. The purpose of a college education is not to make money, but develop your talents and to grow as a person .
Working for yourself requires you to develop different character building skills than working for others. I alone am responsible for my bookkeeping, my time, my taxes, my schedule, and my integrity. No one owns me.
In the case of housecleaning, my clients trust their homes to me. As in the case of your family, sometimes their precious children are left in my care for a time. As one client stated it, “We trust you with our lives!”
Now that I have had the privilege of being a wife, mother, and homeowner, the housecleaning business has taken on a whole new meaning for me.
Because I have been battling chronic illness for so many years and have needed help with my own home, I realize how much of a help I am to my clients. I hope to bring to my clients what I need when I come home from a busy day ~ order and peacefulness.
It is an absolute privilege to serve another woman and assist her in taking care of her home and family. My help removes a small amount of stress from her life. She can come home from a long day at work, sigh, and enjoy her home and focus on her husband and children. Adding value to her life has become very fulfilling for me ~ I feel needed and appreciated.
I am more than a cleaning lady. I am a Godsend.
Your friend,
Miss Sheri
Post Script: With the economy as it is, I am discovering more homemakers are choosing to enter the housecleaning business. Here are some benefits:
You have the privilege of being in a home environment ~ which is where your heart really is!
You get to minister to other women.
You have flexibility. My customers know my family’s needs come first. If my children are home due to weather or serious sickness, I’m not coming that day. If I am able to reschedule, fine. If not, we skip until the next time. They, too have the ability to call and reschedule or cancel at any time. I consider the cancelled day a gift from God and I trust Him for the income lost.
You could potentially take your child with you to work. I did this for the first year that my two oldest went to public school and my youngest was still home schooled. Becca and I had a precious, beautiful year together before she had to go to public school. She’ll always remember some of those precious times with my customers, or just the two of us interacting. Then there were the few times they were home sick or needed a “mental health day” and came along and slept on my customers couches. (I will always treasure those alone times with each of them).
Your time is your own. Being an auditory learner, I welcome the opportunity to listen to sermons, audio books, and dramatized stories uninterrupted.
Sometimes I can take a catnap when I am particularly tired.
Sometimes my customer is home and we enjoy a cup of coffee and I get to practice my life coaching skills! (Right, Juanita?)
I can take a break and do tummy crunches.
I can make phone calls in the middle of the day during the work week while I clean a stove top ~ just like home. =)
And the first day you start your business; you can go to the bank with your check and receive instant cash for your wallet!
Beautiful!
