Special Note: This article is part of an intentional home series by Davonne Parks. To view the rest of the articles in this series, go here.

I rose early, resisting the temptation to snuggle in close to my husband and drift back to dreamland. Tiptoeing across the hardwood floor to the kitchen, I squinted at the glowing numbers on our microwave. Three hours. That’s all I had. I knew I couldn’t do everything I needed to in that amount of time.

But I could do something.

So I wiped the previous evening’s mascara from my eyes, brushed my teeth, and poured myself a glass of water.

“[The virtuous woman] also rises while it is yet night…” Proverbs 31:15, NKJV

Time to work, I told myself softly.

As I hurried, I silently echoed a phrase in my mind: Love them enough to give them a soft place to land. Focused on that thought, I rapidly waded through clutter, scrubbed counters and swept floors, glancing often at the clock.

Only three hours. But it made a difference.

“Our kitchens are where we pour love into the foods we make, reconnect as a family, entertain guests, sit and linger over coffee with friends, and where many childhood memories are made.” – Davonne Parks, Chaos to Clutter-Free

“Remember that the less there is, the less there is to clean. And, the less stuff there is, the more usable space you will have.” – Davonne Parks, Chaos to Clutter-Free

Wanting an easy success, I tackled the bathroom and hallway next.

By this time, my husband was up so I moved to the master bedroom. It took exactly 30 minutes to make our room feel clean again. Things like repairing the mirror, hemming curtains, and updating the décor can wait.

And then I decided that, bad allergies or not, it was time for my sleeping beauties to rise and shine.

By this time I was tired of cleaning and wanted to move on with my day. But I knew I could push through for just a little longer, so I did a 30-minute power session in our school and play room. Some things got put away. Other items were simply shoved aside. Even with a clutter pile in the corner, the space felt much more inviting again.

Far from perfect. But so much better. Three hours (and sixteen minutes). That’s all it took to create a calmer environment, a soft place for my family to land at the end of a long day.

While I’m not an advocate of regularly missing sleep (I believe rest is good and God-ordained!), sometimes we need to skip something else in order to care for our homes, especially when we’re in a very busy season. Whether it’s missing a favorite television show, grounding ourselves from our phone for a day, waking up a little early, or staying up a little late, we can all carve out just a little time to bless our loved ones by creating a more inviting home environment.

Even if you don’t have three hours, I want to challenge you to find 15 minutes. While more time would be wonderful, anything you can offer today will be a blessing.

Personal Thought/Application Question: How will you carve out time to bless your home this week?

Davonne Parks believes that your role at home is valuable and she wants to help you thrive in your environment. Click here to receive immediate access to the FREE printable library she created just for you.