Order Out Of Chaos
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10
It sounded like a great idea until the work began. I quickly found that de-cluttering and scaling down is not for the fainthearted. Especially when I ventured into the basement, which held twelve years of Whistling Ed’s Handyman business remnants. I couldn’t even find a place to begin. I quickly headed back upstairs to tackle my own hoarding issues found amidst books, papers, trinkets and memories.
I had my strategy to tackle one room at a time, asking the question, “If I were about to downsize to a smaller home, what would I keep?” It brought perspective and I quickly saw that the things I once loved and treasured are now clutter and dust catchers. The problem came when I moved something into another room and started to undertake that room also. Before I knew it, it looked as if a hurricane had blown through our entire house.
After weeks of slow plodding, it simply looked like chaos, disorder and a huge mess. To be honest, it still looks like total chaos. I don’t like messy and I don’t like clutter, but it is part of the process. At the end of the day, I closed the door and moved on pretending that all was well behind that door.
I find that the same is true in my heart. Sometimes I get so cluttered and bogged down with worries and cares of this life that everything seems like a hurricane. Instead of persisting in prayer and faith, I choose to shut the door on the hard and run away to a place of peace. But I know the way to change, is through facing the difficult places and letting God bring healing, order and beauty.
The voice of the enemy comes loud during these times attempting to convince me that my mess equals my identity. He will shout things like: “You are just a slob. You will never accomplish this. You are one big mess. Just give up. Shut the door.”
My Good, Good Father says:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
I am God’s workmanship; His masterpiece.
I was created to do good works.
I think I will believe God.
My mess does not equal my identity.
I am a loved daughter of the King.
In the very beginning God looked upon the earth that was formless, empty and dark and He spoke and created life, order and beauty. He continues to speak and create life, order and beauty out of our mess.
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said… Genesis 1:2
Open that door, embrace the mess and let Him lead you through the difficult and hard work. With His strength we plod on through the mess and let God create something beautiful in my home and in my heart.