The Curse of Organization

Posted by Barbara | 0 comments

How many times have you heard, or said, “A place for everything and everything in its place”? You know as well as I that this is a helpful adage. And getting it ingrained in your kids can certainly facilitate an easier clean-up time. Nothing worse than saying to your children “Please, go clean up the craft area” and then finding that everyone has merely shoved all the craft supplies in to the toy boxes and book shelves because there is no obvious spot for those items to be stored.

However, the problem comes when you get yourself so nicely organized, and you get a place for everything that you free up some shelf or drawer space. Heaven forbid you’d have an empty drawer! Heaven forbid there might be a shelf with nothing on it! Has this happened to you?

We recently moved to a house that had more kitchen cupboards than our previous home. I found that my kitchenware fit nicely into my kitchen with room to spare. Immediately, I found myself looking for more stuff to fill those drawers. Perhaps I ought to go buy some cases of baked beans and bulk spices to fill the pantry? Same situation in the bathroom. The previous owners had installed a lovely vanity with plenty of drawers. We don’t need all these drawers. I found myself wanting to race to the store to stock up on extra hygiene and personal care items just to fill the space. Just how many bottles of shampoo and conditioner does one need to have on hand at all times?

I changed the adage to read: “A thing for everyplace and everyplace full of things.”

You can see the problems associated with this, right? Overspending your grocery budget, cluttering up your space, making it hard to find what you really need (and already have) because it is hidden by all the stuff…

But you don’t need me to tell you about de-cluttering and organization. You are likely significantly more “together” in that department than I.

What I would like to remind myself of, and possibly you too, is that we can have the same mentality of “more is more” when it comes to our spiritual life as well.

Gladly, this school year has found me a bit more organized than previous years. The hours in the day are stretching slightly, and I find there is some “empty minutes” in the day that could be filled with something. Particularly, I’m thinking of the early morning hours when I am awake before the kids to have my prayer and Bible reading time.

Now just calling it that is ironic to me, although you won’t know why yet. Here’s what I’m finding: I am trying to cram that hour full of stuff just like the drawer in the bathroom. First, I should try to read a short devotional. Then there are those good biographies my pastor keeps mentioning. Of course, there are the topical study guides that I’ve started and not finished: I could squeeze one of those in. And then there are the newsletters from the mission field to catch up on, the book about worship, the newest release from the mega church pastor that everyone says is a must read, and the book and journal on parenting that I really wanted to work through.

Any one of those things will definitely take an hour. But what did I say the hour was called? Oh, right. Prayer. Bible reading….

Right.

There is “space” in my mornings that I have cluttered up with so many things that, while beneficial, are really in the way of the stuff I need. All I need are my Bible and my ears open. Period. The other books and women’s studies and home-schooling resources and parenting lectures are all very good, and shouldn’t really be ignored forever. However, the Word does say that “All scripture is breathed out by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God man be competent, equipped for every good work” (2Tim. 3:16-17). Do we believe that? Are we willing to test God in that, that His Word is enough to answer all our questions, and guide all our steps?

Here’s the challenge: Clear out an hour of your day for the Lord and keep it simple. Read a bit of the Bible. Pray about what you read. Listen to God more than you talk to Him. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

(And while you’re at it, empty out a drawer and leave it empty. You’ll smile every time you see it in all its bareness!)

Barbara and her husband, as they homeschool their 7 children, are finding out that no two children are alike! Between lessons and lunches, Barbara blogs at Fuel by Barbara.