My husband and I kept having these discussions of how it
felt like life should be easier than it was. Transition from one
thing/event/activity to another seemed to take three times the amount of time
that it should. Where was all our margin going? It wasn’t like we scheduled
everything down to the second. This problem was becoming a monster that was
eating all our time and decreasing the possibility of white space in our lives
in order to be still before God, rest in his presence, and quiet our hearts and
our souls.
So we’ve been on this journey of simplifying, and as I look back, I see several things we’ve learned through the process of eliminating chaos from our lives:
Chaos costs time
From finding the right shirt stuck on the bottom of ten others, digging through the closet for the right pair of shoes, and pulling out the skirt you want only to find it wrinkled, too many clothes cost time.
Lost keys, misplaced phone, the search for the book loaned
from a friend. Lack of order and routine costs time.
Decide what to eat, decide what to wear, decide which
activity to do with the kids. Lack of a plan costs time.
Chaos costs money
Buying duplicates because the food item was shoved in the
back of the pantry, forgetting I bought those shorts for the boys on sale last
summer and getting new ones this spring. Too much to keep organized costs
money.
Bought too much food, or simply forgot it was there. Food
goes bad before its eaten. Lack of a plan costs money.
So many toys neglected, ignored or broken. Too many to choose
from, none of which are favorites. Quantity decreases the value of quality.
Lack of value costs money.
Chaos costs energy
Little nick knacks on a shelf that have to be dusted around
(that you may not even like or remember where they came from.) Stuffing those
last few items into the dresser. Digging through the toolbox to find that screwdriver. Managing stuff costs energy.
“What’s for dinner?” “What are we doing today?” “Can I play
at Suzie’s house?” Questions constantly coming. Brain spinning. No idea how to
answer. Unknowns costs energy.
Too much going on to stay on top of cleaning. Bathrooms that
require extra elbow grease. Dishes piled in the sink. Mount Laundry. Busyness
and not being able to stay on top of things costs energy.
Chaos cost us emotionally and physically and spiritually
No time for first things, priorities, time with God. No time
for sleep. No time for workouts. No time to prepare nutritious meals. Not
enough time for family or friends. Not having abilities to fill our bucket and
live the abundant life. Life seems crazy and out of control. Emotions swing
from anxiety to depression. Our hearts grow weak. Our bodies grow weary. Our
souls shrivel. Big rocks not put in firsts costs us. Oh, it costs us so much!
Practical and Simple Ways we are Fighting Chaos
- - Scheduling time with God and with one another as priority (our big rocks)
- - Eliminating superfluous items from our home (disliked nick knacks, extra clothing, overabundance of toys, duplicate items in the kitchen or workshop)
- - Setting a routine for cleaning and maintenance (maybe not every week, but things happen in a rotation or loop so that they happen regularly)
- - Having a daily plan for eating (we eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch on each day of the week – and the boys know what to expect. I plan monthly for dinners with a five-week rotation of dinner menus. This simplifies my grocery shopping as well as I know exactly what I need.)
Overall, the thing that I’m learning most right now is that
I cannot allow the mentality of “simplifying” to take the place of Christ in my
life. Idolatry of the heart and mind can happen so subtly, and I could easily
make this “lifestyle” my savior. I am being challenged as we make decisions
about items to get rid of or changes to our schedule to make sure I am seeking
Christ first and asking him to lead my heart in surrender.
What are some practical ways you are fighting chaos in your
home and heart in order to regain the ability to be still before God?
Genesis 35:1-3 "God said to Jacob, 'Arise, go up to Bethel ...' So Jacob said to his household..., 'Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel, so that I may make there an altar to the God who answers me … '"
ReplyDeleteJacob told his household to purify themselves and to change their garments. Basically, it sounds to me the entire household started decluttering, doing baths and doing laundry, and maybe even quick mending or sewing. I've tried to picture how this looked in Jacobs camp .. everyone in his household and all who were with him quickly purifying themselves and changing clothes. What a flurry! I can imagine it was a little chaotic looking from an outside view.
Laundry chores and bath time at our house doesn't always look like worship but it seems here from these verses that it can be part of it. I am encouraged by these verses because sometimes my household is full of chores that need to get done for living life - like laundry, baths. I can see from these verses that these chores can be part of my worship, and I can know God is honored by my doing of these activities.
I also see from these verses that the flurry prepping for still worship, and chaotic flurry recovering from that time of rest, is okay. After all, the Israelites had to do twice the work on the day before Sabbath so that they could rest on the Sabbath. (Ex 16:22 - "On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread,...") It's reasonable that I have to do twice the work on Saturday to have a time of rest of Sunday. Also it's reasonable I have to do quite a bit of prep work to set up my household ready for me to have some moments of stillness in my days.
- Sandi Wood
I love this example of Jacob and his family. Yes, extra work so we can rest - it's all worth it. And I have to keep that in perspective sometime! :) Thanks for sharing!
DeleteYes! As our family has grown and we have less time and less money, I've become better at being organized and planning ahead. And while it may take extra focus and time at the beginning (particularly if organization is not a personal strength) it can quickly become a way of life. Instead of it becoming an idol, that lifestyle actually enables you the peace and rest necessary to truly worship the One who is worthy of all our praise!
ReplyDeleteYes, thank you, Terri. Any practical systems you find really helpful that you guys have put in place that you could share?
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