Clearing the Clutter

I love watching the home decorating shows on TV. The designer takes something that was once outdated, unused, or forgotten and transforms it into something new, beautiful, and inspiring. Most often the transformation is something the homeowner would have never imagined.

While the end product always dazzles, let’s be honest.

The “reveal” shows a perfect space that no one has stepped foot in–yet.

Soon the homeowner will move back in and life will resume. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve realized that life is messy. Cooking meals at home – while fostering family time – creates dirty dishes, counters and stovetops. The family room – a gathering place for conversation, board games, or movies – becomes ground zero for leftover papers, books, sweatshirts, and cups. There’s a never-ending cycle of items coming in the house that need action and eventually a space to land.

I’d love to take a peek inside that perfect TV home a year after the show ended. Would it look the same? Doubtful.

While my home is far from perfect (we live here after all) occasionally the spaces need attention. A closet has been neglected and stuffed to the brim. A counter has become hidden and unrecognizable due to clutter. An entire room has a permanently closed door so no one will see the mess inside.

When the mess becomes too much, tackling these spaces becomes a priority. The job can feel overwhelming due to full family schedules and all the other responsibilities on my plate. But I know that the sense of peace that having an organized space brings will be worth it in the end. When feelings of overwhelm take over, I am reminded that God doesn’t require our homes (or our hearts) to be perfect. He loves us unconditionally, including our messes, and He promises to be with us wherever we go.

Which means that my job when tackling organization projects is to simply pick one and start.