Which Room Needs a New Routine?

Do you have a room, closet, or drawer in your home that feels like no matter how many times you clean it, it’s only a matter of time before it gets messy again? 

For me this is my office. 

Originally designed to be a room where I can think clearly and write freely, it instead becomes a space of confusion and chaos.  New piles on my desk and my floor accumulate throughout the week. Sometimes I put them there. Sometimes they are placed there by well-intentioned family members. Either way, the surfaces meant for peace and productivity transform into a holding cell of books and papers (and this morning even some lost Legos) to be sorted, placed in their proper place, or discarded. 

Or if I’m honest, sometimes just relocated to another surface to be handled another day. Procrastination replaces productivity. Clutter comfortably covers space for creativity. 

What I really need is to take the time to address the heart of the issue.  What would happen if I stopped long enough to answer the following questions? 

What doesn’t belong? What needs another home? (The Legos for sure!) 

What can I get rid of? What do I really use or need? 

What organization systems aren’t working? How can I adjust them to address the needs in the room? 

As I write this, I’m reminded that these are also questions that can be useful when thinking about my heart. My heart can become cluttered, confused, and chaotic if left unchecked. Sometimes because I push things down into corners to be handled later. Sometimes because others–whether well-intentioned or not–do or say things that cause my heart to feel heavy. Either way, it takes intentionally pausing to address the clutter and return to a place of peace. 

What do you need to let go of? What do you need to feel peace? 

What do you need to ask the Lord to help you process, heal, or find a new system for carrying? 

Maybe you have a room in your home that needs your attention this morning, or maybe like me you also have a room in your heart that needs your care. 

Either way, decluttering takes time, intention, and sometimes a little extra care. And because life is messy, it may even mean you have to address the room on a regular routine. 

Be patient and give yourself grace.  Pray as you proceed. Your hard work holds the promise of hope.