Clutter & Homeschooling
"And all day too. I'm making room on my hard drives. They are both full. I deleted 4,000 emails today. Now, I'm deleting duplicate picture files. My camera is 10 megapixels and the files are large. Also, there are a lot of video files from Shine and Phoebe..."
"Okay, Honey. It's fine. Don't explain. I'll see you in the morning."
I
have 600 somethings on my computer. My computer friends told me that my
computer has enough space that I will never fill it. Hah! Little do
they know!
Clutter in my Life
I
can fill anything--an empty drawer, an empty bookcase, an empty room,
and an empty hard drive. I create piles of papers and books wherever I
go. If I walk into a room, I will leave behind a pile of books.
But, filling up my hard drives was a wake-up call to me. I have a problem with clutter. There is clutter in my homeschool room and clutter in my computer. I might join a support group.
"Hi, I'm Meredith Curtis and I'm a pack rat. I hate to get rid of anything because one day I just might need it. How do other people live without collecting piles of things?"
There is just one thing to do. I told my husband that I need to buy a computer with a bigger hard drive and we need to buy a bigger house. He's not buying it. He suggested a family project. My family is not thrilled about the Curtis De-Clutter Adventure.
My
problem runs deeper than filling up space. This is a problem that only
God can handle. I need wisdom from Heaven on what to keep, what to give
away, and what to throw away. There are many things that I should hold
on to or I will just need to spend money to replace them in a few
months. Homeschooling requires many books, file folders, and computer
files.
My Plan for Clutter
June's project is de-cluttering. Here is my plan.
- Start with a day of fasting, prayer, seeking God, and crying out for wisdom.
- Examine my heart. Get rid of clutter in my heart and spiritual life.
- Get rid of duplicates that I don't need: computer files, books, textbooks, papers, recipe cards, DVDs, music books, purses, totes, serving dishes, appliances, clothing items, calendars, CDs, furniture, and decorative items.
- Use the 3-Tote System to give away, throw away, and put away where they belong.
When this is over, I hope to enjoy a clutter-free house, for at
least a day! I expect to have to repeat this process again in the
future. After all, this isn't the first time, but this time, I hope to
get rid of all lot more stuff than ever before.
Clutter in my Heart
You
see, I realize that clutter begins in my heart. I let things pile up in
my heart too. Little resentments, hurt feelings, or relational issues
that need to be dealt with. I put off things that God is telling me to
do because I don't have time. I fill my calendar because I feel
obligated to do so many things. I used to be able to "Do It All!" in my
younger days. Now, I need sleep or I get grumpy. I need down time or I
feel frazzled inside. I need peace and quiet occasionally or I feel
weary in my heart.
God wants me to sort through the piles in my heart so that I am clutter-free inside.
"In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work," (II Timothy 2:20-21 NIV).
Homeschooling is a noble task, a ministry unto the Lord, a good work that God has prepared for me to walk in. I want to be useful to the Lord in my homeschooling, prepared to teach what is good. As I clear away the clutter in my home and heart, my prayer is that Jesus will fill my heart and home with His Presence and that my family and I will make ourselves at Home in Him!
How about you? Are you like me? Is it time to do some de-cluttering?
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