Living with four adults and two children can be quite a challenge. It is work to say the least to have only two adults in the house let alone four. Everyone has their own ideas of neat and clutter. What is one man's clutter is another man's security blanket. The pieces of paper that stack up on a desk, or the yarn in a basket in the bedroom can pose as comfort to one and stress to another. Working together toward all being relaxed and content with their surroundings can prove-well-stressful at times.
Junk mail is one of the items that Heather has a three second rule about. If it is not needed to be looked at more than three seconds, then it belongs in the trash can. Please do not think I am being hard on the one who clutters, for I am she. It was amazing this afternoon to enact the three second rule on the junk mail. Wow! It is rather liberating. I will not have to make a decision as to what pile or drawer to put it in now and to linger over later when purging. Purging usually happens when I cannot find a very important document such as a bill that is due tomorrow. Or maybe it is the directions to the doctor's appointment that will be taking place next week. "I know I put it in this drawer", I can hear myself saying. The document manages to stay hidden until some serious lightening of the paper takes place. The smiles from Mike and Heather as they see the pages that are now ripped and being thrown into a bag gives me cause for wonder.
Thankfully, Heather is patient with me as well as Mike. The two of them are the neat people in our family. They function much better without the clutter. It is amazing to me how quickly they can find places for things even after I have sat in frustration as to where to put the same objects. I must admit the room looks much better when they are done.
Whether you find yourself to be the one who clutters or the one who is neat, please remember to be patient and loving with one another. If you are all believers in Christ, He is truly the Lord of you all. His grace covers a multitude of sin, frustrations, and habits. Both parties can learn from one anther. As the one who clutters, I must, out of love, put forth a greater effort to bring comfort and peace to those who enjoy a neat and orderly house.
Neatness verses clutter is an important issue that needs to be addressed in most families. Working together and having a healthy balance is the key. How we go about developing the healthy balance is important. When living under one roof, we must know that the relationships that we develop with our loved ones should be foremost on our hearts and minds. The house will always be there, whether cluttered or neat, but those whom you love are here but for a moment. Relish and soak up the fragrance of the lives that God has so graciously entrusted you to pour your heart and soul into. Celebrate one anther and be full of joy.
May God Bless!!!
I like to think I've loosened up about the clutter. Relaxed a bit. But in all fairness, I think I'm just too tired to care as much as I once did. I don't think it would bother me so much if I could have one room, one desk, all mine, with no food, toys, bills, or junk mail.
ReplyDeleteAll that aside, I know we are where God wants us to be. Clutter or no clutter. I love you.
It's quite amazing to see you both talk, and the love, the respect, the capacity to look at things that matter versus things that aren't important and that cause us so much misery if we let them take over our life.
ReplyDeleteWe don't live with our parents, I'm the neat type, my daughters aren't that neat at times. We also have to deal with that too, to remember that relationships with your love ones are always more important than 'having it your way' around the house. We can always teach and learn from each other.
I feel the same about you and your family, like a "breath of fresh air".