Lately I have been wondering if I am just too organized, too structured, or too schedule oriented. I have a place for everything in our house... it makes it easy to find when someone needs it, and it makes it fairly easy to clean up, you just put it back where you got it from. I am also a planner. I usually plan our days and our week, whether it is just time at home together or fun outings out, or appointments or such that we have to take care... by planning things out I find that it helps me to be more productive with my time and I am able to tackle the big things that I really need to get done rather than pushing them to the back burner...
But people have made comments about my organization...
- I can not believe you plan out your meals for each week (well, how else do you know what to buy at the grocery store)
- Your kitchen is so organized, I would hate for you to see mine, it is just chaos...
So I have been a bit down on myself, wondering if I am over the top... but the Lord blessed my heart this morning by showing me that I am not!
I am doing the Bible study, He Speaks To Me, by Priscilla Shirer, and today's lesson was on priorities! She mentions that in Exodus 25-27, when God was giving Moses very detailed instructions on building the tabernacle, that God required Moses to give great attention to detail! Then a bit later in the lesson she quoted this statement from her pastor, and it just made my heart soar...
"A focus on divine order always precedes an infilling of His divine presence." When we want God to show up and reveal Himself to us we have to plan and prepare to place priority on the things that are important to Him. page 34
I know that at this point in my life, it is important to God that I do my best to be a Godly wife and mom, taking care of my family and my home. So I feel He is pleased that I am orderly and in control of our home. Since I am structured and have a cleaning schedule and everything has a place, I do not have to spend lots and lots of time cleaning. I just have to maintain weekly and do big cleanings when it is required. This frees me up to spend more time with my family and with my Lord... during rest times each day I am usually able to spend more time with Him rather than running around trying to get stuff done around the house.
I actually find that being organized and structured is very freeing... it helps me to use my time more wisely and efficiently, and allows me more time to seek Him, and to be the wife and mom that I long to be. I have more time to try that new recipe that looked good, more time to play games or read books with the boys, more time to go for bike rides with the family after dinner... I also find that when my home and life are in order that my thoughts are more orderly and peaceful rather than chaotic and frazzled.
I am so thankful that today my Lord saw fit to encourage me and to let me know that order is ordained by Him! After all, our Lord is not a Lord of confusion or chaos put of peace! 1 Corinthians 14:33.
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5 comments:
Tricia, Thanks for your nice comment about my sister. That was sweet.
I just read your post and you are so correct about being organized and having a place for everything,...and how it saves time when you need something. I like to have a place for everything, it makes me feel better.
You are right that it is better to have lists and to be organized. It saves time and money. When I had less money I had to be frugal with our food, and clothing purchases, and household items too. I used to buy things on sale, and at discount stores or flea markets, thrift stores or garage sales,...or did without things we couldn't afford. But being careful made our money go farther.
You are right that it is good to schedule fun times as well as work times. You were so right that planning meals gives you the list of things you will need for the week or the month, to make meals for your family.
(I always planned menus and made shopping lists when my girls were at home). Now i don't have to do that with just the two of us. And we eat out sometimes too.
You are also right that the Lord wants us to be that good stewards of our time and money. The Titus II woman was like this,...and so was Lydia, and the Proverbs 31 woman.
Elizabeth Elliott the elderly missionary/speaker was always structured,...and she encouraged women to not be discouraged, but to simply... "Do the next thing!". This helped me so many times in my life.
It gives the kids a sense of security when they know that mommy has things under control. And it teaches them how to be responsible.
You are right that God is NOT a GOD of confusion! The Bible does say there is a time for every purpose under heaven. But if we waste time,... then some things go undone.
I am much older than you and my husband is retired now, and we try to have our daily devotions and prayer times together. We have our church times, and our family times, and our friend times, and recreation times, etc.,... but there are the in-between times that we fill with other things, and just kind of "play it by ear". At this stage of life we can also do impromptu things.
A lot of times we don't feel good and don't have the energy that we used to have. Our lives have slowed down....a lot. (wink)
But when there is lots to do, I agree that you need a plan for the day,...and the night time too when there are kids in the home. Otherwise it can be total chaos. Routine is a necessity.
We just had two granddaughters for a week while they went to Vacation Bible School, and there was a daily plan to follow. But as soon as they left,...we had to rest for a week! Ha! ((smile))
I loved your post, and I totally agreed with what you said honey. people who give you a hard time about being organized just don't know what they are missing by not being that way! ((smile))
May God Bless You and your family.
Keep on being you!!!
Love you,
Linda
I love your post. There is nothing wrong with being organized and having everything planned out. It does help us to relax knowing that everything is already done. Read Kelly's blog. She talked about cleaning, too. Have a happy and safe 4th.
Yes! Amen! Don't get discouraged just because other people don't "see it". You are to be praised for being so dilligent and wise with prioritizing and caring for your home!
You are so funny! I hope you never worry about being "over the top" again. Most of us wish we were already there, where you are. and Flylady would be so proud!! Our Lord IS truly honored by your organized life.
Tricia,
You have the spiritual gift of administration. Period.
I have a dear friend/mentor with this gift and it intimidates other women. We tend to feel less than with women like you. But the truth is we all have gifts. My friend has felt the way you have until she accepted her gift from God and stopped letting others get to her. It's hard to do when the voices come in but it's possible. Now she tries to thank God for her gift of administration.
Thank God for this gift. It's a good thing. From HIM. Use it and bless your family with no apologies.
Hope you don't mind my bold thoughts here. Have to speak out because I've heard this story and it's very similar.
Love you,
Tiffany
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