Taking Care Of Stuff

I have made a conscious choice to do the things that I really don't like to but need to do. You know what I mean...the closet you haven't cleaned, the mail you haven't gone through, the mending/dry cleaning you haven't taken care of. There's an odd satisfaction that comes from doing this. It feels good to deal with things that I've been putting off for days or weeks or maybe even months.

For years I've talked about the fact that I often hear God talking to me when I am doing the dishes - I can't explain it, but it really happens. A few months ago when I was speaking at church I joked about the fact that I wished God would speak to me when I was cleaning my floors because then they'd get swept/mopped more often. I'm happy to report that I have been mopping/sweeping my floors quite frequently lately and God has been meeting me during those clean ups. Which is a good thing because I've had lots to work through. I can't explain it but it seems as though dealing with those mundane, simple things is helping me to feel more productive and, in an odd way, frees me up to do more. Not only that, but it has given me the courage and determination to tackle issues of greater importance than cupboards, floors and mending.

Tonight was the final gathering of a group of ladies I've been meeting with for the past 7 weeks. Together we completed a video Bible study on the story of the exodus of the children of Israel. Working through the lessons forced me to confront some personal issues that I have been ignoring because I really did not want to have to deal with them. I had lots of excuses but none of them was really valid. Through the lessons and our weekly discussions, I came to realize that it was time to get take care of those things. As with the mundane tasks I have put off, once I began to honestly deal with the issues I knew I needed to work through, it was not as awful as I envisioned.

To be perfectly honest, it was not a very comfortable process, particularly when I felt I needed to share it with the ladies in the group. Even so, I did it and it feels GREAT. I am thankful for the support, acceptance and encouragement of the group memebers. It was a good example of the Biblical principle found in Hebrews 10:23-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I don't know if you've been putting off anything simple that you could probably get done rather quickly and/or easily. Today's a great time to decide to get it done. While you're at it, take the opportunity to talk to God about stuff He's got for you to deal with too. If it seems a bit daunting, utilize your 'life line' option and call a friend for support. I think it'll feel good to cross some stuff off your to-do-list; both the one on your fridge and the one you have in your head because you don't want anyone else to see it.

Now the challenge will be to ensure that I keep this habit going so that my lists don't grow long again. I'll let you know how that goes.