The Kitty, the Buttons, and the Dresser

I am not a tidy person.  I am careful keep my workspace neat, but when I get home, I don’t get paid for straightening up.  (Maybe I’m exaggerating.  After all, I couldn’t bear to watch Hoarders when it was on.)  My standard way of judging messiness is, “If it bothers me, then you know it’s bad.”  Years ago, it was almost a political statement to be a bad housekeeper and it was said that “Dull women have clean houses.”  So years ago, I fit right in.

Unfortunately for me, there are two neatniks in my family.  Even more unfortunately, one is my husband, who is not going to grow up and leave home.

The bedroom is the worst.  I won’t go into details, because even though I am not embarrassed to talk about Jesus or my colonoscopy, I have my limits.

So I am surprised, to say the least, that my dresser has been cleaned up.  Papers I didn’t feel like dealing with have been filed or thrown out, all those free buttons that come with new clothes have been put in the hollow Hello Kitty who came with someone’s Happy Meal, and the piled up books are in the bookcases.  It’s even been dusted!   And no, the angels didn’t do it.

It has been said that God will arrange the disorder of our lives and one of the ways to help him do it, is to have a “rule of life,” with a schedule of prayer, study (Does Facebook count?), exercise, and even going to bed. 

About two years ago, my Bible Study group did the course “Forty Days in the Word,” by Rev. Rick Warren.  This is serious stuff – you have to set aside time every day to study.  I was surprised when I made my forty days.  And even more surprised that I have kept up.  Some days I drag myself out of bed, muttering “Gotta read the Bible,” wishing I could add some expletives.  But I do it.  And it does get easier.

I decided to give myself another hour of sleep, which meant going to bed earlier.  This is not easy.  One of things I expect to enjoy in Heaven is never having to go to bed.  But, with a few lapses, I do it.

(It occurred to me just now as I’m writing this, that I do these things with God’s help!  Seriously!  I never saw it that way before, although I certainly should have.)

But the really interesting thing is that without any help from me, it seems easier to manage my life, including meetings, doctor’s appointments, writing, and even Bible study.

For Lent, I made a list of things I should take care of – giving away clothes I no longer wear, cleaning out the guest room (more accurately the junk room) closet, organizing my papers.  And I managed to complete all but one before Easter.

So one day, when I didn’t have anything particular to do, I straightened out my dresser.  Now my dog and cat knickknacks have an orderly home.

This may not seem all that important to the neatniks.  But the rest of us understand.

Thank you, God