Sunday, January 13, 2013

Amidst the Clutter

I am over cluttered!   There I said it...though those around me have known it as have I...I try to...well I just don't look at it...I tell the shepherd as we were having a discussion something to which we were sure we were both right...and so I tell him that half the people in this house think it should be such and such away...and now clearly I realize how important it was because for the life of me I don't remember...I am almost thinking about...oh I remember...okay now I feel even stupider to write it down...but when I say half the people he comes up with his classic John Wayne quote..."Half the world is women...why do you have to be the one who stirs my blood?"    I choose to think of it as endearing--whereas he I am sure he thinks every day...WHY!!!!

Anyway I lose focus...another part of my yes what I was getting at New Year's...RESOLUTIONS...seem to be such a  rigid word...SO...UNCLUTTERED!!!  Well as I was saying up above on choosing not to look.   As the shepherd and I were having our conversation as he is cleaning his laptop screen...I think of how smeared it appears with the way the sun shines in through my southern window.   I love that window...you can see clear across the southern valley...reason being I left a window in my bathroom...(not the window that I am looking at as it is in the entryway) but the bathroom window is not a window that goes outside but goes only in the wall but you can see out that window....a window that has caused much discussion because as I stand on the balcony I realize that my son was right that people can see in that window if at the right time of night and the light is just right...BUT who is really going to be looking and if they can only see ones head...isn't it worth the view?  Which back to my case in point...with the southern sunlight peering through...that window is in some serious need of cleaning (requiring a tall ladder and working on that whole fear of heights thing)...and the shepherd laughs and says don't look at it.    I laugh and say that is probably both our problems...if we don't look at it...then is it in fact really there?   Oh yes it is there and usually ends up biting you in the...well you get the idea.

But I think of clutter...I do not have to look far...my kitchen table is cluttered...with remnants of Christmas...of my refrigerator...YES I would like to report...not really inspired by myself and many of you who know me...know my refrigerator is always full...no not always full of delicious nutritious healthy meals and snacks I have prepared but more of those things that I cannot make myself throw out but on the other hand cannot make myself eat them either.   BUT sometimes things that we have no control over happen...yes my refrigerator quit....Oh it wasn't the kind in which it completely shuts down and ruins everything...it was very thoughtful about it.   First the ice began to drip and the freezer items began to thaw...so we cleared out the refrigerator.   Still watching and seeing...THEN the other began to follow suit so I actually was very thankful in the fact that I have a refrigerator downstairs and the shepherd brought up one of the college fridges...you know the ones...so it was not as though we were in desperate need.    However, we were neither one wanting to buy a new fridge either.   So the shepherd says...lets unplug it and let it completely thaw out and see what it does.    So I am game...however, seeing a completely empty fridge...I realize I need to suck it up and really clean it out good...the whole hot soapy water and all.   I also took everything off the front...I have pictures of my kids in school...all my save the dates...magnets and pictures...printed out picture of the last picture I took of Jay that has seen better days...of Izzy and the goats...Heather and Steff...Patrick and Misty...Jake and Amy...Brendon and Celisse...Lance and Kasey Jo...assorted Izzy's and actually who knows what all.  But I rid it all off so if the shepherd takes to be repaired.

Upon cleaning (and must admit was nice and gave me a sense of accomplishment) and the shepherd blowing out dust...not that we have any around and also the unplugging...he plugs it back in.   Well we have strategically put a Popsicle in...you know the kind that you squeeze out...well upon plugging back in it freezes...to which I am thinking HOORAY it is a miracle!   Woo hoo and then...as we wait and watch and see...the Popsicle thaws...right before our very eyes!    So the shepherd calls the repairman back who couldn't do anything with it until this time anyway due to the holidays.   The shepherd decides to just load up the old fridge in his mighty Power Ranger since he is going that way anyway.   He takes and leaves it off and the repairman plugs it in and thinks it is working...he says he will keep it and watch it over night.   To which he does and the fridge keeps working.   FIXED...so we pay a $45 babysitting charge but are still thankful as to not having to buy a new one.   Upon bringing it home...I have carefully been putting items back in.  And have only returned one magnet as of yet...you know the only one I have for an actual upcoming wedding...Brenda and Celisse's save the date...pretty dang cute...okay but back to my story Pepper!!!   I have a box of items on my table that need sorted.   I have a tree that may just stay here...my Jay Bird tree that holds the birds I received from Jay's mom...my favorite being BELIEVE...along with an angel.   I have piles of books...a few Cd's and the Christmas card tree still sits there.   My ipod...camera case...calendar from Bethany that needs hung up so I can see it from my kitchen table but have not found the hooker deal yet...So you see...it all has a reason...SURELY it does...I put in a pic of my Believe bird...

 And for some reason...I still cannot add pictures...which makes me sad....so picture a little blue bird that says Believe hanging upon a Charlie Brown tree...picture a refrigerator CLEAN!   Perhaps it is time I do something different...like my refrigerator...things may make me change that I had not wanted to but I think of Jesus Calling by Sarah Young this morning saying..

"TRY TO VIEW EACH DAY as an adventure, carefully planned out by your Guide.  Instead of staring into the day that is ahead of you, attempting to program it according to your will, be attentive to Me and to all I have prepared for you.  Thank Me for this day of life, recognizing that it is a precious, unrepeatable gift.  Trust that I am with you each moment, whether you sense My Presence or not.  A thankful, trusting attitude helps you to see events in your life from My perspective."
 
It goes on to say...one line that just hit "Resist your tendency to search for the easiest route through the day.  Be willing to follow wherever I lead."   Excuse me...are YOU talking to me...if the refrigerator fits...CLEAN IT!

I look at My Utmost for His  Highest written by Oswald Chambers...and feel that is more than just these two writers that they did not get together and say...on January 13th Penny is going to need to hear...and it seems to speak right to me...seems a Higher Power might have been involved...
"There are whole tracts of stubbornness and ignorance to be revealed by the Holy Spirit in each one of us, and it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone.   Are we alone with Him now, or are we taken us with little fussy notions, fussy comradeship's in God's service, fussy ideas about our bodies?  Jesus can expound nothing until we get through all the noisy questions of the head and are alone with Him."
And the song comes to me that I had e-mailed myself so I wouldn't forget sung by Gwen Smith who shared through the Girlfriends in God...UNCLUTTERED...and this morning when I tried to link there a warning came up and made me laugh as I have been told to TEST all that I learn as of late...and it says:  "WHOA!   Are you sure you want to go there? may be risky to visit. Why were you redirected to this page? When we visited this site we found that it contained one or more risky behaviors."   And so I am not sure what the risky behavior is...but this song seems to pass all of the criteria listed to me from James 3:17...so I hope in this testing I do not give my computer a virus...I give you the YouTube version...but would encourage you to go to her site...  http://www.gwensmith.net/media/music-videos/


And as I watched I think of all the things that need uncluttered...my mind is but the first...so off I go to work on the clutter...clear off my table maybe...clean a closet so I can put away my Christmas...be ready to not just take the easy road...or look the other way...wish it were as easy as wiping off the glass as she does...and I wonder what all I have written upon mine...but UNCLUTTER...now that's a good word... Jesus Calling referenced it and seems a good one to end on Psalm 118:24..."This is the day the Lord has made...we will rejoice and be glad in it!" lyp


 

No comments:

Post a Comment