Dianne Neal Matthews here, realizing that this is the second Monday of the month and I’m supposed to post some encouraging words for you. But the truth is: I got nothin’.
The day didn’t sneak up on me—I kept thinking about needing to write a post last week. It was a busy week but I didn’t worry; after all, a couple of weeks ago I found papers in my desk drawer where I’d jotted down a few ideas. So one of the first things I did this morning was rummage through all the papers, memos, and notebooks cluttering the top of my desk—and the floor and futon as well. (Don’t judge me, I just completed a fairly big project.) Since I couldn’t find what I needed, I took a break.
To get organized, I made a list of bills I need to pay today. Came up with a dozen, including an undecipherable medical bill that will really take some time and research. Then I decided to list the most pressing writing-related tasks to get done over the next three days before I leave town for almost a month. To get even more organized, I put an asterisk by the most urgent ones. So now I have a list of bills and a paper with fifteen asterisks (I’m sure I’ll think of others). It’s almost lunchtime and all I’ve accomplished so far is to make myself feel completely overwhelmed.
Also this morning I’ve figured something out: decluttering is an ongoing process, not a once-a-year thing or something to do during spring or fall cleaning. When my husband and I moved out of the house we’d lived in for twenty-three years, we were amazed at how much junk in the attic we got rid of. After living in a new house for a year, I can’t believe how much junk has crawled into our unfinished basement. I need to do some major decluttering of my office, my files, my desk, but first I need to start at the top.
When you think about it, having a morning quiet time is a way to declutter your mind. As we focus on God’s Word and prayer, His Spirit realigns our priorities. When we talk about the day ahead and our concerns about it to God, He gives us clarity of mind that helps us focus on what most needs to get done. If I hadn’t skipped my quiet time this morning, I might have found those jotted-down ideas—and you would have had a better post to read. Maybe next time…
