I REALLY wish I were an organized person. You have no idea how dearly I wish it! For 7 years I lived with my best friend (Dianne), a very organized gal and I did learn some things – but not nearly enough. For another year I lived with Olga Organized (otherwise known as Beverly) who would put Martha Stewart to shame! And again, I learned things from her – but merely enough to realize how terribly challenged I was in this area!

Then I got married and had children and TRULY found out how despicable I was in the area of organization. People assume (I have NO idea why) that because I have 8 children that I must be organized to “get it all done”. Of course they begin with the FALSE assumption that I DO get it all done. I don’t even THINK about it all, let alone get it done! But this really is a area I want to grow in and master. I will never be like Beverly or even Dianne, but I CAN be better than Kate at this point in my life. And I have gotten better over the years – but with 10 of us home much of the time, better seldom fits the need.

I have spent the last year perusing organization or decluttering or thrifty decorating blogs and websites. Sometimes they encourage, sometimes they discourage me. I see how others get things in order and I realize that I need to set goals according to who I am and according to who our family is. I can’t expect Better Homes and Gardens but neither do I have to settle for Demolition Derby – I think there has to be a happy in-between that will work for me and my household without getting my focus out of whack.

For me, my focus is a BIG aspect of all of this. God has given me a ministry in my home: to my husband and my children but also to other women. I have spent many years stressing over what I do wrong (and the list is long enough for ANYONE to stress over), where I fail and fall short but I’ve come to find that this is a tool the enemy wants to use to keep my focus in the wrong place. And I do NOT mean it is wrong to focus on being more organized…particularly since I think part of our being created in the image of God is carrying out the order that He brought from the formless world at its creation. BUT I also know that I must put people above things.

I am not generally an obsesser but for one reason or another my lack in this area can become an obsession for me. But I need to learn the balance that keeping up with the laundry IS part of God’s plan and order while not forgetting to make that time I need to listen to my children who need to talk or to be hugged (and surprisingly enough, I DO have a few of these). That working on organization doesn’t have to mean I ignore my children and our precious times of fellowship and laughter and talking. That my working on my own skills in this area is part of my ministry in training my children, not taking away from them but adding to them. Of course obsession, however, is NOT from the Lord as it takes my heart, mind and spirit off of Him and His plans and goals for me and puts it all on me and on a task.

So, the goal is growth with balance and wisdom and a heart always truly centered on God. If I ever get this down, I’ll let you know how I did it! Don’t expect a post any time soon, I’m afraid. But at least I think my mind is focused in the right direction. Now, on to some read-aloud time with the young ones.