Sometimes I see it, and sometimes I don’t. I once heard a pastor’s wife asking for help with clean-up. She said “help me see it…” I get that. I’ve never forgotten it. We can get to the point where we just don’t “see.” We put something by the door to take out to the car, to give to a friend...and it sits there for months! Is it just me? We put something IN the car and then never take it out. We get used to moving things from one seat to another, or we make a pile or put it in a box to “go through later.” If it’s not “we,” then me! MY confession. You can tell by the number of manuals for messies I have on my shelf - FIVE. I can’t “see” them either. When I looked up to count, I discovered two books that I could have loaned out recently if I’d remembered they were sitting right in front of me!
Just a couple of days ago we finally got the last (I THINK) of the Christmas decorations put away at the studio. It occurred to me this morning what a disservice I am offering to the students and parents. They either have to “grin and bear it” or they have also grown accustomed to it.
Honestly, I can’t think of a theater, music or dance studio that had everything neat all the time. I defend it as the nature of the work we do that has us continuously moving and adapting, pulling out and putting away. I get it. And I can live with it.
But this morning, I am thinking we could do BETTER. It’s about stewardship. Are we taking care of what’s been given to us? When I wax on about finding a place that would allow for outside and inside and room for “everything,” am I just asking for more clutter? I need to do better. I need to see, and then act. One small thing at a time. I should never go downstairs without trash in my hand. I should never come upstairs if there is something in the stairwell that should be put away. I should never pass through the lobby without wiping something off (like the chalkboard), or refilling something.
Now, I’m not applying a spiritual lesson just to justify this little musing. But, as it usually goes with me, my mind keeps moving forward and then realizes that it can be like this in our life. We clutter it up with things that need to be put away, tossed away, reconsidered, dealt with, etc. We can get so used to NOT looking that we miss something (or someONE) right in front of us that we don’t “see” any more.
Lord, help me see all of it, and teach me, one thing at a time, to manage it.
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