I would like to introduce you to a very special lady. I met Mitzi Neely at She Speaks in 2016 and since then we have prayed for each other and had great conversations. She is a beautiful writer and lover of God's Word. Her series this month is about decluttering our minds and our hearts. Please join me in welcoming Mitzi this week. Show her some love!
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For several months I have been burdened with the need to declutter and simplify my life. God has made it clear to me through several situations that it is time to get rid of the extra stuff weighing me down. Sure, there are a couple of rooms at home that require some major cleaning out, but this was about more than home. It was about clearing out the junk in my heart and mind.
Decluttering requires us to take a hard look at what has to be discarded and then actually make the decision to cut the ties; as in so long, see you later, don’t this anymore.
Easier said than done.
As far as home goes the first step for me was to assess and evaluate what needed my attention first. It’s my sewing room, hands down. It looks like a storm rolled through. Now I have a list of excuses a mile long to make it easier to digest, but the bottom line is I let it get this way.
So what’s a girl to do? Plan, strategize, and act, of course. This was an area that called for an inventory sheet and ruthless determination to sort through the plethora of items. I had invested money in all of these things--that’s why it’s hard to throw away. So I figured out what I needed to keep, what I could donate, and what could be thrown away. I’m not finished, but I’m well on my way. There is tremendous freedom and a sense of accomplishment when you manage to get yourself above the rubble. Now, if life was that easy.
God’s word tells us in 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”
As I started to work culling the extra stuff from my life I actually had to make a list of what is good for me and what is not. I recognized that the whole point was for me to pare down what occupies (or rather overwhelms) my heart and head, and feel good about it. God wants me to practice a life of simplicity.