Happy New Year! I wasn’t so sure I was going to get a post done this month with all the colds and flu that have rolled through this household over the past few weeks. But, I think I am on the mend and everyone else finally seems healthy too, so while the boys are playing together nicely (despite their recent cabin fever) and the baby naps, here goes.
For a couple of years now, I have heard of people choosing a word to frame their next year. Something intentional to reflects in a broad sense over how they live their lives. This year, I decided to do the same and as 2018 drew to a close, the word that dropped into my heart was this – SIMPLIFY.
Simplify. No doubt you have heard of the decluttering and organizing trend that has taken over the country by storm – thanks to Neflix’s new show Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Keep in mind that the word Simplify came to me before I had even heard of this woman or her methods, but when the show popped up on my Netflix feed, it seemed almost prophetic and I started watching the show. Simplify. Huh, I thought, that’s easy – I just need to clean things up a bit. But then that little whisper started in my heart and I thought, Uh oh. I don’t think this is just about cleaning a closet or organizing some drawers anymore.
If you simplify something, you make it easier to understand or you remove the things which make it complex.
Synonyms: make simpler, facilitate, streamline, disentangle
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/simplify
To reduce to basic essentials. Streamline. Clarify. Well, that’s not a big ask at all is it? While it does seem a little daunting at the moment, I think for me this year needs to be about getting back to the basics. Removing the unnecessary complications and “noise” and finding a greater clarity in my life. Getting back to the things that matter. It’s going to mean being focused and intentional. Not just with my house, but with my heart. So, how do I plan on doing that? I’m glad you asked.
#1 – Prioritize. Part of simplifying things is prioritizing what’s important and cutting out what isn’t. Putting the first things first. It can be all too easy to get caught up in the busyness and when we finally stop to take stock of our lives we might find that some of the people and things that are most important to us have been pushed to the side by the inconsequential. I know I’ve been guilty of this and I want 2019 to be different. So, I’ve made a list, trimmed the unnecessary, and committed to keeping #1 daily at the top. And for me, keeping God and my faith walk as my #1 priority is paramount.
This year, I want my husband, my children, my friends and family, and everyone I meet and everything I do to benefit from the reflection of Christ shining from my life. And that is going to mean not just prioritizing time, but also, allowing access. Allowing Christ to go into the closets and crowded storage rooms of my heart and clear out the junk. One synonym for simplify is disentangle. I like that word. Disentangle ourselves from the things that drag us down. The things that make us ineffective. The things that keep us from experiencing the abundant life that God has planned for us. To lay aside the weights and the sins that trip us up (Heb. 12:1). It’s time to dig the junk out and bring it into the Light. And that, my friends, is scary to say the least, but oh so necessary. And once I have done that, everything else on my priority list can only benefit from allowing God first place.
Recently, I heard a message by Pastor Craig Groeschel and he said that you don’t see anywhere in Scripture where Jesus, as busy as He was, complained about not having time to pray – that He was just too busy. And yet not enough time is one of the greatest excuses I have for neglecting my quiet time in prayer and worship. Get back to the basics. You and I know it isn’t true that there isn’t enough time. There was time for trolling social media sites. There was time to watch my favorite show. Yes, often the time is spent doing important things, like cleaning my house, cooking dinner, or caring for my children, but do these activities really preclude me from having a conversation with God while I do them? Can I really claim that I don’t have time?
Putting God first means making the time for prayer, worship and studying God’s Word. In Acts 4:13, Peter and John created quite a stir by boldly proclaiming the Gospel and it says that the religious leaders of the day marveled at them and recognized that they had been with Jesus. It is a fact that who you spend time with will affect your behavior. So, who do I want to have the greatest influence in my life in 2019? Who am I going to prioritize my time for? If that is Jesus, then I am going to have to build that relationship. I want people to be able to look at my life and know “Who” I have been spending time with.
Simplify.
#2 – Create Space. Once you have your priorities identified, it’s time to create some space. And that means streamlining. Getting rid of the excess, the unnecessary, and sometimes even the sentimental clutter we collect over the course of our lives – whether that is actual clutter or in our own hearts and minds – allows us to uncover and create this space. Space to breathe. Space to feel. Space to reflect. Removing the clutter from our lives opens us up to think, to dream, to relax. I will be honest here. I am not good at this. I come from a family of “collectors” and almost everything has sentimental value or a memory or emotion attached. But I can feel the clutter creeping in, slowly and subtly. And rather than hang on to everything, whether the stack of newspaper clippings I thought I would one day scrapbook or the anger over unkind words said to me, I want to learn to let go. Because the truth is that if we can live with an open hand, an open heart, we find our world expands. Compassion grows. Generosity multiplies. And Love blossoms. Because that is when life ceases to be just about me. And the space that opens up before us is incalculable.
Simplify.
#3 – Invest. Another beautiful thing about simplifying your life is that it is purposeful and brings focus and clarity. You begin to see things through a clearer lens. You make deliberate choices instead of allowing life to just “happen” to you. Your focus becomes sharpened on the things that are important. Rather than being scattered in every direction and expending time and energy on things that are not meaningful, you are instead choosing to invest in the things that are.
In this is a season I know I need to invest in the people and things that I have set as priorities: my faith, my family, my community, my health, and my future. And that might mean saying “no” to some good things. It might mean turning off the TV and silencing the phone. It might mean letting go of some relationships that are not beneficial and pursuing and investing in those that are. It might mean making some sacrifices to pursue some dreams and goals that have long sat on the back burner. Whatever the case, I am excited to see what this year holds and I’m looking forward to making the investment.
Simplify.
#4 Spark Joy. One of the questions that Marie Kondo has her clients ask themselves when they are trying to decide what things to get rid of is “Does it spark joy?” She encourages them to keep the things that bring them joy. Things that they feel will enrich their future. I love that!
Joy. Proverbs 17:22 says that a merry heart does good, like a medicine. We can get so bogged down with life that we miss the joy that is all around us. We lose our “merry”. We can start our year with a “happy” on January 1st and then often seem to head downhill from there. This year, I plan to find more reasons to laugh and enjoy life and more people to laugh with. I plan to bring more joy into the lives of those around me, starting with my own family. Because our world is desperately in need of joy and even more in need of those who can share it. Joy. Revel in the beauty of a sunrise or a sunset. Read a good book. Plan a family games night. Coax a smile from that angry toddler. Cuddle that baby. Laugh with a good friend. Lighten someone’s day with a note of encouragement. Send your spouse a silly text in the middle of the day. It doesn’t have to be complicated. There are so many things that we can do to bring joy into every day. Just think of the great forest fire we could start with a tiny spark of joy!
Simplify. There you have it. My road map for the year. Who knew that a word that sounds so simple could be so much work? But, I have to remember that it’s not all just up to me. Because the One who whispered “simplify” into my heart as the word to frame my year hasn’t planned to leave me to it on my own. I draw strength from that. So, while I might be digging through closets and organizing drawers, I’m not just organizing my house. I’m taking stock of my life and choosing to live life in a more meaningful way. Focused and invested in the relationships and dreams that mean so much to me. And hopefully, when I look back at the end of 2019, I can celebrate where this journey has led me.
Now, if you will excuse me…I need to go pack up a few more bags for the thrift store.
Of Shattered Things 