Order Out Of Chaos

1 Corinthians 14:40 "But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."  NIV

What a short verse.  Pretty easy for me to remember.  Kind of like the verse that the boys in Sunday school used to like to memorize.  "Jesus wept."  John 11:35 KJV  You would think that the words would sink in and make their way into my life somehow.  But alas (don't you love that word!) I am not gifted with the orderly gene.  My poor sweetheart will tell you that I am the punishment for his desire for his life to be orderly.  Let me give you a few examples. 

 Here is my sweetheart's side of the bed.  Nice, tidy, organized.  Kind of makes me a little nauseous but who am I to judge.  His side of the closet is equally tidy.  Everything organized by color and time of year.  Every time I see his side of the closet, it makes me want to organize my side.....not. 

 Here is the side of the bed that belongs to yours truly.  Could I possibly put anything more onto the nightstand?  And you should see the drawers!  Shockingly worse than the top.  Full of papers and notes and letters from my kids and my blood pressure cuff for when I am losing my sanity.  But I digress. 

And here is my side of the double vanity in the bathroom.  And no that is not dirt on the sink.  It's green color in the tile.  And no, I don't clean the bathroom.  Sweetheart does.  (I know.  Pathetic.)

 And here is sweetheart's side.  Gag me with a spoon to quote an old saying.  It's so tidy that you could eat a meal off the counter.  And notice he has that same green color on his side.  I told you.  It's color in the tile.  Not dirt!  And yes, he is that organized and tidy with everything.  You should see the garage.  It's horrifyingly tidy.  Well, his side is.  My side of the garage is a mess. 

It is said that we are each formed in the image of our Father.  So which part of Him is the disorganized part?  Because last I checked He is pretty clearly in charge of things.  He makes order out of chaos.  I'm not sure if I was behind the door when He handed out the part that makes one orderly and organized.  Remember that old joke when we were kids about when God handed out brains, I thought He said rain, so I covered myself with an umbrella?  That's the way I feel sometimes.  I swear that I try.  I make lots of lists and buy lots of books and read lots of articles on becoming more organized.  I get great pleasure out of cleaning and having a tidy work area and home.  It's just that life gets in the way.  There are little things like children, grandchildren, sweetheart, work, writing, angry birds, church, volunteering.  Ooops.  Strike the angry birds part.  Who invented that mind numbing app anyway?  They should be tied to a stake and showered with dust bunnies. 

My devotion time is as disorderly and chaotic as my life.  Sorry.  That's the sad truth.  One day I feel like studying my scriptures.  The next day I do devotions written by Beth Moore or Nancy Kennedy or Lysa Terkeurst.  Every day I read one chapter from my "Women of the Bible" study by Ann Spangler/Jean Syswerda.  I am also doing the bible study Daniel by Beth Moore.  Plus I am slowly making my way through Experiencing the Words of Jesus by Max Lucado.  Oh and don't forget that I try to read my friends blogs, the proverbs 31 ministry devotions, and keep up with Pastor Kerry's stuff online.  It's exhausting don't you think?  And please.  Don't for a moment think that I am more spiritual or special because of all this.  I am like you.  Trying to find that grain of knowledge that my Abba wants me to learn that day.  If not here, maybe there? Or there? Or in this book?  It's a thirst for understanding I can't even explain.  I don't want to miss one single word that my Abba might have for me.  If you think that all I do is read and study God's words all day, open your window right now.  You will hear me laughing all the way from Texas.  My days would curl your hair.  It's all I can do to squeeze an hour a day in for devotions.  I won't bore you with the details but suffice it to say that I am not sitting around eating bon bons and reading books.  Although one day that doesn't sound like such a bad option.

I would love to tell you dear sisters that it is high on my  list to become more organized.  But I would be guilty of the sin of lying if I said those words.  It is not on my list right now.  Maybe one day.  Ok, probably not.  What I have come to understand about that scripture is that my Abba would like me to at least make sure that I do everything He has given me to do.  I need to make sure that I continue to make my list of daily activities and put it before Him to approve.  I need to start my day in an orderly manner, on  my knees, in humble prayer to my Father in Heaven.  I need to  keep my heart and my priorities in order.  I need to remember that He has an orderly process for my life, even if I don't.  He only asks that I accomplish things in an orderly manner, befitting of a daughter of God. So what if I mix up the order of meals in our house.  Aren't you supposed to eat pizza for breakfast and cereal for dinner?   Most of all I must remember that He has promised me a mansion in Heaven.  And every woman knows that with mansions comes a cleaning staff!   ( I know that's what my sweetheart is hoping for anyway!)