My first instinct around mess is rarely ever the right one. Some messes are easier to tackle than others. Transferring dirty breakfast dishes from the table to the sink, easy. Putting away the foods from the counter, simple. But do I transfer the dishes to the dishwasher immediately? Not always. Does the counter get wiped and the floor swept? Not as often as I’d like.
Yet there are other messes where my first instinct is to hide them. In the moment, hiding is the fastest and easiest way to deal with the mess. But it’s never the safest way. The unorganized pantry? The messy bedrooms? The laundry room? Close. The. Doors. Sounds like a great plan, right? Let’s try this: Messy thoughts? Messy heart? Close the door of my heart. Paste a smile on my face.
Does it change the mess though? Nope! The mess is still there, waiting for me. When I get few moments, I can tackle the laundry, the pantry, the closet. Working on my heart? That’s a never-ending effort. Working on my mind? Under constant renovation.
If we’d dare to be more honest in our mess, I’d know that I’m not alone here. Everybody I know has a junk drawer or a catch all spot in their home, often hidden from plain sight. In other words, I’m not the only one. Through our mess, we can encourage each other. We can hold each other accountable through the challenging cleaning process.
Most of all, we can talk about it. Don’t settle in the mess. Let it become a message of love.
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Joining this five-minute Friday community today. Come and check out other perspectives on ‘mess’.