Far More Than I Thought Possible

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV) 

All my life, organization has been a struggle for me. It doesn't help that I'm a bit of a pack rat. Through the years, small piles of clutter have accumulated in almost every room and closet in our house. (And let's not even talk about the basement!)  From time to time, I've been able to tackle small bits of it. However, most often, I'm too overwhelmed to know where to start.   

Then recently, God gave me a gift: time—lots of it! Never before have I had so much time off from work, with very little on my schedule. This quarantine, while inconvenient in a lot of ways, has also given me a perfect opportunity to finally dig in and get the clutter under control—God's control. Knowing full well that I couldn't handle this project on my own, I prayed for the motivation and guidance I needed. 

With God's help, I've been able to take it one pile, one box, one table-top, one basket, and one closet shelf at a time. Sometimes the process has been difficult, and the progress slow, but when I look back, I'm truly amazed at all that God has helped me accomplish so far! Never, in a million years, did I think I could have this much success with organizing! 

Along the way, I discovered the benefits of decluttering go beyond making our house look nicer. I can find things better when I need them, and I don't have a dark cloud hanging over my head—making me feel guilty, frustrated and overwhelmed by my disorganization.  Decluttering my house declutters my mind! I feel more relaxed and “free”.  And in this better mental state, I'm better able to hear and follow God's call.

I'm far from being done with decluttering, but now I'm more motivated to keep going. Each and every little success has encouraged me and given me more confidence—both in myself and in God.  Together, we're able to accomplish far more than I thought possible.

Prayer: Almighty God, forgive us for letting our struggles—with organization, or whatever they may be—overwhelm us.  Help us remember to ask for, and trust in, your awesome and mighty power to help us.  And when we do, thank you for giving us just what we need—sometimes far beyond what we thought possible. Amen.

Sharon Irvin