Implement a Prioritized Plan with Patience
All week I have been thinking about how thankful, helpful, and inspired I have been by the visually enlightening story of “The Fishing Net” from Matthew 13:47-48. It was a constant support and reminder to me of how I needed to implement a prioritized plan with patience as I faced, once again, the thick and deep mucky waters of addictive family clutter and all of its emotional trappings. Jesus’ parable of “The Fishing Net” models every CHG that we have discussed up to this point, and it demonstrates the prioritized plan we can take to get through any kind and every kind of clutter when we implement this teaching about fishing:
CHG #1 - Slow Down. You can not be in a hurry to fish. Learn patience.
CHG #2 - Love the Lord. God is the Master Fisherman, so let Him be the One to teach you.
CHG #3 - Ask for Help, Ask Questions, and Pray. God is the Master Guide. He has all the answers. He knows how you need to fish and where you need to fish, so do it together.
CHG #4 - Love Myself and Others. Fishing with God equips you to be more like Him.
CHG #5 - Embrace Change and Set Goals Patiently. Fish each day with God and He will always be the Captain in your boat.
CHG #6 - See through My Stuff from the Inside out and Follow Through. When we look beyond the cover of the Bible, to open it and see what is inside, we learn how to fish for life.
Last week’s SW was about doing some fishing with respect to where you want to be when your life has come to an end. I hope that you were able to slow down and think about that question. If you did I hope you have greater clarity this week than last week about where you stand with your answer and why.
I also asked you to think about the fishing net and what its symbolism could represent. With respect to getting organized, the net symbolizes the container that you need in order to gather your fish or your “stuff.” So here are some examples of containers for gathering.
The first step to getting organized is to slow down and think about the container that will best fit your need for gathering the amount of “stuff” that is piled up. All you are doing is considering the appropriate container. You are not yet gathering, studying, examining, sorting or doing any other activity at this time.
I want to emphasize that your #1 spiritual container is the Bible. The Bible contains all the thoughts, feelings, and information that God has gathered in His Book. God’s directions for us always reflect what He Himself demonstrates.
When it comes to:
♥ Material clutter
Your containers for gathering are folders, grocery or trash bags, boxes, laundry baskets, empty organizing containers, waste baskets, or garbage cans for gathering the papers, toys, laundry, and/or whatever.
WARNING: At this time, use what you have or what is least expensive to buy, which are trash bags. Do not go and buy any containers right now. The containers you are using at this time are only intended for gathering. Later on we will talk about their use for storing.
When it comes to the other clutter categories, a journal is your primary container:
♥ Mental Clutter
Have a journal to gather your one word thoughts. Have paper for gathering your to do list.
♥ Emotional Clutter
Have a journal to gather your one word emotions.
♥ Situational clutter
Have a journal to gather the thoughts and feelings that describe the situation you are facing.
♥ Spiritual Clutter
Have a Bible to refer to the thoughts, feelings, and information that God has gathered for you so that He can show you His way compared to your way. Have a journal to list what God says compared to listing what you say. This is an example of the communication process that gets gathered between you and God, and I would encourage you to implement this process with any one of the 7 clutter categories.
♥ Physical Health Clutter
Have a journal to list thoughts, feelings, dates, and symptoms related to your health issues. Have a folder or see through bag to gather test results, care, and follow up.
♥ Relational Clutter
Have a journal to gather the thoughts and feelings that describe the relational issues that you are facing.
Because I do not want to overwhelm any one with too much organizational information, I will be devoting more time to CHG #7 than some of the other guidelines. It is my prayer that you will absorb some new information, so you can lessen or avoid some of the chaotic clutter that comes into your life, and you will learn how to implement a prioritized organizational plan with patience.
Next week we will address the other part of last week’s SW that related to the symbolic and literal meaning of:
♥Gathering
♥Sitting
♥Sorting &
♥Throwing out the bad
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