Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #7, Part Four

Implement a Prioritized Plan with Patience
Did you select that one living or work area that you wanted to declutter and focus on?  How did you do with making it your priority to start the process of gathering and sorting?  If you did implement those first two steps to getting organized, did you catch yourself wanting to examine and study things before putting them in their perspective piles?  What percentage of trash do you think you accumulated?
                                         

SORTING

♥ General Sorting
♥ Fine Sorting

Think of sorting as a two step process.  General sorting is what we focused on last week.  This week we are going to be more attentive to the fine sorting.  It is during this phase of fine sorting that I want to take you back to that visualization of fishing.  Up to this point, you have selected the area you have wanted to fish in, you have used a net to gather your fish, and you have sorted the fish into like species.  Now it is time to sit and fine sort those species, or generalized categories, and make a more detailed assessment of those piles.  You do this by addressing one pile at a time.  Scan the piles.  Then begin with the one pile that seems to be the least time consuming or least threatening for you.  Literally sit on the floor or lawn, at a table, desk, or counter, and start with the one pile that is the smallest or has the most potential to be thrown out as trash or to let go of as in a “give away.”  In your thinking, you always want to reward yourself for a task that can be readily achieved.

THROWING OUT or LETTING GO

Here is a tidbit of valuable information that I encourage you to keep in the forefront of your memory bank.  It could also have a direct effect on your piggy bank!  Of the 100% you have, you routinely use only 20% of it.  And get this, it is the same 20% that is used over and over!  You can apply this fact to just about anything – your living quarters, clothing, makeup, vitamins, toys, office supplies, keepsakes.  I think it is a true reality check with respect to how much we buy or hold on to, but we rarely use.  So, as you go through all the gathering and sorting, expect that you are going to throw out or let go of 80%.  Mail is a good example of driving this message home. Almost every day you receive some kind of mail. When that mail is sorted on a daily basis, you can quickly see that 80–90% of it gets pitched as “junk mail.”  So why would some of you continue to wait days, weeks, or even months to sort through your mail, while recognizing that you are collecting a pile of trash?  The why is often due to fear.  It is the fear of not wanting to know what a piece of mail might have to say, so none of the mail gets opened.  And for those of you who find this to be true for yourselves, I ask you to please reflect and ask God to help you in letting go of  that fear and replacing it with trust in Him, because fear is not from God.  We are told in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline."

The most common response I hear when people find it so hard to “let go” of their things is this uncertain thinking that says, “I might need it”.  The key word here is might.  And consequently, many of you are holding on to a pile up of things that do not serve you, but enslave you.  Your thoughts and feelings towards your things are actually causing you to be doubtful rather than trusting in God’s provision. God tells us in Philippians 4:19 that He is the One who takes care of us and supplies all of our needs.  So, we need to let go of the doubting and hold on to believing that we will receive what we need.

As we get into the fine sorting of each pile, more specific categories will emerge.  Your largest category is the one that is based on the 80% profile and comprises the generalized throw out or let go category. That large category will then become 3 specific categories:

♥ Trash
♥ Recycle
♥ Give Away
      1. Charity
      2. Resale

Anything that is torn, worn, broken, or permanently stained, goes in the trash.  Charities do not want your trash items.  And as an added note, it usually costs way more to pay for alterations or sewing repairs, so let it go.  The only time giving something to another is a good idea is if you are known for follow through, otherwise pass it on to a charity or resale.  It helps when letting things go to say to yourself, “I am blessing someone who truly does need or can use this more than me.”

As the sorted categories of trash, recycle, and give away pile up, you will want to gather your supplies:

♥Large black trash bags
♥Post its
♥Sharpies
♥Tape

Bag up each category. 
Use the sharpie to label the category on a post it. 
Put the post it on the bag and reinforce with tape. 
Choose a space for your gathered bags until you have completed the entire job and can then deliver your sorted bags to their perspective destinations.

We will continue to talk more about the fine sorting next week.  This week your SW is to address your generalized piles and choose the ones that will be the easiest for you to make a decision about.  All you are doing is determining if you want to keep what is in the pile or let it go.  Identify your let go’s as trash, recycle, or give away, and label accordingly.

My prayer for you as we close this week is that you will be open to what God wants to show you about your fears, especially when it means letting go of something or someone.  Maybe the letting go has to do with your past or the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that have cursed you rather than blessed you.  Instead of being fearful of what you may discover, I pray that you rally in the joy, healing, and love that can only come from God Our Father, Jesus His Son, and His Holy Spirit.  When we learn to let go, we learn what it means to let God.