I recently read a definition of peace that I’d never heard before.
“The conscious possession of adequate resources.”
Ummm . . . wow.
Possessions? I’ve got plenty.
Adequate? Yes. Even though sometimes the budget feels tight, we have clothes to wear every day, food to eat for every meal and lots of snacks, and a climate controlled home with beds for each one of us.
Resources? Yes. Whenever we need something, we get it. If the air conditioner breaks, or the deep-freeze dies, or I start seeing more spiders than I want to see (like 2) . . . we are able to buy what we need or pay someone to come out and fix these problems. We might have to move a few things around in the budget, but we’ve never had to go without.
And yet, a cluttered home steals my peace. Which element of that definition am I missing?
Consciousness.
I call it different things. Focus. Selective Vision. Awareness.
When I get caught up in the busy things of life, whether it be a play I’m directing, a crisis, even a project around the house, I start to get tunnel-vision and don’t see the things around me. The things around me then spiral out of control and my peace is gone.
If I want peace, I have to be conscious. Conscious of what I have. Conscious of the state it is in.
If stuff is left in a pile . . . I only see what is on top of the pile. I can’t be conscious of what’s at the bottom of that pile. Therefore, I lose my peace. Realistically, that pile contains everything I need. If it’s three feet high, I could probably assume that there are enough clothes there for an entire week.
But assuming isn’t good enough. It doesn’t provide the peace that my soul craves.
Take apart the pile, see that the individual pieces I need really are there, put them in order . . . and I breathe easier.
Peace.
This journey to an orderly home is a journey to peace. Many times, I’ve decluttered an area and sighed, “Ahhh, space.” It’s not the emptiness that gives me peace, it’s the consciousness. Knowing exactly what I have keeps me from longing for more. It gives me peace.
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I read this definition of peace in my materials from the study of John that I did in Bible Study Fellowship last year. If you’re looking for peace in your relationship with God, I highly recommend BSF. It is an international non-denominational organization, not associated with any church, and focuses solely on the study of the Bible.
--Nony
Emily says
Thank you so much for this post! You've just accurately explained what I've been trying to express to my husband for years. (I sent him the link.) You've really inspired me to change some things in my own home since I started following your blog just over a months ago. 🙂 Thanks!
Raina says
Thank you for this blog Nony. I found it a little over a week ago and I am so impressed with your desire to make things run more smoothly and make your family more comfortable. I struggle with being consistent with three young kids home every day (homeschool) so I am going to try your non-negotiable daily tasks…that fit our family of course and see if my husband can start depending on clean socks daily!
My question today is have you ever read a children's book called Sidney and Norman by Phil Vischer? I read it to my kids tonight and thought of you. It's such a sweet story and I could totally relate to Sidney…thought you might see a little of yourself in him too. 🙂 Check it out if you can!
Every homeschool mom I know LOVES children's books…am I correct that you do too? (I know you don't homeschool now but once a homeschooler…always a homeschooler!)
Nony the Slob says
Thanks for your kind words Emily and Raina.
I'll have to check out that book (not from the library of course, lest I lose it).
Dawn says
Clutter is chaos to me. When my home is cluttered I cannot focus, I find myself more angry/impatient and it definitely steals my peace. Learning to find a balance between keeping my home under control and learning that I cannot always BE in control (hey, life happens) is something I am slowly getting the hang of.
Annie says
I struggle with the consciousness part too. And I love BSF!
Doug says
I started reading your Facebook posts, then subscribed to your blog. I work for myself, offering home cleaning and organizing, and I’m always looking for different perspectives….everyone has a different definition of “clean” and “organized”. I’ve realized, while reading your blog, that while I was well organized, I was still too cluttered! Then I read (I can’t remember where) a definition of organization that made my heart skip a beat. ..they said that organization is just well controlled hoarding! Yikes…I think 5 boxes left that day.
I like your take on everything, and how you incorporate God into your posts without a spiritual two by four…I can reference your blog so my non christian clients and they can get organization help and some Jesus! I love it! I don’t know if you have ever thought of your blog as a misistry, but I think it is! Happy Easter!
Dana White says
Love this comment, Doug!
Cassie Lee says
Lovely definition. I’ll have to look into that BSF group for sure.
Carrie says
I just realized that as much as I love the clear space and peace that a clean organized space gives me, it comes with a very real feeling of uneasiness that I don’t know where everything is. If I can’t see it, I can’t remember where it is. Even if where it is makes perfect sense. So clear containers you immediately think. However that’s not neat and tidy looking at all. Do you have any thoughts on that? I would love to hear if others have this problem.
Leila says
I’m not much in the advice department on organization, but I have a computer document titled “Where Things Are.” It’s right next to the doc “Things to Know” and “Things to Pack.” So creative, I know. The “Where Things Are” doc is for things that might have two or three logical storage places and/or if I need to move something to a different location even though it had been housed at its previous location for years. Training myself to type something new on the list is a bit of a challenge, but the novelty of making the rare change is often enough to propel me to the computer. While I’m there, I’ll try to think up any other recent changes and add them to the list. For instance, my passport is in the safe. That may not rate a note, but where did I keep it before we bought the safe? Probably in one of about a dozen desks and chest of drawers, and it’s pulled out so seldom that finding it could be quite a challenge. I created Things to Pack after a trip one time where I had packed so poorly that what I should have done was still going through my head two years later. Writing it down seemed to stop the loop in my head.
Nikki says
The title of this caught my eye. About 14 years ago a very good friend of mine knew that peace of elusive to me and tried to help me find it. I am still searching. I am going to keep reading this post and hopefully I can apply it to my specific thief. Thanks again.
Emily says
There’s a difference between adequate possessions and excessive possessions.