Lessons from the kitchen!

The kitchen in my house was designed by a man, for a man!  It suited Robert's needs perfectly when he was a bachelor.  By his own admission, he spent as little time in the kitchen as possible!  A few pans, a few utensils, some plates and cups, salt and pepper... he was perfectly happy with the kitchen as he designed it!

Then....

I came along!  Not just me, but all my cooking and baking paraphernalia!  There are certain "essentials" that began filling every nook and cranny of our kitchen!  Things like stand mixers, blenders (counter top and hand held), serving platters of every size and shape imaginable, spices from all the corners of the globe, mixing bowls, baking pans, canisters containing a full range of flours (coarse wheat, plain, self raising, strong, etc.) began invading our cupboards, drawers, and counter space!  Suddenly, what was a perfectly adequate kitchen, became woefully inadequate to hold all the gadgets of this home cook!!!

Over the last few years, the huge influx of equipment and the lack of good storage began adding up to a giant clutter problem!  If you know me at all, you know that my tolerance for clutter is LOW!  For me, containment is the only way forward!  Baskets, boxes, and storage containers thrill my soul and bring a smile to my face!  But our clutter problem just would not be contained!  We realized several months ago that SOMETHING needed to be done!  Not wanting to spend a lot of money on a full remodel, we came up with a plan to add some shelving strategically and increase storage space that way! 

In the spring the builder came to measure for our shelves.  Weeks went by.  Then we chose paint colors.  Weeks went by.  Then we picked tiles for a backsplash behind the stove and sink.  Weeks went by.  We cleared everything out of the kitchen and painted.  Weeks went by.  The builder came to install the shelves.  Weeks went by.  We are still waiting to find out when the tiles will be installed.  I'm guessing weeks will go by!  

What I thought would be a weekend project has taken months and months!  I envisioned being able to de-clutter the kitchen in a few hours, but it has taken much more time and energy than I imagined it would.  It makes sense, really.  The clutter that has taken years to develop couldn't just be swept away with the brush of a hand.  It took lots of hard work... blood, sweat, and even some tears!  Sorting, organizing, deciding what to throw away, give away, and hold on to can be a painstaking process, and the mess involved in doing it made our kitchen look anything BUT de-cluttered for a while.  But now, standing back and looking at my "new" kitchen... made the whole process, all the waiting, all the moving around of things, all the sorting and letting go so worth while!  The kitchen is now finished apart from the tiles to be installed!  Everything has a place and is contained! 

I can't help but think that our little kitchen project has some bigger life lessons embedded in it!  I love how the Lord uses my everyday experiences to teach me!  Having seen how much clutter had accumulated in my kitchen in a few years, makes me think about how much "clutter" infiltrates my heart and mind as well.  Things that I hold on to, harbor, wounds that I nurse... clutter that gets in the way of my relationship with God and my relationships with people.  Just like my kitchen clear out, getting rid of heart clutter can be difficult... messy... painful.  But aren't the rewards of the hard work worth it!  

Like my kitchen project, clearing away heart clutter is a long process... life long!  I'm human, so I will keep on making messes in spite of my best cleaning efforts.  After all, when it comes to the heart, I could never clean enough to make even a dent!  But I know the Holy Spirit is at work in me, and can clean up things that I can not.  He can change my attitudes, convict me of wrong, empower me to let go of things that get in my way.  And someday, when I am in my heavenly home, I will be able to stand back and see a heart perfectly clean and clear of clutter, not because of my efforts, but because of the work of Jesus on the cross and his grace in my life!  What a great day that will be! 

Grace Greater Than Our Sin by Julia H. Johnston 

1. Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
   Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
   Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
   There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
   • Refrain:
     Grace, grace, God’s grace,
     Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
     Grace, grace, God’s grace,
     Grace that is greater than all our sin!
2. Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
   Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
   Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
   Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
3. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide;
   What can we do to wash it away?
   Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
   Brighter than snow you may be today.
4. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
   Freely bestowed on all who believe!
   You that are longing to see His face,
   Will you this moment His grace receive?