Day 5...Let It Go.

This picture makes me laugh.  Just the pure innocence
of two little sisters playing dress up. 

Who can believe we are just a week out from Thanksgiving? My goodness, time is moving along! It happens to be one of those weeks where a quiet moment is a rare find.  This weekend our school will be holding a fundraiser, and somehow it has gone from 'manageable' to 'huge'.  We are cooking and selling bbq ck dinners at two locations, having a baked goods sale both places, and having an indoor "garage" sale at one of them.  I'm not sure about the wisdom of doing all of that 5 days before Thanksgiving, but hopefully the Lord will bless our efforts.  He always does.  :-)

Let It Go.  Those words seem to imply that we're hanging on to something heavy, and that might be the case, but more often than not, it's the little things that accumulate and weigh us down.   Things like piles, about which my friend Char so effectively blogged a few days ago. 

My house is full of piles right now.  They are everywhere, and at this point I have zero margin to work on them.  Some days it eats at me, other days I'm too tired to care.  We are in maintenance mode right now, with not much hope for progress anytime soon. 

So what is the best response?  Typically, I stresss about it.  I freak out that someone might stop by unexpectedly and see the mess and judge me because of it.  Tonight, after reading Char's post, I looked at the piles and said, "Thank you, God, for Your blessings.  Even if they are in piles right now!"  And I'm hoping I can have the same mindset when I leave them to go to work in the morning.  There will be another day for sorting, filing, trashing, and stacking.  In the meantime, I've got to let it go. 

Does it mean I have to turn into an irresponsible slob?  No, but it does mean that I can relax and not allow myself to be controlled by my present circumstances.  I can't allow what I can't change to drain my energy and my joy.  I'll get to it...eventually.  And probably before Thanksgiving. 

Action Step: Maybe your frustration isn't clutter.  Maybe it's smaller.  Or maybe it's much bigger.  If you can, for a few days, let it go.  Savor the season.  Go digging in your dresser for a scarf, some sunglasses, slippers, and an umbrella.  Then go dancing in the living room.  Or not.  Whatever you do, lighten up and let it go. 

Psalm 30:11 "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness."