We
have been doing some remodeling. This easy sentence comes attached with
a
million decisions, much compromise, some personal reflection and of course
a
lot of mess. Last week as I was in the middle of Marie Kondoing my extra
bedroom/ daughters’ room/office / dog room/ storage/multipurpose room, (you know
the room being referred to) I had a revelation.
One
of the procedures Marie Kondo so simply states in her The KonMari
Method
of Tidying, is to gather every item from a category, or sub-
category and lay them
all out on the floor. Once you have done that you
are to pick up each item and ask yourself:
“Does this spark joy?”
“Does this item touch your
heart?
If it does keep it.
If not, consider giving it a new home.
This
sounded like a decent plan, so I started by tackling
something that surrounded
every corner of the room-- my books. As I took the books out of their
bins and
dumped them on the floor, I noticed the themes: marriage advice, children’s
picture
books, art books, text books from college, parenting books, gardening
tomes, exercise manuals,
the list went on and on. Wow, I really
need to book an appointment with myself to read a few of
these books. Even
digesting one from start to finish would be an awesome accomplishment! The
pile
of rediscovered volumes started on the floor and towered
over the
bedside. I felt overwhelmed, but
pushed on .
Does
this book spark joy? Does it touch my heart? Do I really need to keep
it?
For
some yes, some no, others pulled in directions that hurt the soul. Books
are powerful that way. Maybe that is why I have so many.
Ok, back
to tidying… As I worked through the process of discarding a few of
the
many books, a small voice whispered. “Just one, one is all that you
need.” No, this voice was not
from Marie Kondo. I believe it was from above, leading me to
that large brown book that was given to
me by my grandparents on my
confirmation day. A children’s tune
played in my head: “the B-I-B-L-E
yes that’s the book for me I stand alone on
the Word of God, the B-I-B-L-E. “
No
other book ever written claims within its pages to be: The Armor of
God, (Ephesians 6:10-18)
Alive and powerful, sharper than the
sharpest two edged sword, (Hebrews 4:12) A lamp to my feet
and a light
for my path, (Psalm 119:105) God-breathed, (2 Timothy 3:16 ) Divinely
written,
(2 Peter 1:20-21) Unchanging (James 1:17) (Isaiah 40:8) The Word
of God. (I Thessalonians 2:13)
As I
looked upon my enormous stack of books ready to instruct, council, or
entertain, I realized that
books must be important to God, since he used one to
communicate his plan of salvation.
My help comes from the LORD the
maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:1-8) The Scriptures are alive
and active!
They were written to show us God’s grace
plan for our salvation. It is my prayer that this
book will spark joy in
your heart as you face the challenges and blessings of each new day.
God’s love and encouragement is just one book away.
Guest blogger Naomi Raddatz resides in Manitowoc, Wisconsin with her husband and four children. She is a
graduate of Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN with an elementary education degree in teaching.
The Lord has allowed her to fulfill calls in three schools over the scan of two decades in the teaching ministry.
Raising her own children and volunteer work in the church and community is now her passion. Community
service through the board of directors of Clipper City food Co-op takes up a chunk of her time and energy
these days. She has always had a passion for children's literature and loves how picture books light up the
eyes of children. She is in the process of publishing her first children's novel!
Being able to write with a Christian perspective is a true joy that she hopes will enhance the perspective
and faith of all of who read her work.
Susan, thank you for sharing Naomi's wonderful post! It is a joy and inspiration to read! :) Well done and a very excellent message too, Naomi!
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