I'm still vacuuming up needles, though

"labor and do all your work"

Exodus 20:9

I did some cleaning this weekend.  Some long-needed cleaning.  In the garage. 

The garage is largely the territory of the Apple of my Eye.  Except of course, for my car.  The laundry is out there, so that corner is my responsibility, but the laundry is a continuum, so no clutter camps there long. 

I'm not exactly sure what a continuum is, but it really seems to work in that context, so I'm going with it.

The rest of the garage is taken up by the sports paraphernalia, and general storage ~ both his purview, with two exceptions. 

The first exception is anything pertaining to the education of our kids.  Textbooks, records and years' worth of completed work are filed in boxes and well-labeled.  I have never let this situation get out of hand; if I need to find something, I know exactly how to put my hands on it. 

The other exception to the "storage is your problem, dear" principle is a cupboard.  We have a few out there, but one of them is mine.  It's a collection of rarely used things that haven't found a place in the house, but mostly wrapping stuff; Christmas and otherwise.  And therein was the problem.  After Christmas, as I cleaned the house, I carefully collected gift tags and rolls of ribbon, folded all the salvageable tissue paper, broke down gift boxes, and stacked the gift bags according to height and personality.

Then I shoved the whole kit 'n' caboodle into my cupboard.  And there it has remained.  For five months. 

Priorities.  I haz them.

Since Christmas my life has consisted of teaching my kids, reading to stay ahead of them in literature, their sports, Bible study, writing, and, well, a continuum of laundry, dishes and miscellaneous housework.  Priorities.

And while every time I had to go into that cupboard for something I was reminded that there was a project waiting for me out there, I put it off again.  Intentionally.  Because it wasn't a priority. 

It might seem like procrastination, but I'm the kind of person who loves a project.  Reorganizing my books; labeling my spices; categorizing all the music in my iTunes.  And sometimes these events become distractions from what I should be doing. 

Busy work is just that:  stuff that keeps us busy.  Distractions from the work He has for us.  Sometimes the distractions are more interesting or more pleasant, but other times we are just putting off obedience.  Buying a ticket to Tarshish, if you will, instead of dealing with Ninevah.

The time will come for the bonus "projects".  Focus on what He has called you to, and the rest will fall into place. 

~ "Whatever you do, work heartily,

as for the Lord and not for men" ~

Colossians 3:23

~