What I’m Learning From My Basement
By Pastor Jeff
We’ve lived in the same house for almost 24 years. Fortunately (and unfortunately), we have a large basement. Fortunately (and unfortunately), basements are great for storage. For 24 years we’ve been accumulating stuff in our basement. A million different times I’ve thought, I should organize, declutter, and clean the basement, but there was always something more important to do. Plus, the thought of tearing into all that clutter was overwhelming.
Procrastination is a powerful force.
Two months ago I finally decided it was time. Since then I’ve been taking it a section at a time, a little at a time, and now the end is in sight. In the process, I’m learning some important lessons about life itself.
FIRST, WE ARE CALLED TO TURN CHAOS INTO ORDER. Many times the past couple months I’ve thought about Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was formless and void and darkness covered the face the deep.” God took primordial chaos and turned it into something beautifully ordered. The Bible says, “Be ye imitators of God as dear children.” Ephesians 5:1. That means we too are meant to specialize in turning chaos into order. Where is there chaos in your life right now? Are you ready to tackle it? If so, the next point is critical.
TAKE IT IN BITESIZE CHUNKS. God didn’t create in a day. Whether you take the seven days of creation as literal 24-hour days or as vast epochs of time, the point remains: God created in phases. That approach has been critical to my success in the basement. The thought of doing the entire project in one fell swoop is overwhelming and would never work. Success comes from creating change in bitesize chunks. As Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes to poverty.” Real change takes patient plodding. Think about what that means for whatever “chaos project” you need to tackle in your life.
FINALLY, TURNING CHAOSE INTO ORDER IS FUN! I have been surprised how much joy the basement project is bringing me. The joy comes from seeing progress. It’s like looking at before-and-after photos on HGTV. I feel like a subconscious weight (all that stuff in the basement) is being gradually lifted. In the past, when I walked through our basement, I frowned. Now I smile.
Ok, so where is that pocket of chaos in your life? Quit procrastinating. Begin a deliberate, phased process of creating order. You will be so glad you did!
P.S. The photo below is not an actual “before” picture of our basement. But it’s a close approximation!
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I see you one basement and raise you a garage. Ours is practically floor to ceiling with storage bins. When we moved into our new house, we moved Richard’s dad’s basement full of stuff into our garage. That was pre-pandemic and, yet, with all the added time at home, we still haven’t tried to sort through it.