Recently when a girlfriend came over for lunch, I had to clear a path for her through the living room, then clear off the counter to make lunch, then clear off the dining table so we could eat.

We had a good laugh about it, mostly because in the humor of the moment I decided to finally admit to myself that I am a Clutter Bug. I don’t pick up after myself, I don’t finish what I start, and I hate maintaining.

So after she left I put the kids down for a nap and decluttered my piano – a small beginning to the very large project of overhauling my home and my life. As I examined each item before rendering a decision on its fate, it became crystal clear how ridiculous I am. JUST THROW IT AWAY, ALREADY!!! The things I held on to – whether by laziness of not making it to the trash can, or by my desire to cling to earthly possessions – is embarrassing, to say the least.

I know the list is tedious, but it is also ridiculously funny. Plus, I’ve rewarded you at the end with a picture of what it looks like now.

Here is everything I removed from the piano:

• One Costco coupon book, expiration date: October 28, 2007.
• One half made crown Ruthie started in Sunday school class.
• Two unmailed thank you notes from my birthday in September 2007.
• One construction paper turkey headband Ruthie made at preschool.
• One glasses case.
• One unmailed thank you note from Ruthie’s birthday in March 2007.
• One borrowed night gown waiting to return home.
• Three drink coasters (the fourth was cut to pieces by our resident slasher)
• One blank birthday card waiting for a birthday.
• Various thank you notes and birthday cards received that until now I haven’t been able to throw away (buh-bye).
• One invitation to a party in April 2007.
• Two sets of iPod earbuds.
• One small wedding photo album.
• One unfinished felt project from a camping trip three years ago.
• One deck of playing cards.
• One broken, homemade mosaic’d picture frame (buh-bye).
• Two framed pictures waiting to be hung.
• Four hilarious and off-color Christmas card samples from comfort-guide.com.
• One user’s guide for a bluetooth hands free speaker.
• One tube of chapstick, cap missing.
• One pen cap, red.
• One 1/2 T measuring spoon.
• One small flashlight.
• One box of inhalation medication from November 2007.
• One huge box of wipes, owner unknown.
• One purse waiting to be returned to a friend.
• One bunch of Sedum Autumn Joy flowers I thought would dry well, but really just left a mess of dried flower pieces.
• Pictures given to me by a friend… two summers ago.
• One wrapper to a spool of yarn I want to track down online.
• One “control-a-man” remote I received for my birthday.
• A wedding program from October 2007.
• One scrap notebook the kids write in.
• One book I’m waiting to review on my blog.
• One 8.5 x 11 piece of paper with one tiny phone number written on it.
• One rag that needs to be put in a box in the basement.
• One book that needs to be put away on the basement shelves.
• Scholastic book order forms from Ruthie’s preschool.
• Class pictures from Ruthie’s preschool.
• One pound puppy named Banjo.

Ha! That’s so embarrassing, but there you go. My book of secrets, opened. And as promised, here is what my lovely piano looked like when I was finished.

I saw a commercial for Oprah the other day about the connection between the clutter in your home and the clutter on your…backside. Her guest was an author named Peter Walsh, and his book is titled, Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?

I didn’t watch the show, but the idea makes sense in a way I had never thought of before – not as an IF/THEN causal statement, as in IF you have clutter THEN you will get fat, but more as a clutter mindset of laziness, taking shortcuts, and not following through. Here is a quote from the show’s article on Oprah’s website:

“Your head, your heart, your hips and your house are all interconnected, and I really believe that,” he says.

I thought it was interesting that he made the connection between the heart and and the outward life, because Jesus says in Luke 12:34 that our greatest desire is where our heart will be committed. Yes, our head, heart, and hips are all interconnected, but the issue lies in the desires of our heart.

As you can see by the wreath in the picture above, the piano decluttering happened in December. Early December, to be exact. In the year leading up to that event I had been struggling with the clutter in my home, but it seemed any action I took folded in on itself again. I’d clear off a table, only to have it filled again. I’d pick up the living room, only to have it upturned again. I just couldn’t maintain, much less get ahead of myself.

When I began to look at my schedule, at my routine, and at the way I spent my time it slowly occurred to me there was a lot of room in my day for me and the things I enjoy. My heart desired recreational reading, the development of a possible writing career, and other creative endeavors – all, as it turned out, at the detriment of my family and household.

The final conviction came when Jesus reminded me of James 3:16 – “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” (emphasis added). I confessed my sin of selfishness to Jesus and to my husband, and I began making changes to my daily routine. I still have room for the things I enjoy, the things that re-create me, but the desire of my heart has changed.

Nearly three months later, this is how my house looks most nights as I head off to bed. Isn’t it refreshingly clean?! Compared to the 101 things I de-cluttered from my piano, I’d say this is a big improvement. I work harder now, and I’m moving toward working smarter.

But even more importantly, my heart desires to worship Jesus through serving my family and stewarding the resources he has given us. I used to believe I would be resentful if I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do. What I’ve learned instead, is the more Jesus penetrates my heart, the greater my desire is for glorifying him in everything I do.