Procrastination is a Thief

Remember the Sabbath Day

Today’s 14” #sabbathmargin challenge is more like a 14 FOOT challenge, but it was just as easy and effective.

Back in January we had our wood floors refinished. If you have ever had your floors refinished you just groaned with sympathy. For those who haven’t experienced such an event, having your floors redone is paramount to moving out of the affected rooms. We have wood in our kitchen, hallway, and dining room comprising about 75% of our main level. So this meant packing up the china cabinet and two buffet units, cleaning out the island cabinet because it would be moved, and taking all of the stuff off the walls for fear of it falling and breaking. In my kitchen, I also took all the stuff down that sits on top of my cabinets.

Why did I do that? I am actually not sure, except that someone said that this process

would be really dusty and I’d need to take it all down to clean it after so I may as well take it down now. I followed their advice and moved it all out into a large moving box that I then put in the corner of my family room.

That was a 6 weeks ago. Our floors were finished 5 weeks ago.

I have long since put the china back in its proper place and returned the dining room to normal. I have long since put everything back on the walls. But for some reason this one box remained.

The reason I give for not having dealt with this box before today is that I needed a ladder. The ladder is downstairs and I needed my husband home long enough to bring the ladder up, let me put the stuff away, and then put the ladder back in the basement.

That is a lame excuse for not taking care of something that is creating physical, mental and emotional clutter. And this box of stuff was doing all that. I didn’t really need a ladder. I took it all down without a ladder. In my defense I had help: as I shimmied my way down the counter top I was handing the stuff to my mom who was putting it in the box.

So my procrastination in putting it all back was mostly a result of simply not wanting to get up and down off the counter a whole bunch of times; which I would have to do if I did this by myself. That, or talking myself into needing a ladder.

Lame.

I am finding that much of the lack of #sabbathmargin in my spaces is really due to apathy on my part. I just get used to it being that way and even if it isn’t right, it becomes the norm. Procrastination is a major thief of #sabbathmargin.

Is it possible to be enslaved by procrastination? I haven’t thought of that before.

The Lord said to the Israelites, and says to us, “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the LORD your God has commanded you … Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” (Deut 5:12, 15)

It took about 30 minutes to put those things back on the top of my cabinets. It only took that long because I was making lunch at the same time and also decided to move some other things around, creating more open spaces.

Now that it’s done it seems silly that I looked at that box, walked by that box, lamented that the box was still in my living room, and sighed about that box for as long as I did.

Yes, I believe we can be enslaved by procrastination. The Lord says – Remember you are NOT enslaved by procrastination. Observe #sabbathmargin.

 

What have you been putting off? Share it here and I’ll encourage you to go get it done!

Blessings,

Denise

#LivingHoly