Decorating Detox

He has made everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

I once gave up decorating for an entire month, just before the Christmas season! During a Bible study group discussion, Cynthia called me on the carpet. I was talking about how I felt my passion with decorating was becoming a distraction.

“No matter where I am—at work, talking to a friend, sitting in church or in the bathroom, I’m  always decorating in my head,” I confessed. 

“That doesn’t sound like a passion,” Cynthia’s bold voice barked. “That sounds like an addiction!” 

Ouch! Did she have to be so honest?

As much as her words stung, Cynthia is the kind of friend we all need…a friend who will tell you the truth even if it’s not what you want to hear. I knew right then drastic measures were necessary. In the heat of the moment, I made one of the craziest vows I’ve ever made….in the presence of several witnesses no less. I vowed to go on a crash decorating diet for a whole month! No Hobby Lobby, no antique stores, no estate sales or shopping, not even looking at magazines! This decorating diva needed a decorating detox.

At first, I thought I was going to go into shock. It was the first of November. I didn’t know how I was going to wait until December to start remoldeling…I mean redecorating for Christmas. Although self-inflicted, this was the most cruel and unusual punishment I’d ever endured. But beyond the tremors and shakes, I knew it was necessary. I needed to get balance back in my life. The first two weeks were shear torture, but when I got into the third week, I started to notice the return of sanity and at the end of December, my peace increased and I regained a sense of normality. It was December 1st and I honestly didn’t even care if my house was decorated for Christmas. In fact, my kids had to beg me to put up the tree. 

This decorating detox was five years ago. Truth is, I still love to decorate, but it’s no longer an obsession. (Just don’t ask my husband. His definition of obsession may differ from mine!) Seriously, I think that sometimes we have to give up something for a season to regain our balance and remove the clutter so we can enjoy God’s presence again. But when we do, He brings everything into beautiful balance.

Prayer: Lord, Thank you for your love and care for me. Please help me realize when my passions are interferring with my relationship with you. Help me regain my focus so you can bring balance back to my life.  In Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

Questions to Ponder:

How can you tell when your hobbies or passions are getting out of balance?

When your life is off balanae, do you have a mentor or friend who will be honest with you and help you find ways to get your spiritual relationship restored? 

Have you ever surrendered something in order to regain balance? If so, describe how it helped you retore your priorities.