Order....

I looked up at this recycled art hanging on this old brick building.
I wondered about the history of each item.
Who rode the blue bike on the left?
What kind of bike is that in the middle and when was it made?
And the mixed materials on the right were interesting pieces.

The biggest takeaway I had from this artsy display was a sense of order.

The item placement on the bricks made me feel a sense of being organized. They are evenly spaced and the word order kept coming to my mind.

So my thought for today is inspired by this image  for Day #121 of the 365 Days of Art.
It has to do with orderliness.

Is there an area you need to organize more?
Maybe in your home - like a closet - a shelf - or a room?
Is your car a hot mess with work supplies or coffee cups?

Or maybe their is an emotional area you have been ignoring and that area could use some order and healing up?

For example, we met with some friends last week and one of the gals we know quit this horrible job more than a year ago - she had an oppressive boss and she finally made the job change.  She shared that she was just now healing up from the whole experience - more than 13 months later.  After being in her new job she was able to go back and organize the experience. This is normal because it takes time to recover, revisit, process and heal.

The marathon runner analogy is one I use often.  Imagine a runner just finished a 26-mile run.  Right after the race -  they need rest and restoration.  If we interviewed them when they crossed the finish line - they would be panting and would likely push us away. They just finished something major....

If you tried to interview them the next day, they would not necessarily be panting, but they are still too close to completing the race and might not yet have insightful feedback.  They might know that their ankle was sore, that gel fuel helped and think maybe they started too fast - but they won't really have succinct feedback on their race experience for a little while.... because it takes time to process and recover.
Keep that in mind with life experiences too.
There are stages to moving through experiences and it can take time to figure out what we need, make change, endure something, problem solve, recover, heal up, etc.

The process is what allows us to move on with strength and growth.

It might be time for you to revisit an area that needs healing.

Joyce Meyer sometimes shares about her healing journey (she was abused as a child) and she shares how God helped her heal through stages.
She would read an insightful book and explore - and then pause and shelf the issue for a while - to then revisit it again and process what happened and how it impacted her.
She would read some more and pray and let God fill her with strength as she healed and processed.
Her spouse was a key part of her healing, small groups helped her too - and she received counsel in a variety of ways!
Joyce processed and moved through a very traumatic childhood experience - in stages.
(The grace of God and His healing power is amazing....)

In my recent post with tips for processing grief (here) I noted that sometimes healthy detachment allows a person to decompress and regroup. Some life areas, like grief, are heavy and layered - and so just remember we need to approach these areas gradually - in chunks  - and maybe with seasons of rest in between - but order can come.

Hope you have a nice day.