It has been a whirlwind couple of years here at Farmhouse by Design. Some behind the scenes blog updating (all of the technical things), lots of planting and working in the garden beds, quite a few home diy and organization projects, bringing home and raising two golden retrievers, and property searching for a retirement home in Tennessee – all while still working a traditional 8-5 job outside of the home. Needless to say, there has been quite a lot going on around here. It seems the to do list is never ending!
Home improvement can certainly be a rabbit hole as one change leads to so many others. ”Let’s create a new flower bed here” leads to “well, now we need to add some shrubs over there” and so on. And while working on all of the projects outside, the inside of the house can sometimes get neglected – dishes in the sink, golden retriever fur balls in the corners, and piles of laundry waiting to be folded. Clutter of any kind only serves to heighten my anxiety . . . and though I love home projects and working out in the yard, I often hate the chaos and mess that comes with the process. One thing I have come to realize is that mess I’m staring at in my home sometimes resembles the mess I feel in life.
Plans
Renovations can be quite the undertaking. You make plans, create a budget, construct a timeline. But setbacks often come. Plans sometimes have to change. And many times, things do not happen on our self-imposed schedule. Life is all too often much the same. We make plans, dream our dreams, and create timelines. But very often God has other plans for us. And then life seems messy. It doesn’t look like we thought it would. The ‘plan’ doesn’t work. And the mess can seem overwhelming. But God knows the plan. God sees the final result. And His ‘after’ for the messes in our lives is always so much better than our feeble attempts.
“God is at work in the mess. That’s the message of the Bible. That’s why the Bible is not pretty. That’s why it’s grimy, because God is working in the mess. He’s working in the tears.”
Matt Chandler
Chaos and Mess
Life is messy. We all know this. Decisions you regret. A job you drag yourself to every day. Illness, financial struggles, packed schedules. Our lives today seem to be about running to the next event or managing the next crisis while desperately trying to hold all of the pieces together. But that’s where God is working – in the chaos and mess of the everyday. He is taking the torn apart, broken, and in need of repair and creating something new and beautiful with the pieces. You may feel broken, worn, and in need of repair. God’s got you. He knows your needs. He has a plan. And He is the Master at taking broken pieces and broken people and making something new. It may not be the plan you envisioned. But give God a chance to show you that His plan is even more amazing than you ever dreamed.
Intentions
For me, this year is about striving to be more intentional. With my blog posts, my purchases, the items I choose to keep in my home, and especially my time. I am taking one room a month to declutter and I want to make sure that those things I choose to keep in my home truly serve a purpose and are things that I love. Not surprisingly, I am taking advantage of the chaos in the kitchen and using this time to weed through everything pulled out of the cabinets and drawers. Does anyone really need 5 whisks?! How about that baking pan that makes 12 mini bundt cakes at once. It’s never been used – I’m just not that ambitious!! I want to clear the house of clutter and fully enjoy the space I call home.
Trust
But I also want to be more intentional in trusting God with the process. Trusting that even in the chaos and mess, He knows the plan. It’s not always easy. And for me, it’s a learning process every single day — and that’s okay. Sometimes the waiting is difficult. When I start a project, I’m often more focused on getting to the end than I am on the journey. I want to make the vision in my head a reality. But there is so much to be learned in the journey. And there is much grace to be found as well. No matter what mistakes we have made, there is always enough grace.
“No matter where you are at, take life season by season, and laugh at your messes and mishaps. Be okay with where you are, and when you feel the tilt is heavy on one side, lean towards grace and this will help you through.”
Joanna Gaines
Looking Ahead
Looking forward I want to share more about my garden and the living space we have created outside. I want to spend more time trying new recipes and sharing the ones that I love. My goal is to create a slower, more well-intentioned life – one filled with the simple pleasures of enjoying a cup of coffee on the back deck, listening to the frogs croaking down in the creek at night, the smell of homemade bread filling the kitchen – learning to just enjoy the life I have created in this space.
Bear with me as I get the house back in some sort of order. As with life, sometimes walking through the mess seems like it has no end. Enjoy the little things in this season. Find beauty in the everyday and mundane. And know that in the end, it will be worth the wait!
Blessings,
Look the whole look! Would love to do this in my home to add more character🥰. Do you mind sharing the detail of the paint behind the shelves? Thank you!
Thank you! The paint color is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. We have used that color in the whole house and love it!
Thank you! I needed this message today.