Dear Reader, I’d like to do a very quick survey:

• Do you currently own an iron & ironing board?
• Have you used them in the last six months?
• If so, what did you iron?

Seriously, I’d love to see your answers. In the last twenty years, we’ve lived in two houses, an apartment, and a townhouse. It hasn’t mattered whether our home was 1500+ square feet, or much less, none of them had a good place to set up an ironing board. It made me wonder if ironing was even a thing anymore. (I know, what a waste of brain cells, right?)

After several months in our new (to us) house, I’m still figuring out the best “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” Like a distant cousin you haven’t seen since you were both in preschool, who suddenly decides to come for a visit, I was struggling to find my new ironing place. (Pause, please.)

Tom and I have always tried to be good stewards of the homes the Lord has provided. He’s been very specific with our new home: create a sanctuary and invite people in as often as possible. When we recently had the opportunity to host our small group for a few weeks, it meant adjusting our living spaces. A bonus to the fellowship was the creation of a sitting area.

 Consider this carefully, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary. Be courageous and strong and do it.”

1 Chronicles 28:10

What drives the way you arrange furniture, Dear Reader? Pinterest, Google? I am no aficiando of a specific design style, but some elements of feng shui make sense to me when it came to creating a sanctuary that resonates calm.

Feng shui is the practice of arranging pieces in living spaces to create balance with the natural world . . . The goal is to harness energy forces and establish between an individual and their environment.

The spruce:make your best home

Here’s our unexpected sitting room. Do you see the elephant, a.k.a. ironing board, in the room? So much for my attempt at feng shui. Don’t worry, after taking the picture (and ironing a couple of my favorite tops), the ironing board returned to the laundry room.

Whether referring back to the obscure Old Testament scripture the Lord dropped into my lap before we moved, or checking a feng shui diagram, the ironing board was a major distraction to me from every perspective in the living area. I couldn’t put it away fast enough.

Dear Reader, how has the Lord astounded you with a custom-fit reminder lately? What unexpected thing did He use to get your attention? (And yes, I realize that neither an ironing board or feng shui may be a custom-fit for you, but please stick with me for a few more lines.)

Every time God jumps into my world with an analogy I understand to teach or remind me, I love him more. This time I needed to be reminded to keep distractions to a minimum if I want to discern and effectively follow His will for my life. (Preaching to myself since I just wasted nearly two hours trying to figure out how to reconnect this website to MailChimp . . . sigh . . . instead of focusing on what the Lord wants me to write to you today.)

For those of us who remember when ironing was a regular task, here’s an old hymn with new voices, that frequently helps me mute the roar of distractions. What’s a strategy you use, Dear Reader, to stay focused?