I have an unwanted guest that occasionally comes to my home.  She's never invited, and I never know when to expect her.  Sometimes she'll stop in briefly and I can get her to leave before she's caused too many problems, but other times her visits are longer than I'd like.  She's decided to "stay a little longer" a few times, and I remember once when she moved in for over a year.  It really took a toll on me, as well as my marriage.  Three definitely was a crowd.  I prayed that God would help me find a way to make her leave.  I knew she had to go.  I wasn't sure how to go about it though.  She had taken over much of my home, leaving me feeling inadequate.  I hated feeling like a prisoner in my own home, but I did, and it only got worse.  She wasn't happy unless she was taking over yet another part in my home.  With each room she destroyed, I felt more like a failure.  I was loosing my home, as well as myself.

You may know of my guest. I know she hasn't just stopped at my home.  I've heard that she travels from one place to another doing the same thing to every woman.  Has she been to your home?  Are you familiar with... Chaos? 

    CHAOS is simply...

• C ontinuous
• H eartache
• A nd
• O verwhelming
• S tress
  

Years ago, after Chaos had moved in, I was completely overwhelmed at the mess that had been made over time.  The main floor showed signs, but the basement is where it was devestatingly obvious.  I only went down there to do the laundry in the laundry room (our children were small then and we hadn't "outgrown" our main floor so it really was for "storage").  Chaos took control and over time, had completely destroyed the entire basement. 

I remember, as the kids got older and we added more children to our home, how they would go downstairs and play in the piles.  Hide and seek was fun in a mess like that!  You literally could hide anywhere.  People came to know our basement as "the dungeon" and I was once asked by a gal if our basement had a dirt floor (because of how we talked so poorly of it and wouldn't let anyone go down there). 

I prayed that God would help me somehow fix the problem, as it was getting more and more embarrassing.  The kids were having their friends go down there and I was mortified when my husband had to go down there with a friend to show him something on the computer.  It seems like forever ago now... but I still remember the feeling of worthlessness when he'd take someone down there.  What kind of woman would let her home look like that?  I was so embarrassed.

Then the day came that my sister-in-law offered to come and help me.  Of course, I wanted to say no.  The thought of letting another person see what I'd let become of my basement... well, it just horrified me.  But the Lord told me that she was the answer to prayer, and I let pride aside for a moment as I said "yes" to her coming to help.  My mother-in-law came as well to watch the kids and make meals so my sister-in-law and I could just work.  They came and stayed overnight and she was RUTHLESS!  It was nice because not only as sisters through marriage, but in Christ, I knew the heart that she came with and didn't take anything offensively.  She was there to help, and even though it was hard and overwhelming at times (we would take a "latte" break during those times) we kept pushing through to get as much done as we could.  Her church was also having a sale to help her husband and some others in their church fund a missions trip, so EVERYTHING that went in "bless" bags, truly did bless others.

Chaos is a horrible.  It doesn't begin with her, however... she has a sister that usually visits first to "get the ball rolling".  Her name is Clutter.  Now, Clutter goes a bit more unoticed for a longer period of time.  She works slowly, and is almost invisible until Chaos appears.  You may not even know that Clutter has invaded your home until it's too late.  She's very sneaky and can go undetected with your guard down. 
   
    Clutter is simply:

• C ontinual
• L uxuries (and or "litter")
• U ntil
  
• T hey've
• T otally
• E nveloped
  
• R ooms

Clutter is more sentimental than her sister, for she deals with the heart strings.  She pulls at them with no remorse or regard for anyone, and giggles with glee when she convinces someone to "hold onto yet another thing... just in case".  Clutter loves to watch items accumulate, until they have completely taken over one room... and then another... and then another... and then, her job is done, and left for Chaos.

If you've let Clutter enter your home, or if Chaos has been staying with you for some time now, it's time to get your home back... begin by Stepping Toward a Clean Heart and Home!... YOU CAN DO IT!