Letters to Heaven: Buried under a Pile of Paper

"Then there's the joy of getting your desk clean, and knowing that all your letters are answered, and you can see the wood on it again." ~Lady Bird Johnson

June 12, 2014

Dear Jesus:

I have been going through piles and piles of papers, throwing away what is garbage, filing what is important and sorting them out. I made the commitment to myself that I would not stop until I sorted out a full pile. I have this tendency to start a project but not finish it. I made it through two full piles. But when I got to the third one, I just had to stop.

Is this normal? Does this happen to other people or does it happen only to me? I get overwhelmed by the mountains of paper. I feel like it never ends. When I think I'm done and everything is in it's place, it starts all over again.

Every day, the mail brings loads and loads of paper. It's mostly garbage, but it still requires that I take a look. Then there's the credit card receipts. And all the papers associated with the house. That's the pile that I just couldn't get through. I had to stop. I felt like I was drowning.

Sometimes I feel like I'm way over my head. Dealing with household issues has always been difficult for me. I see other women that it comes easy to them. They handle the plumber, the gardener, the handyman... without any problem. I get overwhelmed. I don't know if it's my "peacemaker" personality that doesn't deal well with conflicts and obstacles, but when things don't go smoothly, I suffocate. And they never go smoothly. Something is always bound to go wrong.

Breathe, Christy, breathe. You can do this. One day at a time. One paper at a time. One problem at a time.

Help me Jesus!!!

June 12, 2017

Dear Jesus:

I remember when receiving mail was a pleasure. I would actually look forward to it. As soon as the mail arrived, I would rush to the mailbox to see if it brought me a letter from my friends in Spain, or pictures of my family in Cuba, or an invitation to a party. Now, when the mail arrives, I don't even move. Once I finally pick it up, usually after it sits in the mailbox for a few hours, I glance at it and throw it in a basket. Right now, I have about two to three weeks of mail sitting in that basket. And every day, I look at it, and I put off going through it. I literally dread it. Ninety percent of its contents will end up in the recycling bin. And the other ten percent will be bad news: bills to pay, a warning that my credit card on file has expired, or a notice that I have to go to jury duty. The days of treasured mail are over. Today, we don't receive letters, we receive emails. We don't receive pictures by mail, we get them through Facebook. And invitations come through Evite or Facebook events. Well, except for weddings. At least for now, wedding invitations are still printed and cherished.

Eventually, the mail altogether will be obsolete. It will follow the same path as a paper map, the printed yellow pages and developed pictures. But for now, I better tackle that mountain of mail sitting in that basket, or else, I'm going to be buried under a pile of paper. Again!

I love You, Jesus!!!