My tongue will proclaim your righteousness, your praises all day long.  
Psalm 35:28  

Organizational guru Marie Kondo is inspiring the world to “tidy up.” This petite dynamo has written four books that have been translated into ten languages, and is the star of the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

Her approach—popularly known as the KonMari Method™—challenges followers to declutter their space and find joy. Kondo’s methods are inspired by Shintoism, the traditional religion of Japan.

Wikipedia summarizes Shintoism as, “the traditional religion of Japan that focuses on ritual practices to be carried out diligently to establish a connection between present-day Japan and its ancient past.”

Regular readers of A Reason For Homeschool are familiar with our organization system: the monthly ‘Do It’ List. Introduced in December 2017, we’ve offered this free download each month as a tool to spur us on to manage and maintain our homes. This one-page checklist includes sections for daily, weekly, and monthly tasks, intended to create routines that help us save time by not having to think about what to do and to instead just DO IT!  

The early blogs provided a look at the over-all approach and subsequent writings have drilled down on specific tasks on the lists. (You can access all previous ‘Do It’ blogs in our archives.)

Marie Kondo’s ideas are inspiring, and the Netflix show is a fun watch, but as a follower of Christ, I cannot help feeling a bit uncomfortable with some of her motivations and methods. Rather than throw out the proverbial baby with the bath water, however, I’d like to suggest we take what we can, tweak some of her suggestions, and simply leave behind others: 

1. We worship Jesus. 
   Marie encourages a habit she calls “greeting the home.” Each episode of Tidying Up that I watched included a scene where she dropped to her knees, closed her eyes, palms down on the floor, and rocked back and forth in silence. I’m assuming this included a time of meditation or prayer. To me, it looked and felt more like worship than greeting.  
    
   So … while Kondo may drop to her knees to greet (and perhaps worship) her house, we can drop to ours and worship Jesus, as we thank Him for our house and all the other good things He has provided.
2. Jesus sparks joy.
   The hallmark of Marie’s decluttering approach is to ask, “Does this spark joy?” If it does, you keep it and if it doesn’t you discard it.  

   My friends and I have gotten a chuckle by pondering whether cleaning supplies and can openers really spark joy. Many of the items in our homes are necessary and helpful, some of them may even give us great pleasure, but—without trying to sound overly “spiritual” when I say this—only Jesus sparks true joy.  
   
   (My children used to sigh and say, “Mom, not everything has to have a spiritual application.” The remark may have come after I paused the TV to ask, “Belle gave her life so her father could go free from the Beast. Who does that remind you of?” Or while painting a wall, “Look—all the marks and blemishes are covered over! Does that remind you of what Jesus does with our sin?”)

   Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). I don’t think joy can be manufactured by buying or discarding stuff. I call that temporary happy. True, lasting, abiding joy is produced by the Holy Spirit. 

3. Discard with thanks. 
   As each item that doesn’t make the “joy cut” is discarded, Kondo thanks the item for its service.  
   
   Gratefulness is a call on our lives.  I’ve prayed for years that my children would have grateful hearts. I endeavor to be a woman who counts my blessings, acknowledges the kindness of others and (most of all) sees that, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…” James 1:17

   Why not tweak the KonMari™ practice, by thanking God for providing this item that has served its purpose in our home, and asking Him to bless the future recipient as we give it away?

4. Pile It Up. 
   The Tidying Up episodes I’ve watched usually begin by emptying out the clothes closets. Everything is piled high on a bed (and often spills over to the floor). Years ago, the TLC show Clean Sweep challenged me to do this same thing. When I’m really trying to get organized—and I have the time, of course—this is my method of choice.

   Piling it all up allows you to see what you have and evaluate: 
   — Am I really defined as a woman who owns 27 pairs of black pants? 
   — Why am I holding on to this dress I will never fit into again? Its presence in my closet doesn’t inspire me—it mocks me! 
   — If I don’t like it and I don’t wear it, I need to release it. 

5. Fold It. 
   This is probably my #1 take-away from Marie. I love her ideas for folding! T-shirts, jeans, dish cloths, and bath towels—everything in my home is getting a folding make over! You can see how she folds various items of clothing and linens in these videos: 
   ♦ Clothing      
   ♦ Sheets   
   ♦ Napkins 
   ♦ Socks and underwear
6. Stand it up!
   Using the KonMari™ method, items will stand up on their own if folded correctly. When they are put away, it’s then easy to see what is available and nothing gets lost at the bottom of the pile. This method is an efficient use of space and allows a visual inventory of every piece.
7. Contain it. 
   I love Kondo’s Tidying Up tips on using containers. If items are corralled, they are easier to retrieve, and they also tend to stay tidy. Even sheets and pillow cases found homes in bins and tubs on shelves, making the space neat and tidy. 

   Before dashing off to the Container Store (or Dollar Tree), consider making use of what you have. Greeting card boxes, for example, can be recycled as drawer organizers. Sturdy gift boxes and lids can be useful; plastic containers with missing lids can find their way into drawers.

8. Tidying up is work.
   Time constraints—and boredom for viewers—prohibit Netflix from showing the many tedious hours required to empty closets and drawers, discard items, fold every item of clothing, every sheet and towel, and put it all away. While the show is a fun watch, adopting the principles to achieve similar results at home is work. One thing I really like: Marie doesn’t do the work for her clients. She instructs, guides, and leaves them with assignments. “Teach a man to fish…” applies to home organization, too!
9. Tidying up is worth it.
   Getting our homes in order releases peace and joy. It makes home the refuge we know it should be. We no longer feel panic when the doorbell rings unexpectedly, and we are free to use our homes to love God’s people and to exercise biblical hospitality. 

For some KonMari™ comic relief, check out the humorous video from the Holderness Family – hope it gives you a good laugh as it did me!

Have you caught organizing fever this spring? Download this month’s ‘Do It’ List and you’ll be one step ahead when it comes to creating the clean, tidy home you want for your family. And be sure to leave a comment below, letting us know what’s gotten the Kondo treatment in your home!

Download  your March ‘Do It’ List
using the links below:

March 2019 ‘Do It’ List

March 2019 BLANK ‘Do It’ List