Rearranging Furniture

For years I sat in a great looking, but rather uncomfortable, leather chair that was positioned against the living room wall so that it faced the TV. For years I’d look at the pale green sofa that was in front of the living room window, thinking I’d be much more comfortable sitting there, but who doesn’t want to sit where they can watch the TV when they want!? So I would sigh and place a different pillow behind my back, assuring myself that this new pillow would help me fit into the chair just right. It never worked.

I had convinced myself that I couldn’t change the furniture placement, because the cats enjoyed sitting on the back of the sofa and looking out the window, because someone had told me that this was the best way to arrange my furniture, and because I didn’t think I had the strength to do it.

One day my dear shy cat came into the room and looked up at me with her big green eyes. I couldn’t tell you what those eyes said to me, but suddenly, I’d had enough. I jumped out of the chair and before I realized it, I had changed everything. The sofa was now against the wall, the chair was against the window with a little table alongside it, and I’d hung a treasured picture over the sofa that my father had given me many years ago.

Though I could have dwelled on all the reasons I didn’t take any action to change things sooner, I decided instead to celebrate that I DID!

It turned out that the cats enjoyed the sofa more than ever, the room looked bigger and brighter, I could see my treasured gift every day, and I had more strength than I realized.

Whether it’s furniture, relationships, or even our beliefs, sometimes things don’t fit, no matter how hard we try to make them. To be true to ourselves, some rearranging needs to be done. When it is, we can rediscover treasures, light and beauty, and more room to grow. Now that’s a great arrangement!