I am delighted to learn that one of my lifelong habits, rearranging the furniture, is healthy.

I’m a little bit like Martha. You know, the Martha in the Bible who scurries around serving fruits and drinks, wiping tables and scotting chairs while her sister Mary sits at Jesus’ feet? The Martha who doesn’t have her priorities right? That Martha. 

Let’s imagine the scene before Jesus and his disciples arrived . . . when Martha was rightfully preparing for her guests. (There’s that, right?! Who else was going to set the table?)

“No, Lazarus, scoot the table just a little to the left.” Martha frowned with the seriousness of it all. He obeyed, huffing and puffing.

Martha studied the room. 

“No.” She scratched her head. “On second thought, the table needs to be on the other side of the room, near the doorway where there is more light. “

Lazarus sighed and grabbed one end of the heavy wooden table while Martha grabbed the other end. Together, they shuffled it across the room, grunting with the weight of the table. 

“Hmmm…”  Martha wiped her brow and contemplated the new placement while Lazarus prayed silently that she would be content.

“Just…grunt… a touch…grunt…. more to the…grunt… right,” she mumbled as she shoved her hip against the table.

“That’s better.” She brushed her hands together. “I want it to be just right. A welcoming space for the Rabbi.”

Lazarus slipped on his sandals and started to retreat. “It’s not important, Martha. Jesus doesn’t need anything fancy.”

“You’re right.” She looked around the room once more.  “But let’s move that plant and those two chairs and the footstool.”

While the Bible does not explain any of this, of course, Martha may have felt that once she rearranged the furniture, the space was fresh and new and more welcoming for Jesus. 

Do you love to rearrange your furniture?

If you’re one of us – a Mover and a Shaker – you’ll be chuckling now and recalling your own furniture-moving escapades. You’ll be reminiscing about the time you moved the silverware, the armoire, and the rocking chair all in one breath. And like me, you might relieved to hear that rearranging your furniture IS good for you.

If you live with a Mover and Shaker, you’re scratching your head and wondering if you’re going to trip during the night because the chair is in a different place.

This moving and shaking is genetic. My mother moved furniture seasonally. I move furniture at least that often. When my daughter was little, she wanted to rearrange her bedroom weekly. We can’t help it.

Sometimes it’s big things. Sometimes it’s little things. Last week the silver vase was on the kitchen table. Now it’s in the bathroom.

Sometimes we Movers and Shakers need help.

I’m usually quite independent about all this. I’ve gotten used to shoving big pieces of furniture around all by myself. Fortunately, I’ve never had a truly bad Moving and Shaking experience. I’ve scuffed a few floors, scraped off some paint, and pulled some muscles. But one dear friend hasn’t been so fortunate. Her eagerness to move a solid oak armoire resulted in a three-foot tear in her living room’s plush carpeting. And a visit to the chiropractor. Another Mover and Shaker single-handedly scooted her heavy kitchen table across the room and ripped a six-inch gash in the white vinyl floor. 

It’s not that my husband doesn’t like to help, but sometimes he’s not around when the need to Move and Shake strikes me. And you Movers and Shakers know that when you have the vision, you can’t wait.

Years ago when my husband wasn’t home, I recruited our son. I wanted to move the six-foot bookshelf in the basement up three flights of stairs.

“Shouldn’t we wait for Dad? That’s a big bookcase.” 

I rolled up my sleeves. “Nah, we got this.”

And we did. Eventually, we moved the bookshelf without scratching or gouging or breaking any walls or windows or bones.  

Like all Movers and Shakers, I like a little change every once in a while. It makes everything look new and different. As it turns out, rearranging your space has lots of benefits–for the longevity of your home and furniture AND for your mood. 

Why Rearrange Your Furniture

Breathe New Life into a Space

Just by rearranging the furniture in your house, you can make a room look bigger, cozier, different. One time my family room seemed a little hum-drum. It wasn’t that the furniture was old or faded, just you know, hum-drum. But when I pulled the sofa away from the wall and put it at an angle, suddenly the room felt fresh and new. 

In my childhood home, the living room had two loveseats. My mother would move these seasonally. In the springtime, she’d position them to see outside where the roses were blooming. In the fall, she’d angle them toward the fireplace. I grew up thinking everyone did this!  

You can also make a room feel bigger just by one simple trick. Believe it or not, moving the larger furniture pieces away from the wall works. It really can make the room feel bigger, assuming you have the space to do this. If not, push the furniture up against the wall to maximize the space.

Deep Clean the Space

When I get into rearrange mode, it’s a complete package. I’m a girl on a mission. 

When moving big pieces of furniture, I see the hidden dust bunnies, crayons, safety pins, bookmarks, or candy wrappers. It’s a chance to vacuum, dust, mop, something we all should do at least a couple times a year. 

Rearranging the furniture inevitably turns into reorganizing the bookshelves, washing the pillow covers, and vowing to organize the drawers.

So here’s a warning. When you get into the rearrange mode, be sure you allow time for all the extras that come with it!

Save Your Floors

A simple benefit. Moving your furniture around can save your floors and your furniture. Ever heard of rotating your couch cushions? This is similar. You are rotating the protected spaces of your flooring with those that receive higher traffic. You’re also moving some parts of your furniture that have faded from the sun out of the light and some back into the light. 

I learned this the hard way. I had a leather sofa and loveseat that I waited too long to rearrange these big pieces. So when I finally did, one side of the leather loveseat was a completely different color than the other side. 

Feel Better

Believe it or not, this is a big one. One article in Psychology Today says, “An impact on the environment, whether an imprint or a removal, lifts mood, provides concrete satisfaction, and instills a sense of effectiveness.”  It can elevate our mood, give us a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, creativity, and comfort. 

Repurpose what we have.

There’s no buyer’s remorse–like when you come home from Home Goods or Hobby Lobby with a carful of extra pillows or throws or lamps that you don’t really need and can’t really afford? Instead, you use what you have, rearrange it a bit, and you feel clever, creative, and resourceful. 

Clear our minds.

Clearing the clutter of the room puts our minds at ease and helps us think more clearly (just like when we clean off a messy desk or kitchen counter). Clutter removal sparks joy and gives us energy. (Think Marie Kondo.) 

Use our hands.

“Meaningful hand use” elevates our mood. When we use our hands in a meaningful way, we smile. That includes taking care of our homes where our loved ones come to feel safe and comfortable. 

Spark our creativity.

We have to use our imagination to figure out how we can make better use of a room or how to bring our Magnolia Home dreams to reality. Without spending a ton of money.

Foster gratitude.

When I rearrange my spaces, I see items and my home itself in a new, more positive light.  I feel hopeful! Less stressed! Accomplished!

Enjoy a new perspective and embrace change.

This sounds like it’s too good to be true, right? But when we shift things around, we see things differently. We look forward to a new view, literally! When I move the chairs to the other side of the room, I’ll look at the bookshelf instead of the kitchen. And I look forward to the changes, little and big. 

Moving and Shaking in God’s Kingdom

Inside my home, I’m a pretty experienced Mover and Shaker. But in God’s Kingdom? Sometimes I don’t do so well. I like everything comfortable and consistent. I like to pray and do my devotions in the morning and go to the second church service on Sundays. My husband and I pray before meals and again at bedtime. We raised our kids to do the same. Good routines, comfortable, consistent. And that’s not bad. Really.

Just like rearranging the furniture inside your home can be good for your home and your mood, rearranging the spiritual routines in your life can be helpful. 

Rearranging Your Spiritual Routines

Some years ago, I decided to rearrange my spiritual furniture, my spiritual routines.

What did I do? Nothing truly profound, but lots of little things. 

I started praying aloud while driving to work instead of listening to the radio. I prayed with our kids as we drove to and from school. And I prayed in the grocery store check-out line instead of perusing the magazines with their noisy and unhealthy messages that made me feel dull and worthless. Sometimes I changed the beginning of my prayers. Instead of Dear Lord – which is certainly beautiful and still part of many of my prayers  – I tried Hi, Lord or as Anne Lamott suggests,  Help or Thanks or Wow.

When I opened my Bible in the middle of my workday instead of just in the morning, I would see the Word in a beautiful new light. Maybe if I sit on the other side of church on Sunday morning–gasp!–I’ll meet a new family.

Don’t get me wrong. I still like routines. I like the structured schedules of life simply because they feel secure and comfortable and constant. Just like my Lord and Savior.  

But every so often, rearranging the furniture is good for you.

It just might give me a new view of His perfect throne.

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