The past couple of days I've had something cluttering my mind. It is, in fact, clutter. That insidious disease of American prosperity that has crept into my life in the past 7 years. I know it has been 7 years because when Hurricane Katrina swept through our area, it effectively "de-cluttered" my home by almost destroying it. So the stuff that is now stuffing my closets has pretty much accumulated since that time. And we have a LOT of closets!
And now it's TIME for it to GO!
The problem will be - how? How do you tackle a monster that is so overwhelming? I guess like you eat an elephant. One bite at a time.
I might have delusions of having a garage sale - my daughter loves having those, but honestly, I think that will mean just moving my clutter to another room till we can figure out how to have a garage sale and then spending an entire day of our lives to make only a few dollars. My junk isn't really worth that much.
No, I think it's time to toss....let it go....move on. I saw someone up the street who has recently been putting some "good stuff" by the curb for whomever might want it. Don't worry - I remained strong and did NOT stop. This person has got the right idea. Just let it go!
Clutter has a way of taking over your life. You can't clean clutter. You can't enjoy clutter. You can't even really hide clutter...not for long, anyway. It has a way of creeping out of its hiding place at the worst times, falling on some unsuspecting victim who just happened to open the door. Obviously this goes for mental and emotional clutter as well, but that would be a post for another day.
I just want all this clutter GONE!
In the past, I've noticed that when I get this urge to "clear out" and get rid of the stuff that is crowding my life, it usually coincides with something going on in my life spiritually as well. I had a friend that used to joke with me after an exceptional worship experience that it was time to go home and do some cleaning! This time, it's not quite the same. This time seems like it's going to take a bit more determined effort on my part. It involves a decision - not a feeling.
Growth is like that. Sometimes it just happens, and sometimes you have to make a decision that it will happen...changing habits and life-style patterns. Realizing you have somehow gotten off course and you need to grab the wheel and turn the ship from its projected path to the right one...the one it should be on.
I'm really not sure what I'll find in the process. Perhaps I can post weekly what surprising things I have found. That could be very interesting in the laundry room...the deep abyss that I fell asleep thinking about last night. I do spend a LOT of time in there for it to be such an unpleasantly cluttered place.
All I know is that this clutter is weighing me down and its time to lose it before it brings me to a grinding halt. I'd love to think that before we hit 2013 I could have it under control, but I'm not sure. It's a pretty big job. What I do know is this, it will never get done if I don't start.
For now, I'm promising myself 15 minutes a day to tackle the problem. (Some of you who are familiar with Flylady will recognize that number.) I'll try to keep you posted on my progress. Feel free to remind me of the goal. For me at least, it's time to lighten the load and move forward into the New Year and what God has planned for us.
Hebrews 12:1
So then let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up,
Romans 13:11-14
But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!
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