It’s the day for a cleaning project at our house – deep cleaning. I love cleaning or rather the effects of it! We’re not talking a little dust, this is The Closet. Because life usually goes at such a fast pace, clutter can evolve into a mess that becomes a big stack that is eventually overwhelming. It would be less harrowing to throw unnecessary stuff away at the time, but as my dad used to say, “You never know when you might need that!”, and his sheds and barns were proof of it! It made for interesting ‘treasures’ as a kid with an imagination, but it became quite a cleaning task as an adult. There were also some dangerous old apparatuses left exposed and I remember a playtime that ended up with a bloody gash on my brother’s back from falling on one of those apparatuses. (I like that word.)
This closet is in my husband’s office. Woo Hoo! The shredder got a work-out. The trash carts are full! I like clean and organized, but this area wasn’t really my stuff to decide on. I got to be the cheerleader as he tossed out antiquated electronics and stuff that I wasn’t attached to. It was great to get some extra space. The sad part was realizing those once-expensive things no longer have value as technology changes. (There was only one VHS player!) Not everything was valueless, but sorting through it all brought freedom.
I find that my heart does better with constant cleaning. Checking to see if there are any destructive apparatuses stashed there. Letting go of what has no value for living in freedom. Sometimes I’ve allowed things into my mind and emotions that bring clutter and evolve into a mess. When I’ve let an offense sit on top of a hurt the pile of ugly grows, and it can become more to deal with than if I had let it go right away. A renewed mind has a clearer focus. Room for freshness and creativity.
A mind full of regrets, disappointments or ugly thoughts is like static on the radio that keeps us from hearing the One Voice that matters. When we line up our heart with His and throw away what’s not of Him, faith has room to grow and free us.
As human beings, we get to choose what remains in our heart. Others can cheer us on, but we make the decisions on what we keep and what has value. When we’re ‘attached’ to hurts of the past, unresolved pain or dirty, rotten lies, it becomes a bigger job to choose forgiveness and throw out what can hurt our future. Wounds in our heart can be created by dangerous beliefs that aren’t put in their rightful place. To be healthy, we get rid of unhealthy. Cleaning out destructive apparatuses is less painful than trying to avoid them.
I’m grateful for the living and active and powerful word of God – the Bible – a gift to mankind to restore our body, soul, and spirit. Thinking about things that are pure, lovely, virtuous and kind… well, those thoughts will change our heart and our attitude. A relationship with a kind God, who wants us whole, will reveal what needs to be cleaned out so we can live in real freedom. The hard work of choosing to let go is worth the freedom. And the benefits of a lifestyle of freedom are a great reward.
Copyright © 2018 Nadine Patton.
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