I
read an article recently written for younger folks on how to avoid drowning in
your parents’ stuff. Trying to save my kids from that, I spent week before last cleaning out a backyard
building that resulted in two SUV loads going to a donation site and the county
landfill. I’ve really put those recently installed plates and screws in my formerly
fractured wrists to the test, and they have proved up to the task. There is
still too much clutter in that building. I’ll have to make another pass. The problem
for me is I’ve inherited things from my own parents, and it’s so hard to let go.
With a mid-century house and small closets, no basement or garage, both attics are also begging to be decluttered. It’s been done several times before, but more has been added, so it seems I continually deal with curating the accumulation around here.
Spiritually
speaking, we continually need to go through decluttering, too. Sometimes things
creep in and we need to reassess—attitudes that may not honor God,
unforgiveness, bitterness, a critical spirit, too much time spent on one thing or another (did someone say social media?)--really anything else that hinders our
growth in the Lord or our witness for Him.
We
may not even realize this has happened, but when we stop and consider the words
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:22-23 about the fruit of the Spirit, we may find
something in ourselves that doesn’t line up with this list: “But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.” If we see any of these things lacking in ourselves, we may
ask the Lord to do the decluttering we need in order that He may have full
control.
We
need what remains in our lives to be Christ centered and upward pointing.
So,
here’s to a decluttered house, and a decluttered spirit.
I’m
going to need more of those big trash bags around here. I wonder if Jerry could
get frequent flier type points at the county landfill.