I am not a neat freak! In fact, I have been known to be quite cluttered at times (you can take this as a physical or a mental state of being). I remember how, early in our marriage when we used to argue, my husband and I had a "disagreement" over the condition of the house. I was determined to teach him a lesson, and while he was at work, I picked up only the clutter I had left behind, leaving his to "prove" to him it wasn't my fault. Needless to say, by the time I was finished, the house was nice and tidy!
In my defense, my clutter is usually the result of overextending myself. I have time to mess it up...just no time to pick it up. Throughout the years, with both my mother and my husband reminding me "if you would put it away as soon as you are finished with it...." I have learned my lesson, and the house clutter issue has pretty much resolved itself. Closets, however, are another battle!
I think that stuff multiplies in the darkness of the closet (that is, if you can get the closet door closed). We are not hoarders by any sense of the term...having moved countless times in our ~29 year marriage is a great solution to accumulation of "stuff". Once you have packed and sorted your possessions 20 times or more, it really culls out the clutter. Closets, however, still are an issue. I have clothes that I tried on and didn't want to wear, shoes, handbags, tapes (yes, I still have cassette tapes I never play), CD's....you get the picture. It seems that the addition of baby clothes, toys and the remnants of our daughter's possessions finally put the issue over the top. You see, when my closets are cluttered, I feel as though I am leading a secret life. My house may be tidy on the surface, but there is hidden clutter that no-one sees.
In my time off these past months, between naps, I have been tackling the closet issue. Little by little the clutter has been removed; thrown away or put in the hands of someone who would use it (I was told once that having things and never using them is the worst form of materialism). The remaining items are basically organized, categorized, and available if needed.
I couldn't help but make the connection of my hidden clutter in the closets and the hidden clutter we store in our personal lives. When we have hidden clutter in our emotional and spiritual lives, how does it impact our overall sense of ourselves? It has been my experience that we are far less successful at hiding our emotional clutter than we would like to believe. I guess it is harder to keep the closet door closed on our emotional clutter; it seems to seep out the cracks too often.
God's solution for sin is immediate. That was done at the cross and is a free gift for us all. His solution for cleansing of the sin nature is immediate as well; His sanctifying power can provide us with His Spirit to give us the tools to live a life free from sin. The scars of our former lives, however, often remain. Gradually, as God opens each closet door, you have the opportunity to sort through the clutter with Him, deciding what to keep, what to throw away, and what to allow Him to renew in His image for the furtherance of His kingdom (you see, some scars can become beautiful testimonies of His power and glory, if you allow Him to use them).
So, if you come to my house, you are welcome to look in my closets...look under the beds, too! Nothing is hiding there. And if you choose to look within the hidden closets of my soul, you will see God and me sorting...making progress...and organizing the clutter there for use in the kingdom.
In my defense, my clutter is usually the result of overextending myself. I have time to mess it up...just no time to pick it up. Throughout the years, with both my mother and my husband reminding me "if you would put it away as soon as you are finished with it...." I have learned my lesson, and the house clutter issue has pretty much resolved itself. Closets, however, are another battle!
I think that stuff multiplies in the darkness of the closet (that is, if you can get the closet door closed). We are not hoarders by any sense of the term...having moved countless times in our ~29 year marriage is a great solution to accumulation of "stuff". Once you have packed and sorted your possessions 20 times or more, it really culls out the clutter. Closets, however, still are an issue. I have clothes that I tried on and didn't want to wear, shoes, handbags, tapes (yes, I still have cassette tapes I never play), CD's....you get the picture. It seems that the addition of baby clothes, toys and the remnants of our daughter's possessions finally put the issue over the top. You see, when my closets are cluttered, I feel as though I am leading a secret life. My house may be tidy on the surface, but there is hidden clutter that no-one sees.
In my time off these past months, between naps, I have been tackling the closet issue. Little by little the clutter has been removed; thrown away or put in the hands of someone who would use it (I was told once that having things and never using them is the worst form of materialism). The remaining items are basically organized, categorized, and available if needed.
I couldn't help but make the connection of my hidden clutter in the closets and the hidden clutter we store in our personal lives. When we have hidden clutter in our emotional and spiritual lives, how does it impact our overall sense of ourselves? It has been my experience that we are far less successful at hiding our emotional clutter than we would like to believe. I guess it is harder to keep the closet door closed on our emotional clutter; it seems to seep out the cracks too often.
God's solution for sin is immediate. That was done at the cross and is a free gift for us all. His solution for cleansing of the sin nature is immediate as well; His sanctifying power can provide us with His Spirit to give us the tools to live a life free from sin. The scars of our former lives, however, often remain. Gradually, as God opens each closet door, you have the opportunity to sort through the clutter with Him, deciding what to keep, what to throw away, and what to allow Him to renew in His image for the furtherance of His kingdom (you see, some scars can become beautiful testimonies of His power and glory, if you allow Him to use them).
So, if you come to my house, you are welcome to look in my closets...look under the beds, too! Nothing is hiding there. And if you choose to look within the hidden closets of my soul, you will see God and me sorting...making progress...and organizing the clutter there for use in the kingdom.
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