Spring is approaching and along with that event comes the ritual of spring cleaning. Over the long and cold winter we tend to acquire piles of things that get thrown into the basement or garage. I'm not a pack-rat but I do have a lot of materials that I save to do projects and I'm still in the process of organizing my home after a cross country move. There are pieces of memorabilia from my past along with items of value and gifts from loved ones. There just is not enough room to have everything displayed so some of it must be stowed away. I can't help but notice my process as I secure my belongings. The items that are replaceable get rolled up in paper and stacked quickly in a regular box yet the belongings that are more unique and priceless to me are carefully bubble wrapped and gently placed into a sturdier box. What we treasure is handled with much more care.
Often as I go through this process I am reminded that my heart also needs an inventory. As we go through our busy lives we tend to let many unnecessary and unhealthy things accumulate in our hearts. Maybe we have replaced some of our precious time with God with too much mindless t.v. or our diets have allowed food to replace health, honesty and repair of our body and souls. I know that the winter catapults me into hibernation rather than going out and serving others. Bad habits and mindlessness become my companions as I sloth through my days.
Spring is a time of hope, repair, openness and change! There is nothing like that first warm day when the birds are singing, the air is fresh and all of nature seems alive to get us out of our funk. I was telling my grand-daughter and sister-in-law the other day (using the Internet and the storage cloud as examples), that we need to organize all that stuff in our lives that is floating aimlessly around in our minds. All of it seems so fragmented just hovering in our thoughts and confusing us everyday, causing us to feel overwhelmed as to where to start. Just pull one thing at a time down onto your desktop and deal with just that. One thing at a time. My saying is, "It's better to do something small than nothing at all." One task that is dealt with each week is 52 things addressed and taken care of each year.
Some of the things up in our "cloud" can be resolved, some thrown out and some can be swaddled in bubble wrap and stored for another day. Take those things which are precious and valuable to your heart and protect them. All the other things are just tasks and garbage that either need to be addressed or deleted. Our hearts, souls and bodies are valuable to God so they need to be treated with respect. Take some time this Spring to not only busy yourself with cleaning your home... but to pull away in some quiet moments to let God clean out your spiritual house. Nothing feels better than freedom! Freedom from all the unnecessary "things" that clutter our lives.
Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven where moth and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
God bubble wraps our hearts and minds with His peace because they are precious to Him.
Often as I go through this process I am reminded that my heart also needs an inventory. As we go through our busy lives we tend to let many unnecessary and unhealthy things accumulate in our hearts. Maybe we have replaced some of our precious time with God with too much mindless t.v. or our diets have allowed food to replace health, honesty and repair of our body and souls. I know that the winter catapults me into hibernation rather than going out and serving others. Bad habits and mindlessness become my companions as I sloth through my days.
Spring is a time of hope, repair, openness and change! There is nothing like that first warm day when the birds are singing, the air is fresh and all of nature seems alive to get us out of our funk. I was telling my grand-daughter and sister-in-law the other day (using the Internet and the storage cloud as examples), that we need to organize all that stuff in our lives that is floating aimlessly around in our minds. All of it seems so fragmented just hovering in our thoughts and confusing us everyday, causing us to feel overwhelmed as to where to start. Just pull one thing at a time down onto your desktop and deal with just that. One thing at a time. My saying is, "It's better to do something small than nothing at all." One task that is dealt with each week is 52 things addressed and taken care of each year.
Some of the things up in our "cloud" can be resolved, some thrown out and some can be swaddled in bubble wrap and stored for another day. Take those things which are precious and valuable to your heart and protect them. All the other things are just tasks and garbage that either need to be addressed or deleted. Our hearts, souls and bodies are valuable to God so they need to be treated with respect. Take some time this Spring to not only busy yourself with cleaning your home... but to pull away in some quiet moments to let God clean out your spiritual house. Nothing feels better than freedom! Freedom from all the unnecessary "things" that clutter our lives.
Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasure in Heaven where moth and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
God bubble wraps our hearts and minds with His peace because they are precious to Him.
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