I really love to have things clean and organized. As you can see from the picture of my kitchen cupboard above, this is not always my reality! One of the things that holds me back from an organizing project is that I know in order to clean up a mess, I have to make a bigger mess first. I can end up going a long time just stuffing things back into an overflowing cupboard or closet and pushing the door shut. I have to face the fact that when I finally make the time to deep clean and organize it is going to look a lot worse before it gets better. It can be humbling too, to pull things out that I have squirreled away, “just in case,” that have actually not been doing me any good, just taking up space.
Once again it is amazing how physical aspects of life mirror inner, emotional aspects. I have done this very thing emotionally, many times throughout my life. I stuff a bunch of hurts into a little cupboard of my heart. A lot of times I don’t even really know what’s in there, but I just keep pushing that door closed. It is not always fear that keeps me from looking at these things. The busyness of life, laziness, tiredness can all keep me paralyzed. Also, as with my kitchen cupboard, I know things will get messy before they get better!
I can see God doing the same thing in the circumstances of life. Every now and then He seems to take a part of my life and make what looks like a mess to me. If I choose to trust Him, and lean into Him during these times, on the other side I see how He was really doing some deep cleaning in a part of my soul.
After I finally clean out a cupboard or closet I have such a feeling of accomplishment. I no longer avoid opening the door, instead I get happy when I need to get an item out of the newly organized space. When I make it through one of God’s cleaning sprees, I feel the same way. The issue I had stuffed way down deep is no longer as painful or scary. I feel a new sense of freedom in that area of my life.
I pray that you and I will continue to be brave and allow God to keep showing us areas of ourselves that He wants to heal and that when we come out on the other side we will have a deeper understanding of God’s grace.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
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