Purging!

There has been a massive purging going on in the Abbott household.  It was just time. Not that our house was disorganized. There was just stuff that needed to be dealt with as we prepare for a fall houseguest. So, the purge fest began! We cleaned out books, files, closets, drawers, and even the pantry. The trash bin and Goodwill were our constant friends.

Things looked pretty chaotic during the purging, but as time went on, the better it felt and looked! Things are now looking really good and it’s great to reclaim so much space. I didn’t realize how badly our house needed a purging!

Fall is just around the corner. It’s a great time to deal with our own clutter. Sometimes are lives and hearts can be so cluttered! We can be so busy and running in so many different directions that we can’t even think straight! Our minds can become scattered, disorganized, cluttered… just like my house. Clutter of the soul.

Looking at our own clutter is not easy. We’d prefer to stuff down the ugly, not-so-nice things about ourselves. We prefer to hide from others our fears, insecurities and pain. It’s so much easier to put on business casual, slap a smile on our face and go conquer the world with our charm. 

The Psalmist was a pretty open dude when he prayed “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-25) David, the writer of this Psalm, knew what it meant to be pure before the Lord. He also knew what it was like to hide his sin before God. It was a pretty bold move to ask God to take a look at his heart….. a place of clutter.

I don’t know about you but I long for a heart and mind that is at rest. I want beauty and cleanliness in every nook and cranny of my heart. I know what it’s like to have a heart filled with chaos and clutter and it’s not pretty.

Use this change of seasons to do a personal inventory of your own heart. Are there areas of your life that you need to take a good, hard look at? God knows all of your stuff and clutter and chooses to love you anyway, so why hide from Him? He is always hoping that you will confess and repent of your sins and draw near to Him. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA Of Greater San Antonio.PUrging