Importance of Purging
8:20 AMHeatherI know many of us feel there is a black hole in our houses that suck up an assortment of socks and other missing items. In a history making discovery, I believe I have found the black hole of my household.
Indeed, that, my friends, is a black mark on my usually great record of organization. In my defense, let me remind you that I spent 5 months of this year with a neck that didn't function AND I had my three little angels home all summer. Thus, you see, the current state of affairs in our tomato closet. Oh--and no, this isn't where we keep tomatoes. Confusing, I know. But, when we moved in 3 years ago, our preschool daughter thought it important to note that when we have a tomato warning, we must all get into this closet under the stairs. And, yes, she has long ago corrected herself to call them tornados--but it's so cute the family can't let go of the old Caris-ism.
My mission today? Besides lunch with a friend since high school--is to do something about this catastrophe. Every time I open the door to this closet, I make some statement about the pit of despair that this space has become. It makes me nuts to see this chaos, causing great distress in my mind.
And true confessions time--I feel that all too often, my heart and mind look a lot like this. Chaotic, messy and cluttered. I hang on to old wounds, bad memories, fears, anxieties, statements I perceive as critical, lies and deceit about my self-worth. I let them crowd out the freedom and space that comes from the TRUTH of who I am in Christ. This clutter allows little room for such truths to take root. Just as this closet causes me distress to just look at it--my cluttered heart and mind cause distress. I walk through each day, dragging the load of this chaos. Life more abundant in Christ? There's no room for such things.
INTENTIONAL challenge: Enough is enough. Just as I have declared that TODAY is the THE day to purge, sort and dispose of unnecessary clutter in this tomato closet--today is the day to deal with my mental and heart clutter. Today is the day to hand over my burdens to God's huge hands and leave them there. Today is the day to release my anxieties, wounds and baggage to Him, wrestling that through one item at a time. Today is the day to say, "Lord, take this specific hurt, take this specific worry, take this specific lie--and replace it with your truth." Today is the day to deal with my true clutter:
28 “Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you and
learn from me, for I am gentle
and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Abba, help me recognize each bit of my burden and release it to you--help me to hand it over completely, and purge it from me. Show up BIG here, Lord, and give me your rest.
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