Over the last several weeks, I’ve been going through several closets, cabinets, and drawers. I’ve been removing things to donate and throw away. These are things that we don’t have much use for anymore, something that has been more than well-used, or other things that have only served a purpose of taking up space. At first, I’m highly motivated and ready to make a difference. But at some point, as I’m going through these spaces, I get tired. I wish that I wouldn’t have even started in the first place, but now there’s a mess that must be put back. So I remind myself that if I’ve put in all the energy to get everything out and start thinking about how we are using each item, then I talk myself into the importance of finishing what I’ve started. Finally, as I look at the renewed space, I’m both happy and proud that I pushed through. I’m glad that I made decisions to remove some items so that I can see more clearly the things that I need and want to use more often.
For a few of my spaces that I’ve organized in my house, I’ve decided to add a few new organizer pieces to make a better use of the space. Adding just a few items like these have really made a difference. They have brought a little more structure to following through with putting things back where they should go. They have helped to keep the organization to continue longer. This shows me the importance of not only removing things from our life, but to add the right things too. So not only do we give up bad habits, but we should add opportunities to replace that time or those thoughts with something new and better. To grow in our faith, we should spend time with God in prayer, study scripture, and share kindness to those around us.
Lent can be a time like this in our lives. We begin by thinking of the things that might need to be removed from our life. And while we may start with some energy towards making these changes, at some point, it gets challenging to push through. We may even feel like we’ve made a bigger mess as we’ve pulled out things that were pushed deep inside. We don’t really want to deal with these things. But God is there with us. He reminds us that it is important to finish what we’ve started.
What do you need to clean up and remove? Has your life become too full or cluttered? Are there behaviors or attitudes that would be better to remove? Are there regrets or hurts that are taking up space in your soul? Don’t forget that God is there. He helps to clean up the mess. He gives us wisdom to guide us, courage to move forward, and strength to forgive.
Amy Givens, Director of Youth Ministry
