Clutter

"If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." - 1 John 1:9

I have been struggling for the past few weeks with a problem that we have in our house. The problem is clutter. We clean ,we really do, but stuff still seems to creep in and the next thing I know I look around and it is everywhere and it is overwhelming. The clutter takeover seems to happen so easily. One minute the house is clean and the next minute every counter surface is covered in papers, kid's agendas, artwork, school notes, church bulletins, grocery lists, books etc. And all this stuff has me fantasizing that somehow the doorbell will ring and it will be the reality TV show Clean Sweep and their crew coming to deal with all the mess so I don't have to. They make it look so easy.

I looked up the definition of clutter and it said the following:
A confused or disordered state or collection; a jumble.
A confused noise; a clatter.
To fill or spread over in a disorderly manner.
To make disorderly or hard to use by filling or covering with objects.


Now this definition started me thinking not just about my house but about my head and my heart. Do you ever have those times where it sounds like there is noise in your head and you just can't think? Or you know you should have a more Godly reaction to something but you don't. Do you think that is because we let our heads and our hearts get filled up with clutter instead of His truth? I have been contemplating that and especially the part of the definition that says clutter is "to make disorderly or hard to use but filling or covering with objects". I have been convicted about how I let my heart get cluttered. I don't mean to do it but it is like my house and it starts with one little thing out of place.

I am going to take a lesson from my stairs. Often something gets put on the stairs instead of being put away properly. Maybe it is book or small bag. It sits on one of the steps and is not really in the way and we see it as we walk up and down the stairs but we don't take the time to deal with it properly. After a while we start not to see it and it becomes like a part of stairs, something that is just there. Then something else gets dumped beside it. We don't take the time to move this either and so by this time the stairs out starting to look like more of a storage unit instead of stairs. Eventually, there is so much stuff on the stairs that it is hard to walk up and down them making the purpose that they were originally created for useless.

I don't want my life to be too messy. I don't want my true purpose to be crowded out. I don't want to become useless. I am off to clean out some clutter.

The Reminder in the Warmth of Spring

"The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, "Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy!...Moses immediately threw himself to the ground and worshiped."

- Exodus 34:6,8

The question has been heard throughout our house almost everyday this winter. "Is everyone sure they have gone to the bathroom?" "Yes, Mom" comes the answer of exasperated children. To which I reply, "Okay, but if you get all your stuff on and then you have to go, you have to take it all off again and we will never get there!" And with that I start the checklist. "Everyone needs snow pants, boots, ski jackets, gloves, if they are wet you need another pair, (honestly you have to specify these things), hats, scarves and don't forget to pack your shoes!" Getting five kids out of the house bundled up and all looking like the Michelin man so that they don't freeze to death is quite a feat.

This past weekend, we got a reminder of what is just around the corner. As I stepped out into the fresh morning air on Saturday I was greeted with the sunny warmth of bright sunshine. No need to be bundled up in protection from the elements. The feeling of nature's heat began to creep through my body and I took a slow, deep breath. It is hard to put into words that first touch of spring but it was like I could feel again. The thaw had begun and it reminded me of the first time that I began to know God for who He really was. I think lots of people know about God just like we know about spring. The nightly news can tell us spring is coming, schools can teach us all about the season of spring itself but until we walk out our door and experience the season for ourselves can we ever really know?


I believe Jesus is the same. You can read about Him, friends can tell you about Him, you can actually know all there is to know but until you experience that first taste, that first touch that enters your heart like nothing I am able to describe, you are clueless as to who He really is. For those of you who are still searching, I would encourage you to not just read or listen to anybody's word about Him but read His word about what He says about himself. Do you ever really know what the water in the pool is like unless you get in yourself? Pray and ask Him about His promises "I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me" Proverbs 8:17 and "Ask, and it will given to you: seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7 Jump in and experience Jesus for yourself.

For those of you who have given your life to him, close your eyes for a moment and think back to that first time that you really realized who Jesus was. Remember the moment that the Lord of the Universe entered your heart and changed the way that you would experience Him forever. Then, just like Moses fall down and worship.

The Mia Bird in My House

"The Voice of Christ: My child this is the way you must speak on every occasion: "Lord if it be pleasing to You, so be it." - Imitation of Christ by Thomas A Kempis

My daughter Trinity Joy loves to talk on the phone. At two and half she is what you would call a chatty Cathy. She can be thoroughly engrossed in a toy or game and not paying any attention to what I am doing until I get on the phone in another room. All of a sudden she is right there beside me asking, "Who is on the phone?" Trying to ignore her inquiries does not work. She is only more insistent on knowing who the person on the end of the phone is. If it is someone that she knows her sweet face breaks into a big smile and she says, "I want to talk to Gramma," or Cheri or any of my other friends that she considers her friends. If I say not right now she will ask, "When?" If I say in a minute she will wait patiently or not so patiently depending on her mood and her ability to listen. The other day she was talking on the phone and I tried to say "Okay it is time to say good-bye". Instead of complying and handing me the phone she ran away. I walked after her and she hid behind the counter, cordless phone still in hand. "No, stop annoying me." she said. Ouch, that hurt. Where would she have heard that? As I thought about it I started to get this sinking feeling that it was probably me. I can make all sorts of excuses like some days I am tired or maybe she misunderstood but the reality is that I am sure I have said it and she listens and repeats what I say. She is constantly learning from me, both the good things and the....well not so good. It was a powerful reminder that I need to always remember that I am influencing her character and in order to do that well I need to be imitating Christ.