Thursday, December 29, 2011

Purging

Tonight Ayla and I  cleaned out her bedroom.  We purged of old toys and organized the left overs and added in the new Christmas gifts.



Unlike me, Ayla has no problem making room for the new and saying good bye to the old. 

 On more than one occasion this evening I had to ask her over again if she was sure that she didn't want to hold on to a certain item.  I mean what if she wanted it on a rainy day?  Or even worse, what if she regretted making a quick decision to toss a trinket that could one day be a treasure?

If she were at all like her mama, she would be torn over parting with her belongings and be frazzled and worried about where she was going to stash them making sure it was somewhere hidden like a drawer or closet that could be pushed shut tight in a crunch situation like unexpected guests...

After my sweet husband took down the donation bags to the garage for me, I decided to dust the cobwebs out of the corners of the ceilings and off of the overhead lights.  A simple task I haven't tackled in (ahem....) 4 years!  

And as I was ridding my high corners of sticky cobwebs an all too familiar section of scripture popped into this not-so-natural-blonde head of mine...

Matthew 6:19-21

    19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


This scripture has been in my head also because...

In October we came home from a hockey weekend away and noticed quite a few moths in our house.  Over the next few weeks they multiplied and were EVERYWHERE!!!  We got some moth traps and I cleaned out my cupboards but every night we would continue to see them flying around.  I finally got some moth balls and that seemed to help. (Thank you God, even if the smell of mothballs is HORRIFIC!!!)   

I continued to clean out corners...

And it dawned on me that...

I want to hold on to this comfortable life of mine all too often grasping at empty pleasures that I stash away and hide, shoving in stuffed drawers and closets busting at the seams when I feel the presence of God show up unexpectedly in my life.

And what am I holding onto?  This life and all of it's hoarding and stashing are just diversions and obstacles that seem to trip me up constantly.   Whether I am pushing my pride in a corner or hiding a habit in the closet.  I need to purge and say good bye to certain things that I am hoarding.  I need to tie them up tight in a garbage bag and donate them right at the feet of the only One in whom there is true freedom!  

Because there are new mercies waiting to fill up all of that empty space that has been freed up in the deep dark closets of my soul!

As this year comes to a close and a new one is approaching I hope to cling hard and fast to the unfailing love of a God who never gives up on anyone but continually shows up in the shadows and corners of each and every life flooding His never-ending light into every nook and cranny and exposing only Himself and the grace that He alone offers!






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