The Chaos of Clutter

FYI – this isn’t really my clutter.

Does your life resemble this at times, mine sure does! Often 5 minutes after I have finished cleaning, I can turn around and find more clutter and mess than before I started cleaning…

I often wonder how much our earthly clutter resembles our spiritual clutter.

Clutter breeds clutter…

My life often feels cluttered with two small children and a rather small living area. We seem to have way too much furniture for our small space, even though we have recently had a clean out, you honestly wouldn't believe me unless you saw what we got rid of.

So dealing with my physical clutter is quite simple, somewhat time consuming but still relatively simple. Being the queen of clutter and disorganisation, I’m not going to tell you how to sort out your own clutter…

However, dealing with my spiritual clutter is another matter altogether. To begin with I need to work out why I am spiritually cluttered, what I have added to my relationship with Jesus that isn't necessary, albeit no doubt good. Have I placed expectations on my relationship that are unattainable on a regular basis; have I over-committed my time to things that are good and no doubt Godly? Have I been to focused on how much I read of my Bible rather than meditating on a few key verses each day? Do I spend too much time listening to what other people have to say about Jesus rather than spending quiet time with Him?

Don’t get me wrong all of this is good and even Godly, but the question I am trying to ask is, In my pursuit of godliness, have I left Jesus behind?

Have I forgotten what it is to spend time considering God’s transforming love? Am I more focused on my performance for him or what He has accomplished for me? At the end of each day do I have rest in my soul because of Him, or do I go to bed with guilt and a determination to do better tomorrow?

Is my life to cluttered to realise the reason I live? Am I to caught up in my own clutter to realise that God is bigger than me, and certainly bigger than my problem with clutter. God has created each of us for His purpose and will.

It’s time to de-clutter and re-energize for the year ahead, and the way to do that is spending time reading God’s great love story…

The journey within...

This year for me is about the journey not the end goal. 

I still have goals for this year, but instead of focusing all my energy on reaching my goals. I am going to spend more time focusing on the journey to my goals and what I learn along the way.

I want to openly accept any interruptions that may come my way and to choose to use them as necessary growth opportunities.

I have big dreams and big goals, and most years recently I have started the New Year with an extremely long list of goal/dreams, most of which by mid-year I have fallen short of and then spend the rest of the year trying to catch up.

This year I have decided to be different and have decided to work on only a couple of main goals/dreams so that they may hopefully become a reality even with all the anticipated interruptions.

As a wife and mother of two small children I am sure there will be many interruptions into 'my plans' for this year, I am also anticipating God's interruptions for me this year. 

I had anticipated writing my blog last night, however I was interrupted by my youngest who was inconsolably crying almost hysterically and demanding her mothers attention until she calmed sometime later. 

Which was a real attitude check for me, as all I wanted to do was to get her calm enough so I could go and write my blog. As the minutes passed, I realised that even though it was not a particularly pleasant time with my baby girl, it was a time where she needed me more. It was a time of cuddling and consoling that I will never have again. 

It was at that point that I realised I needed to focus my attention on her and make the most of some mother-daughter bonding time as someday soon she will be too big to sit on my lap and just cuddle. 

Needless to say I cherished every moment from that point on and even enjoyed a giggle or two once she was her happy self again, before putting her back to bed.

It made me realise how often we overlook just spending time in God's lap cuddling with him, obviously we can't physically do this, making the most of the precious minutes we have as we will never have them back again. 

Are we too busy for God's interruptions? 

I pray this year that we will cherish His interruptions as divine encounters with Him and to see them as something to look forward to with anticipation not dread.

May he grant you your heart's desire and fulfill all your plans! Psalms 20:4 ESV