Make Room for the New

I like to live a clutter free life. Clutter is a natural part of having a home, of course. So I accept it within limits. If it’s decorative and cute, it’s allowable. I recall many times, however, over the years where I would get fed up with the stuff. It just seemed like the clutter was growing and wouldn’t stop. So I’d go on a cleaning spree. For my bedroom, I’d take everything that I had and gather it in the center of the room. Then, I’d clean, toss, or put back. There never seemed to be anything quite as refreshing as that decluttered space.

...many times, however, over the years where I would get fed up with the stuff...

Having moved several times in my life, I’m acquainted with the experience of feeling the pressure of the knick knacks. I only truly noticed how much space they took up when it was time to move. Even as I think of the tiny knick knacks around my current home, I think, Where did all this stuff come from?! I’m not a hater of the “stuff”. In fact, I love them! I’ve recently discovered a love for tiny stuffed animals that I’m learning to control. 

But the same way we have a tendency to acquire “stuff” around our homes, is the same way we acquire it mentally and spiritually. Just like packing and needing to move, you may not notice all that stuff you are holding on to until it’s time to take inventory. The same way I used to do a deep clean of my rooms, I’ve found to be beneficial with my closet. I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world with clothing they haven’t worn in a really long time still taking up closet or bureau space. Like many of you, I’ve had that inner dialogue where I decide to hang on to something just in case or until I reach a goal weight or size. But I often look at my closet and decide that today is the day I downsize. If I haven’t worn it in a certain length of time, it’s time to go bless someone else!

While that may not be the strategy for purging our mental closet, we need to use a similar strategy. You can successfully deceive others but you can not deceive yourself or God. So start by being honest with you. What is that stressor, weight, worry, frustration, or whatever it is that you are holding onto? Really have an honest conversation between yourself and God about it and set out on a path to release it. If, like with my closet, I continue to hold on to all the “just in case”, I may not have room for anything new. My closet is always my go to here, because that’s what I set as my goal. If I’m loading up on hangers or storage tools because I’m buying so many things, then I need to start considering whether or not there are things I need to weed. Likewise, for me, if I’m struggling to sleep at night or losing my appetite, then I need to get to the source of that if the problem is a mental pressure.

So, I encourage you to take inventory often. Get to the root of some of the “stuff” that you are holding on to that may be cluttering up your mental bandwidth and taking up space unnecessarily. Just as we declutter our homes, it’s time to start purging ourselves of those things we are holding on to that we can not change. I often think of it like exchanging something with someone that is right in front of me. As an example I like to share, if I were to ask you to fix my cellphone or something that I’m holding, you can tackle it a lot smoother if I let it go. That’s what we need to do with the things that trouble us. Take it to Jesus and ask him to take care of it. But we have to release it.

Stay Sunny!

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