So much clutter. Everywhere is clutter. Random papers, books, pens, jackets…just stuff. I’m quickly approaching my one year anniversary as a homeowner — for the third time. Something that I didn’t think I would ever do again, I rather like the ability to just ‘go’ (the March gypsy blood). But I digress…last week I was looking around my house and it was starting to feel bleh. I had random stuff places, my junk drawer was getting way to junky, and I had stuff that had sat in my window sill since moving in because I was “going to decide what to do with it later”. Later came.
When I moved to St Louis I got rid of so much clutter. If I hadn’t used it, worn it, or looked at it since living in what was then my current house I got rid of it. When arriving to St Louis my life fit into a two bedroom apartment. Do I have a few totes in the closet? Of course, I have my grandma’s china that I inherited and some stuffed animals that I want to keep but not display. When I moved from my apartment to my condo, I again got rid of clutter — I lived there for almost two years. It was time to make sure that I didn’t allow my contentness (I know not a word, but bear with me) of my current situation to allow stuff to start stacking up. I cleaned the junk drawer, went through my closet and bookshelves and headed to Good Will.
Is it my OCD (I may or may not have a small touch of it — inherited from my dad); the fact that in all the crazy right now in the world I can control what my house looks like — not much else but I can control my house; or the fact that when you let clutter in around you it also ends up inside of you?
Often when I get to work I have to clean the desk area off of where I am working, to me it allows me to have a more peaceful start to the day when there isn’t clutter everywhere. I feel that the same goes for home life. When things are in order, it is more peaceful and allows one to ‘be’ when they are at home. It’s a place of rejuvenation and relaxation when the mind can be blank and recharge, and not be inundated from clutter all around.
Then the thought occurred to me that the same goes with our life. Sometimes one collects clutter in their life — emotionally, spiritually, mentally. We pick stuff up along the road as we travel through this thing called life, and sometimes it takes up space of what is good — peace, love, joy. I have allowed the chaos of the past eight months to start cluttering up my mind. Work has a whole new aspect now, and how we perform our duties has altered. It makes on weary. My extracurricular activities of exploring new restaurants and old structures around the city (mainly churches) has been greatly altered over the past eight months. It makes one weary. Mask have become part of my wardrobe, though I try to stick to activities outside and away from people so I can have freedom from one while not at work. Yet, it makes one weary. Clutter.
It’s time to focus on that which is good and acceptable. Philippians 4:8, tells us to think on things of virtue, that are pure and lovely. Ephesians 4:31-32, tells us to “let all bitterness, wrath, anger and clamour be put away” and that we should “be kind, tender hearted, and forgiving”. If we don’t allow the clutter to take up space in our minds, then we will be free to allow the peace and joy in, which will then let only peace and joy flow out. Is it as simple as filling bags of stuff and going to Good Will? Basically. We can pray and take our ‘clutter’ to God, all the stuff that makes us weary He is willing to off load for us. Do I need to be more vigilant in this? Yes. It’s time to get rid of some of life’s clutter…
Until later…stay safe my friends.
ERM