Cluttered Spaces.

Do you ever just get an itch to clean out your entire house? I’m not talking just shuffling the clutter around and giving yourself the impression that everything is neat except it’s all just shoved in various drawers. (It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me.)

I got home from Christmas break and said no more. It’s time to clean out.

I heard this song the other day called “Spring Cleaning” by Maddie and Tae and it’s about them cleaning out the skeletons in their closets. Maybe having that on repeat lately inspired me to take a deep dive into my house. Here’s the thing about me though: I love to dream big and also potentially fail big. I have big ideas and then I may or may not get overwhelmed and not see them through til the end.

I wouldn’t allow that to happen this time. I made a day by day break down of my house cleaning schedule.

First up, my bathroom. I opened up the cabinets underneath my sink to all sorts of clutter. Goodbye expired mouth wash. Why do I have 20 travel sized Vaselines? And where did they come from? I sat on the floor and wondered, “Am I a hoarder?”

I’m now even more motivated to clean out in hopes that you don’t see me on an episode of that TLC show about hoarders.

And yes, maybe I’m exaggerating. It wasn’t that bad. But it was enough for me to feel stressed by what I saw in front of me.

Do you ever feel anxiety rise in your heart as you stare at a mountain before you? Whether it’s your closet, work, managing a crew of kids, whatever fills your days.

I finished my bathroom and moved on to my closet. Is it really time to give away that shirt I bought freshman year of college that I haven’t worn in 5 years but swear I’ll have something to wear it to so soon?

To the Goodwill bag it goes.

Parting with clothes pained me, but as soon as I started I couldn’t stop. Next thing I knew, I had dozens of hangers laying on the floor and two bags of clothing filled to the brim.

Cluttered space fills my heart too. The news feels heavy and hard to keep up with. We are at a point in life where humans know more humans than ever before thanks to the digital age. Studies show that each of us has the ability to manage about 150 social relationships.

According to the theory, your tightest, inner circle has just five people – loved ones. That’s followed by of 15 good friends, 50 friends, 150 meaningful contacts, 500 acquaintances and 1500 people you can recognize.

If you feel like you can’t keep up, it might be because your soul wasn’t meant for so much information. 5 meaningful loved ones counts for a whole lot more than 2500 Facebook friends.

To be known, fully known by a friend or family member is just a taste of what it feels to be known by God.

Get rid of the clutter.

I can’t tell you what that means for you, but I know what it means for me. It means not feeling like I need to fill every night with plans with a different friend. It means not continually investing in friendships that feel too one-sided. It means not hanging on to every last piece of clothing I’ve had since high school.

Remove what isn’t serving you. I have to remind myself that I can’t accomplish my way out of anxiety. Free up space in your heart for God to work, then you’ll see Him move in ways You could never imagine.

xo,

msv