A De-cluttering Lent
I don’t know about you, but without thinking about it, my office space can quickly become overrun and unmanageable. The piles of papers seem to multiply overnight and the notes pop up in strange places so there is less and less space for me to use. And I know that without attention I easily lose wonderfully creative ideas somewhere. That usually continues until I finally pay attention, then once I get past the feeling of being overwhelmed I have to face the situation. Over time I have learned that when I get to that point, I just have to begin someplace and persist in choosing to keep up with that area until there is space again for work.
I see the season of Lent in much the same way. Without really thinking about it we so easily clutter up our lives with many things that just fill up our soul space. Sometimes it shows up on our calendars: we find ourselves running from one thing to another thing and then we have so many things that we think would be wonderful to do and before we know we have no time for friends, family, or God. Then other times we find our hearts overwhelmed with worries and fears that leave us tired and weary, so there is nothing left to even think about other people in our lives or to even begin to consider God’s presence.
So for me, Lent is about Making Space. We are offered the opportunity to stop and see how our lives have been filled with distractions and spiritual clutter that our souls are choked up with the weeds of the junk of the world around us. One meaning of salvation is that God by grace gives us room to move and freedom to live and grow. Yet, we must begin somewhere in responding to our soul messes. We cannot do it all at once nor can we do it all by ourselves, but in Lent we can make the choice to allow God’s Spirit to get started in clearing out the spiritual clutter.
So the Lenten question becomes “What clutters up my life leaving no room or energy to love God or to love my neighbor?” Take a look at your schedule, what can be dropped from our time line to allow you to spend time with family or in prayer? What about attention and focus. Multi-tasking is a myth that only keeps us always tired and worn out. Or if we can find the energy to do all those things, we are left with anxiety and stress that rob our spirits from being able to do anything with anyone. How about possessions: do the things in your life possess you and keep you from enjoying them because you are always worried that something might happen to them? Or maybe there is something else in your life that you recognize clutters your soul and mind leaving you with no time or space for God and all the blessings God offers us.
This Lent, let go of what gets in the way of your walk with God and be open to beholding the presence of God. All this is so you can be more free to live the compassion, the freedom, and the joy-filled lives that God comes to bring.