Then you'll know where we're going here. You may even decide you can skip this because, a) You already get it that clutter if of the Devil, or b) You don't want to get it at all, and you're just fine with all your devil-worship and stuff.
I know. Sounds extreme. But really, you haven't seen my garage. The devil may live in there. But if he does, he'd be hard to find.
Lazarus would have spent a significant amount of his new-found life the first month or so getting rid of clutter. The stuff in his closets. The junk in his garage. The mountain in his yard. The amazing gathering of seemingly inconsequential crap in that one drawer by the phone that holds keys that don't work, batteries that don't fit, coins that jumped from my pockets, bent paperclips, rubber bands, pens that don't have ink, a grocery list from 1987, the business card of a guy who wanted to interest me in some investments and I thought, Hey, maybe someday! and I stowed the card but I no longer have any money to invest because of all the junk I've bought since then.
Wait, we were talking about Lazarus! When did this get so personal?!
Here is what I surmise: Once you're on the other side of that tombstone, all the junk doesn't add up to much. It may have before -- in fact, it may have been your whole life. But now that your whole life has been spent, and a new one has taken its place, all that clutter just tends to muck things up and make life go slower. And if there's one thing you don't want in your new life, it's to be weighed down by a bunch of junk.
The Lazzie thing to do is to start right away and clear it out. Here are some places to begin. Pick one. You may need some help. And a counselor who specializes in hoarding:
Kitchen
Garage
Bedroom closet
Hall closet
Pantry
Basement
Crawl space
Car trunk
Attic
Friends
Work
Hobbies
Habits
Thoughts
Heartaches
OK. So I already posted a picture of a closet I cleaned out. I bared my soul to all of you! Now it's your turn. Show us a picture. Time to de-clutter your life. Call the refuse trucks and let's get started.
Suggested Scripture For Today: Hebrews 12:1-2
Suggested Ideas:
Pick a drawer and clean it out. You'll be surprised how good it feels.
Do a de-clutter of your email inbox.
Take a look at your Facebook friend list and make some decisions.
Walk through your house on a thanksgiving journey, thanking God for each thing by name. This will help in two ways: it will stimulate your gratitude, and it will clarify your real need for any more stuff.
Question of the Day: Did Lazarus have enemies after his resurrection? Why? Why not? What would he have done about them?
It's been a painful 24 hours because of the Boston tragedy. It gives us another perspective on the shortness of life and the value of getting things straight. I'm sure you have already, but pray for the victims and perpetrators again.
Grace and peace,
Ron
Decluttering... I need to do this in so many rooms of my house including my own room. It has to begin one drawer at a time, so that's just what I did - the "junk" drawer in my kitchen. I have to tackle this drawer once or twice a year because it just collects "junk". Things people don't know what do with go into this drawer. All manner of things...
Today I found batteries of all sizes, birthday candles, pennies, screws, a screwdriver, two pairs of scissors, picture hanging hardware, pressure slides from two paintings, a handful of miscellaneous items that I have no idea what they are, a hammer, a pair of pliers, two tape measures, nails, scotch tape, a clothespin and a fairly big ball of twine.
I took stock in all these things and had to chuckle at the myriad of fun in the drawer. It makes me so happy to see the life in that drawer. The birthdays that are represented because I love my family members so much; the evidence of things that hang on walls which means I have walls on which to hang things and "things" to hang! The riches, every penny counts! The clothespin means I have clothes that I have hung on hangars that needed that clothespin at one time. This probably means I shared what ever item that was with someone else and that makes me happy. I have all my skirts hanging right now so I've evidently given this one away. Batteries mean that I've had things that need batteries to function - the tv remote, the remotes for the game consoles, board games - and that means I've had something to help occupy my time or someone else's too but it also means I've been blessed enough to have those things. Not every one has a television or a game console or even a board game!
Twine means I've used it to cook a stuffed loin or mailed a package to someone. Both of those things bring me joy to know that I've shared my things or my food with others. Scissors and tape help me to think of the packages I've wrapped for birthdays and holidays and the excitement that also brings to me and to others. I LOVE giving a gift. It makes me so happy to give someone something they really want or don't expect. What fun!
All in all, even though I didn't throw anything away (how can you throw away a miscellaneous item you're not even sure what it is?) I did put everything in it's rightful place. Which also made me happy!
Today I found batteries of all sizes, birthday candles, pennies, screws, a screwdriver, two pairs of scissors, picture hanging hardware, pressure slides from two paintings, a handful of miscellaneous items that I have no idea what they are, a hammer, a pair of pliers, two tape measures, nails, scotch tape, a clothespin and a fairly big ball of twine.
I took stock in all these things and had to chuckle at the myriad of fun in the drawer. It makes me so happy to see the life in that drawer. The birthdays that are represented because I love my family members so much; the evidence of things that hang on walls which means I have walls on which to hang things and "things" to hang! The riches, every penny counts! The clothespin means I have clothes that I have hung on hangars that needed that clothespin at one time. This probably means I shared what ever item that was with someone else and that makes me happy. I have all my skirts hanging right now so I've evidently given this one away. Batteries mean that I've had things that need batteries to function - the tv remote, the remotes for the game consoles, board games - and that means I've had something to help occupy my time or someone else's too but it also means I've been blessed enough to have those things. Not every one has a television or a game console or even a board game!
Twine means I've used it to cook a stuffed loin or mailed a package to someone. Both of those things bring me joy to know that I've shared my things or my food with others. Scissors and tape help me to think of the packages I've wrapped for birthdays and holidays and the excitement that also brings to me and to others. I LOVE giving a gift. It makes me so happy to give someone something they really want or don't expect. What fun!
All in all, even though I didn't throw anything away (how can you throw away a miscellaneous item you're not even sure what it is?) I did put everything in it's rightful place. Which also made me happy!
I think if Lazarus had had a junk drawer, he would have enjoyed going through it and thinking of the blessings that are represented within. What a smile he would have worn as he gave thanks for all those little items!'
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