Day Two - 40 Days of Decluttering Challenge
A great tool that I have used many times through the Lenten Season is a devotional book called "Ashes to Fire" There are three rotating years. This year the focus is on Year "A"; however, I miscounted and pulled Year "B" - so with the help of my friend Lorragenia, and her daily musings on our church FaceBook page, if you'd like to follow along, we are going through with Year "B". Such rebels. She always has great insights and is not overly preachy. I always say we share a brain - she has the better, more logical half. I have the impulsive, regret what I say half.
Today's opening prayer is perfect for the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge! It says, "in my passage in this world, do not let my heart become its slave." Wow! This is right where I live. The other day my friend Terry and I (we both are into embroidering right now) how we love our machines and they work wonderfully, but how we just aren't satisfied and want the newest, latest, and greatest. It doesn't have to be about embroidery machines, but about anything. It's become very easy, especially in today's society, to focus on the things I don't have rather than be grateful for the things I do have. I can tend to take it for granted that my fridge is full, I have a nice car, nice home, etc. It becomes easy to either be complacent or to play the "if only...." game.
As I type that, I realize how utterly lucky (and I've stopped using the word blessed - a different post for a different day) and fortuitous we are that we can afford material objects. How also very elitist of me to take it for granted as well - like it's no big deal. It is a big deal - and when we forget that - we do become its slave.
This time during Lent is to refocus and give up small things that help me to reflect on Christ's sacrifice, but also be able to reach out and enrich someone else's life who may not have the luxuries that I am able to enjoy. I don't mean that in a haughty way, but in a very humble way. I've often talked about growing up poor, but I never had to worry about if I was going to be hungry or if I would have a place to sleep. Yes, we depended on the kindness of people at church to pay for camp expenses, sometimes groceries, but we always had a nice clean place to live and the necessities. My family may have been working class poor, but we weren't so poor that we worried about a roof over our head or food on the table. We were better off than many others, and no matter how tight things were in our home, it was instilled in us that we had plenty and because of that, we were to help others who needed it. I am so grateful for those life lessons taught to me when I was youngster.
Today's passage of scripture that I read in my devotional was again from Joel and these verses really spoke to me:
Joel 2:12-14 NLT (Italics mine)
Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. 14 Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine
As I come before God during this time of Lent, and not only draw closer to him - but attempt to rid myself of all that clutters my life - whether it be in my mind, my habits, my materialism, etc. - I realized how much I take God's view for granted (verse 13b). I take it for granted, and in many ways expect it - so it becomes a license for careless living so to speak. How oftentimes do we do this - we know God loves us, we know He's up there - so we become ambivalent in what is expected of us - so we do get caught up in cluttering up our lives - materially, figuratively, spiritually, etc. We forget that there is something expected of us to receive His love to live in His blessing.
So, the end of 14 - "Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine". As I clear my mind of the clutter and all that has gotten in the way of true fellowship with God, open up my heart, and focus on Him and not on everything else; I am able to offer up the tangible physical items in my life that just sit and gather dust. The objects that can give someone else joy, happiness, and more importantly fulfill a need.
As I stated earlier, I never had to worry about a place to live or where I was going to sleep at night. For so many women and children (men, too - but for today I am focussing on women and children), they don't have this luxury. Many times, women are in marriages/relationships of abuse, and are unable to leave because they have children, no job, no place to go. When they do leave, they oftentimes leave with just the clothes on their back. Something as simple as having a warm blanket, a pillow is welcome.
I looked around my newly decorated craft room and saw that I had so much fabric, batting, etc. that I don't need and is just taking up space. Today I took a beginning quilting class, but when I registered for the class, I learned about a group that makes pillows and blankets for abused women shelters across the Houston area. When these women with their children come to the shelters, this group gives each member of the family their own blanket and pillow to have. So two giant trash bags found their way with me to the quilting class along with a sign up to spend Thursdays for four hours for the next month sewing blankets, pillows, and pillowcases to give to the local women's shelters.
It's more than cleaning up/decluttering the house, but cleaning up/decluttering me.
Day Two Challenge Complete!! Please feel free to leave a comment or two on what you are decluttering and working on during this Lenten Season. I'm anxious in hearing about it!
1. Roomba
2. Smart Living Steam Jr
3. Spring Cleaning Essentials Oils
