Reflections 26th September 2010 – Clutter, Rubbish and Too Much Paper

My office desk is a mess…. I am drowning in paper! Advertising for this, instructions for that, old sermons, invitations, letters, cards, pew bulletins, diocesan canons etc… It is time to sort out the clutter, empty the rubbish and file away things that really need to be retained.

I was doing fine in this department ‘till about three weeks ago when I had a couple of trips away and things just began to pile up. Then, as one thing piled on top of another, it seemed impossible to find a starting point for the clean up.

You know, spiritually, we can be a bit like that as well. Week by week we take in the word of God through our bible reading and church services, we receive a good lesson from life, a loving gesture, then a painful hurt, a negative word and an unkind comment.

There is exhaustion, someone offers a word of encouragement, or kindly advice, and then comes sadness, illness and grief, soothed with prayer and forgiveness and the word of God.

Life events happen so quickly that we barely have the chance to deal with one before the next event (positive or challenging) impacts on us. Before we know it we feel messed up and confused. We are in much the same state as my paper covered desk!

And, just as the paper on my desk needs sorting so, the clutter of life needs sorting. The thing is, if we leave it all jumbled together, we run the risk of losing sight of what is really valuable.

Every so often we need to do a Spiritual Spring Clean. We may need to let go of old hurts, forgive past wrongs, and replace broken, unfulfilled dreams with fresh and hopeful plans. At such times it is wise to begin with prayer, asking God for guidance, then carefully begin to sort the clutter into piles… separating out the “things” which we find life giving from those that are destructive of ourselves, and others, and our relationship with God. Once we have completed the sorting it is much easier to deal with what is destructive or unproductive, one thing at a time, without losing or destroying what is valuable.

May your “Spring Cleaning” unearth many forgotten valuables.

Many Blessings

Reverend Shan