If you don't have a junk drawer at home, you can stop reading here and I'll see you next week. But if you DO have a junk drawer--like 99% of the people I know--then please keep reading!
An angel stayed late after church this week, to help put the Christmas decorations away. It was nice to spend time together doing some gentle volunteering. And we soon discovered how much enjoyment we both got from organizing and putting things away.
Later that night, I was thinking about it and realized the entire afternoon felt like a spiritual practice. It was simple really. We took the lights and ornaments off the tree. We gathered all the figurines and candle holders. We piled up all the ribbon and bows. And then, we were faced with a big ole' messy pile of Christmas.
And then, we were faced with a big ole' messy pile of Christmas.
Life is like this, sometimes. We are faced with a big ole' messy pile of "something." That something might be a physical mess, like a messy junk drawer with broken pencils, expired batteries and 5 year's worth of thin blue elastics saved from green onions. (Been there, done that!) Or the 'something' could be a big ole' messy brain tangle, like trying to do your taxes without a calculator. (Been there, done that too!)
Our interior lives can be like this also.
Our interior lives can be like this also. A messy heart-and-soul situation of tangled thoughts, feelings and intuition around a decision, a relationship, a regret, a past experience, or some other thing like that.
Untangling these things is, what I would call, "spiritual work." Work, maybe isn't the right word. Maybe it's more like a practice of quieting ourselves (body, mind and soul) with calm confidence... so we can address the mess. Then, we can look at what's in front of us, acknowledging and accepting what is. We can make a plan, ask for help and maybe give a little nod upstairs. Then, we can start sorting things out into more manageable pieces, making decisions as we go. Giving ourselves grace... permission to change our minds, to rest or to stop at any time. We can set aside that which is no longer useful, and move forward with what feels good and right... body, mind and soul.
We can set aside that which is no longer useful, and move forward with what feels good and right...
Somehow through putting away Christmas I was reminded of that. We left that day with more left to do, but also with a sense of accomplishment and peace at a job well-started. The rest could be tackled another day.
Blessings to you,
for calm confidence as you face your big ole' messy junk drawers of life.
From, your student minister, Aaron
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