Confessions of a Packrat

Yes, I like to keep things. Almost anything can acquire sentimental value (including trash - trust me, don't ask) and getting rid of it causes major stress. This morning I tackled the room my two eldest girls share. It was getting cluttered and I was getting irritated simply walking in there. They are young, and are adept at picking up, but not true cleaning and organizing. So the task falls to Mom.

I went in there giving myself a peptalk. "Be ruthless! If it's trash, throw it away. If it's broken, throw it away. If they don't use it anymore, pack it up for the yard sale. Come on! You can do it!" But I am still amazed at how hard it is to actually throw things away. My girls have accumulated countless little pink and purple plastic boxes in various shapes that toys probably cam in or with. Yes, the flower shape is cute. But they don't really need it and it's cluttering up the room! It's near the trash bag, but admittedly, it's not in it yet.

The same goes for many other things I keep. It often takes me two or three times of going through something until I finally admit to myself that it needs to go.

In the same way we accumulate physical clutter, we can pile up spiritual clutter as well. Jesus told us we were a new creation...so why is it so hard to let go of the old ways and put on the new ways? We grow attached to our old ways of doing things. Change is always hard, and there is always a cost. I know that when I'm done cleaning my girls' room, I will breathe a big sigh of relief. It will be worth the struggle to make it happen. And I know if I let go of some old habits and put on new ones, there will be good fruit that comes of it. I know it. But I have to believe it and be willing to do what it takes to get there.

Here's to getting there.