Our kids were thrilled when we announced that our family would be the only family NOT going to Florida, but rather staying in Kalamazoo, during Spring Break a few years ago. The excitement mounted when we invited each of our children to the annual “Cleaning Party” aka: Spring Cleaning. What child can resist a party?
Really, what kid wants to lie in the sun, surf and tan in blue sky Florida, when they can shovel out bedrooms, closets and remote parts of the basement? What teenager would rather go deep sea fishing or jet skiing when they could help with touch up painting, latent decorating and massive de-cluttering?
Am I describing every mother’s dream? In two days, my husband and I and our four little “volunteers” cleaned everyone’s room from top to bottom, rearranged furniture, painted a bathroom and laundry room, purged old clothes and closets … and get this … even organized the linen closets and bathroom drawers! Does it get any better? Piles are tidy. Clutter is undone. Life is beautiful. The kids? They’ll be fine, I just bought each of them a bottle of self-tanning lotion … it’s all good.
There is something wonderful about knowing that a house is clean, organized, and clutter free … it makes a woman breathe easier, smile bigger, relax more. Right ladies?
I’ve found the same thing is true when it comes to heart clutter. It’s not often that we take a few days to enjoy uninterrupted time alone, with God, in peace and quiet to de-clutter our hearts. We need regular “Heart Cleaning Parties” where we shovel out the junk, where we categorize our little piles and where we get things tidied up enough to be able to actually listen to and live from our hearts.
I love Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” The issues of life spring out of our hearts … like a bubbling spring – the wisdom, joy, peace and understanding we need for our marriage, kids, finances, relationships, work and all life issues are supposed to spring out from our hearts. If our hearts are loaded with clutter and debris, the spring becomes clogged up and we begin to feel lethargic in life.
Ever thought about what types of things create static and clutter in your heart? Here are a few … busyness, guilt, bitterness, other people’s voices, fear, anger, hurt, regret, “shoulda, coulda and woulda.”
When our hearts are cluttered, we lose our joy and peace, the sparkle in our eyes and the pep in our step. Life becomes routine. There is only one solution … a major “Heart Cleaning Party”! Here are 6 keys to help you get started with some spring heart cleaning.
Happy Cleaning!
Beth
