I can tell my kids are growing older.
It’s not just because before next Sunday, I have to buy Lindsey a bigger pair of “church shoes”. Nor is it because Kenny just turned seven, or because I’ve seen a new maturity in Ellie that the Holy Spirit is working in her.
No, it’s because the kids have finally figured out something I tried to keep secret for as long as I could: exactly what happens to their stuff when I clean their rooms. Previously, I don’t know whether they ever really thought about it. All they knew was that sometimes, Daddy took them places while Mommy stayed home to clean, and when they got back, their rooms were nice and straight. Apparently it never occurred to them to wonder where their stuff went—at least until this most recent round of cleaning.
Now, all too soon, they realize what you moms know: when Mommy has to clean their stuff, lots of it disappears. Sometimes permanently.
Two days ago, my husband took the kids on a day-long excursion to do various errands and visit fun places (the park, the library) while I stayed home to take care of the playroom and the girls’ room. For the first time ever, the kids were a little worried when they left. They had spent the morning lobbying for various of their favorite toys not to get given away, but I made few promises. Some of the stuff, I intended to put up in the attic. (“Just leave it up there for a few days until we forget about it and don’t want it anymore,” Ellie advised.) Other items, I planned on putting into the car for donation to one of our favorite charities.
I spent six hours working on the playroom/schoolroom and the girls’ room. Apparently I did so good a job that when Ellie returned and saw the playroom, she said, “Wow! It’s like living in a new house!” When Lindsey walked into her room and saw the now-almost-bare shelves, her mouth dropped open, and she stood there in amazement. Or maybe it was shock. My husband was pretty pleased, too, and considering the fact that he is far neater than I am, that was a significant compliment.
Turns out it’s kind of like when I clean house spiritually speaking. I realize that my spirit needs cleaning out, and I decide to do something about it. I pull out all the stuff that really doesn’t belong and dispose of it—at least temporarily. True, some of the things, I get rid of immediately. They’re gone, as they should be. But some of the things I shove into the “attic”, where they’ll still be accessible later. Maybe I even do such a good job that people compliment me. But remember that stuff in the attic? It’s still there. And that’s where the problem comes in.
My purpose in putting the kids’ stuff in the attic is to buy us some time in case I decide I want to bring it back out later. Unfortunately, sometimes I do the same thing with the spiritual stuff I should be getting rid of. Instead of really, truly getting it out of my house, I put it in reserve in case I decide to go back to it. It’s a temporary cleansing that can be undone if I decide I really wanted that stuff after all.
Maybe you can identify with me. Maybe there have been things in your life that you should have gotten out of the house, but instead, you stored in the attic because you couldn’t quite bear to part fully with them yet. And then later, you brought them back downstairs and they became part of your life again. I’ve done that too. And I’ve regretted it every time.
It would be pretty tough for me to take some of that material stuff that’s in my actual attic and give it away permanently. Why? Because my emotions and memories are involved. Likewise, it would be difficult to give away some of my spiritual stuff. Why? For the same reasons.
The solution to the problem is obvious—give it away in the first place, so I’m not tempted to take it out again. But it’s hard. Sometimes the pull of emotion is too strong.
So what can I do? What can you do, when you’re faced with needing to clean out a part of your life but aren’t emotionally ready to let it go?
We could do the same thing I could do with my kids’ material possessions: get someone to pick up a box as soon as I’ve filled it and cart it right out the door, heading for charity.
I’m not necessarily suggesting we have to do this with physical objects. But I’m definitely suggesting that we do the same thing spiritually. Let’s take what we need to get rid of, hand it over to the Person helping us clean, and let Him dispose of it before the emotional pull becomes too strong and we take it back.
The only way to be sure we won’t bring possessions back down from the attic is to make sure those possessions aren’t within our grasp anymore. The charities we frequent are always more than glad to take what we donate. Likewise, the Holy Spirit is always ready and willing to take our castoffs and put them far away from us.
Is there something in your life that you need to get rid of this week? Perhaps even right now? Let the Holy Spirit have it. Ask Him to take it away before you can grab it back. I guarantee that the temporary pain of its being gone is less than the pain of knowing it is still there, up in the attic. Or worse yet, the pain of knowing you’ve brought it back down.
Job 11:13-15—Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.