Get Rid Of The Clutter

I like walking.

By walking, I’m not rejoicing over the act of merely walking like from my armchair to my fridge to get a drink and back to my armchair.  Though I do obviously rejoice in this act, especially if the drink is ginger beer.

What I’m referring to is a slightly more extended walk like around your local area and walking rather than using any other mode of transport if it can be helped.

I wouldn’t call myself a professional walker by any stretch, but I love a good walk.  I got the habit from my Dad who used to take us children out for a Saturday afternoon/evening walk in the summer with the sunset being later.  It was one of those few occasions I was with my Dad and I was with him, if you know what I mean.  So I’ve kept it going more or less since then.

Recently I’ve had the delight of coming across a proper walker who loves to walk and has invited me on occasion to go walking with him.  Whilst walking we have a chance to appreciate our environment as well as converse on a wide range of subjects.  Another quality reason for walking – a chance to do some quality talking.

So.  There I am walking with my walker friend and we’re talking about him clearing out his loft and as a result with stuff his children have put in the garage the poor garage is full.  Which means at some point my poor walker friend will have to sort through all that stuff that has been kept for so long.  Now anyone who has had to do that kind of sorting out know that it is not a task to be taken lightly and it is a rather unenviable responsibility.

It reminds me of why I dislike moving houses so much, because in the process you realise just how much stuff you’ve gathered, collected, stored and left to pick up dust.  All that sorting out is bothersome.

In the process of discovering its bothersome nature (great word ‘bothersome’, should be botherful or botherall, but as you’ll discover there’s a red squiggly line suggesting no such word exists, never mind) we come across artefacts that hold great emotional value to us.  Maybe it’s a collection of those photos from years ago, or it’s those old school exercise books that remind you of how you loved/hated school.  Sorting all that out and knowing what to keep and what to dispose of makes the task that much harder.

Truth of the matter is, however, that a lot of the stuff is a waste of time, a waste of space and is actually a hindrance to making progress in life.  Truth of the matter is, you’re better off just getting rid of all the clutter and leaving yourself free to move about without being burdened down by the things that in the larger scheme of things matter not.

Now as you might gather, this isn’t just about the stuff we collect in out homes or office spaces.  This is as much about the clutter we’ve amassed over life and stored in our hearts that weigh us down.  I’m a big believer in the love of God that patiently takes us through a clearing session from time to time where He helps expose to us the significant and insignificant stuff we’ve held onto for absolutely no reason.  Maybe it had a purpose once upon a time, but that purpose has come and gone years and years ago, so holding onto it is helping no one, but stopping us.

So we need to get rid of the stuff that easily stops us and enjoy the light feeling we get when it’s off our shoulders and we can focus on the faith that God has called us to embrace and live out clutter-free.

That usually helps us greatly in all walks of life!

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd