Hello Friends,
We hope you are well and learning much in your family!
As many of you may be aware, our family has been lately preparing to make a geographical move. In our earlier years as a family, we used to move frequently, but we’ve been in this house for more than 8 years now. It’s the longest time we’ve spent in one house.
When we moved in, my kid’s age range was from 5 to 12 years old, and now they are from 13 to 20 years old. I’ve noticed that the younger set plays with and collects up a very different set of stuff from the older set. So, as you can imagine, we have lots and lots of stuff to clear out and get rid of!
We’ve been taking lots of time to look carefully through all that we have in the back corners of our basement, closets, barn and garage. We’ve been carefully going through all of it and getting rid of things that we no longer use. We’ve also been getting rid of things that we thought we once needed, but we don’t now. And, we’ve been getting rid of stuff that is broken down or ruined because of age or improper storage. We’re getting rid of it, because we don’t want the burden of moving it with us, and we don’t want it in our new home and our new environment.
As I’ve been clearing out, I’ve been thinking about the parallels between my process of getting ready to move, and the process many of you are going through in your hearts and relationships. I’ve seen how you are taking a good long look at what is tucked away deep in your hearts, in your attitudes, intentions, and motivations. You’ve been examining what you find there, and determining what is junk that needs to be thrown out, and what are old ways you no longer need. You’ve determined that there are relational habits that are broken down and ruined because they come from an old way of relating, or they’ve been used wrongly in your life.
I know that as you gain vision for your future, you don’t want to haul that pile of junk and those useless things with you. You don’t want to bring them into your new life and into the new way of relating the Lord is showing you.
I thought of Eph 4:22-23:
“Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude].”This verse, Colossians 3:8-10, even lists out a few of those things that we need to clear out and get rid of as we’re remodeling our lives:
“But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices, And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remolded into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.”I’ve been thinking about you as I’ve been clearing out my house and praying for you as you clear out your hearts, getting rid of old and useless thought patterns and relational habits.
Marilyn Howshall’s book Empowering the Transfer of Moral Values and Faith along with its companion book Love’s Actions can help you identify what needs to go.
I find it feels good, free and light to clear out!
Blessings,
Barbie Poling