Spring Cleaning of the Soul

There is no greater motivation to clean the house than having guests.  Housework is a challenge for me, though.  The washing machine and I don’t get along very well.  The Swiffer Wet Jet is my wrestling partner.  The iron is my mortal enemy (I push back the ironing so long that when I actually iron it feels like we just went shopping!)  Mr. Clean comes to our house for some much needed R&R in our new kitchen cabinet.  Dust bunnies raise large families all around the corners of our house.  At dinner time, alarms go off and a “Do NOT disturb” sign appears on my forehead warning that “disturbing” me comes at a great risk.   

Needless to say, I highly dislike housework.  Therefore, when a friend announced that a visit was long overdue I panicked.  This time, however, I decided to take the hysteria out of my now traditional, before-the-house-guests-arrive-desperate-attempt-to-whip-this-house-into-shape, cleaning experience.  I became pro-active and instead of procrastinating like I always do, I began the task one week before the arrival of my house guests.  I was determined to turn the whole thing into a, better-late-than-never-spring-cleaning type of experience. 

I stood in the middle of the messiest room and surveyed the damage.  I realized then that the biggest problem was the clutter.  Small bundles of junk piled up everywhere.  I looked at my desk and shuddered.  The U-shaped table represented a small microcosm of the entire situation.  I couldn’t even see the surface.  On one side, there was a collection of faded ATM receipts, junk mail and a random collection of discolored envelopes.  On the other side there were some electronics and books and yet on the other side it was paper galore.  There wasn’t even room for my feet to safely rest on the floor.  And of course, to achieve correct balance, there was the perfect mix of toys, shoes, bags and unrecognizable items evenly covered by a nice layer of dust sprinkled all around the place. 

The clutter strangled me.  It asphyxiated me.  I felt faint. 

Where did all these come from?  Why do I have it?  Do I really need all this junk?  Why did I ever let clutter take over my house/life? 

I let out a deep sigh and weighed my options.  I felt defeated before I even began. 

We are not supposed to live like this.  The Word is clear.  We are told not to, store up for ourselves treasures on earth, “where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6: 19-21)

However, I tend to often forget this truth.  I do store up stuff which inevitably ends up as moth food (I’m not sure what vermin is?).  I quickly realized that I indeed was long overdue for a better-late-than-never-spring cleaning of the soul. 

Unlike my house guests, the Lord, one glorious day, will show up un-announced.  There won’t be any time for cleaning.-not even for kicking stuff under the bed. 

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24: 36) On that day, He will come “like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3: 10) And I certainly don’t want Him to find me chocking under my junk.

Thinking about all these helped me accept reality. I have to simplify and de-clutter my life.

How do I even begin to do that? I have no clue. One thing I do know, however, is that there isn’t any better motivation for cleaning one’s house than knowing that guests are coming. And since I know the most important guess of my life is coming un-announced and when I least expect Him, I better get busy!