For more than a year, following the sudden death of my husband, I’ve been consumed with the task of cleaning out various areas of my house. This house has been home for over 35 years, so you can imagine the accumulation of “things.”
After a few intense months, I concluded the project was going to take much longer than expected. In addition to the physical labor, emotional processing was involved. Reliving memories and sorting emotions proved much more challenging than hefting boxes. Deep emotion often hampered forward motion or brought the process to a standstill. Yet, eventually, I found the necessary strength and willpower to continue the task.
Following are my reflections on making room:
Making Room in Your Home
The most challenging part of cleaning out a home is deciding what you can release. This is my fourth major house clean out: my childhood home, my mother-in-law’s house, and the house where my grandparents and aunts lived. With each one, numerous times, I thought why did they save this? I’ve repeatedly asked myself the same question (Why did we save this?) in the last year and a half.
The reasons for saving things are plentiful: I might need this, someone will ask for it later and it won’t be here, and the biggest zinger of all—sentimental attachment.
Allowing yourself to let go is a delicate balance of knowing someone else could use whatever it is and realizing if it’s been in a closet, or attic, for over 25 years you aren’t likely to ever do anything with it again.
Letting go has benefits. Recently, I was able to provide beds for several overnight guests, one in a room that was full of “stuff” a year ago. Also, I’ve made money selling items that languished in attic eaves since we moved here. And I gain a great since of accomplishment and peace from walking into a cleared-out room and seeing the extra space.
Making Room in Your Mind
Clutter doesn’t just happen in our homes. We are constantly bombarded by news, other information, requests, advertisements, and social media. We are assailed with what we should do, must do, and forgot to do. Our phones ping and prod, remind and respond. And it feels as if everything must happen right now.
Decluttering our minds involves stepping away from screens, savoring calmness and quietness, and spending time in nature. Even then, mental processing nips at our heels, making us think we need to hurry back to what feels urgent, but isn’t.
Making room in your mind leaves space for imagination, inspiration, and creativity. A mind cleared of clutter lends itself to reflection and opens to listen for God’s voice.
Making Room in Your Heart
Sometimes, the world feels harsh and cold. We’re confronted with challenges, hardships, hurts, evil, and injustice. It’s not surprising that many become angry and bitter, closing their hearts to God and to others.
Making room in your heart requires letting go in the same way you decide to get rid of material possessions. Heart-room requires replacing anger and resentment with forgiveness. Making heart space involves releasing pride, admitting your part in conflict, and determination to soften rock-hard, long-held resentment.
Many have never made room in their hearts for God. How tragic! Could today be the day you soften a hard heart, open a closed heart, and make space in your cluttered heart for God?
“And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him” (Ephesians 3:17 TLB).
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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Thank you Candy for this truthful article. As a recent widow, your wise counsel is helping me through the decluttering process.
I’m so glad, Barbara. Thank you. And God bless you!