Let’s talk about ‘Advent cleansing’
The Thanksgiving dinner which took weeks to plan and days to prepare, is now finished and the celebration is filed away as a memory. So much time was spent cleaning up! Some may question if it is worth it or not. Is it worthwhile investing in something that so quickly only becomes a memory? Maybe going out to dinner would be a better option.
Why do we overthink the things we do? Why do we spend so much time admiring problems yet never doing much about them? Recently I have become aware of how often some want to jump to conclusions and solutions without ever looking at what is really going on.
When we try to fix something without understanding the core concern, we may need to deal with the same problem repeatedly. On the other hand, some of us like to spend a lot of time talking about the problem and all aspects of what is wrong and then simply move on without ever making changes.
Recently my good friend told me how she and her husband enjoyed giving their home a face-lift. They took some time off to clean up the home’s interior. The plan was to make a difference in several rooms left go for many years. They really dug in their heels. They shampooed carpets, went through drawers and closets. Decades of clutter was tossed out. They scrubbed windows and walls. Changes were made to wall hangings. Although exhausted, they felt great.
Now my friend finds herself constantly going to the cleaned up, cleaned out rooms. Just walking in the room makes her feel good. Everything is nice, neat and clean. The work done, the hours and hours of cleaning, has made a huge difference not only for the rooms but also in the happiness of my friend.
When Susan told me about their adventure into this HGTV renovation kind of thing, she bubbled with excitement. It occurred to her that if one felt so good to see a house changeover, what would it mean to clean up a life?
Clean up, clean out a life? How does someone get the rooms to their inner self cleaned up? How can we throw away the symbolic trash inside of us? How can we move into the future feeling better about our own lives? How can we get ourselves dusted off, refreshed, and reorganized on the inside? What would that mean?
I think it means we should get rid of the things that hold us back. It is time to take inventory. How much negativity are you holding onto from the past? Worry? Are
you one who worries too much over things you have no control over? Check to see if there is anger still welled up inside you. Grudges are useless to hang onto so they will need to go. And anything that ignites downward trends needs to get tossed out. What would it be like to not be weighed down and held back by the past?
We are about to move into the Advent/ Christmas season. Advent is the start of the church year for Christians. This is indeed an exciting time. We prepare for the coming of God’s son. We get ready, and that includes some time for self-evaluation. It means taking some time to look deep within yourself.
It will be time well spent if you find ways to lighten your load.
Will it be worthwhile? I think only you can answer that question. I can tell you if
you take some “God Time,” amid cookie baking, gift buying, and tree trimming you won’t be disappointed. It will put you on a journey of learning and growing as a human being. It will be a time when you will feel yourself walking closer with God.
Cleanse yourself of all that displeases God. Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22
The Advent season is upon us. May you find yourself growing closer to God as you look within. May this Advent season help you to create faithful, positive, loving memories.