Spring Cleaning

It is Spring Break in the fair state of Oregon, and I am spending most of it cleaning. I don't really mind, it is something that I need to do and I know the work will pay off in the end. I have been pretty busy lately and have been doing more rearranging of piles rather than actual cleaning. It ends up looking ok on the surface, but open a cupboard, closet, or a closed door and you'll find the mess I tried so hard to hide. 

As I was cleaning, I started thinking about life and God and how I am trying to live a life that is pleasing to Him, rather than always thinking about myself. I realized then that there are a lot of corelations to spring cleaning. When I have a lot going on, my spiritual life becomes much like my home. I tend to do the bare minimum to keep up the appearence of being on track, but really I'm kind of  a mess. I can only keep it up for so long, and it becomes more work than I can keep up with. 

When it becomes too much, I realize, sometimes reluctantly or when I am faced with no other options, that it is time to do something and get back on track or "cleaned out". This is where it gets tough, because I know it is going to get a whole lot messier before it gets better. Once I start really taking time to work through things with God, often things tend to get harder and more difficult before they begin to get better. Like several times this week when I was cleaning out cupboards, I get to the point where I just want to shove it all back in and pretend it is clean for a litte while longer. I also ask myself why I let things get so messy again, when it is so easy to stay on top of things with daily devotion. Sure, there are times when I have to set aside some time for the big jobs, but it is much easier when I get there. 

If, when, I learn to truly set aside time each day to spend with the Lord, I hope that I can be more in tune with when things are falling apart and hear God's voice when he is calling my attention to something so that I can begin to work on it and continue my journey to becoming the woman God wants me to be. 

CS Lewis said "After each failure, ask forgiveness, pick yourself up, and try again. Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again." I love this quote because it reminds me that I can always try again, it is all part of the learning process. If I give up, and just shove everything back into the closet then I miss out on the most important part of the process.