Image courtesy of Matt Banks/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I absolutely hate having the clutter rearranged in my house while I am gone; when I come home nothing is where I left it. My well meaning friends have learned to put up sticky notes labeling containers and cabinets where they have tidily organized and stored things for me. Sometimes I find them years later; sometimes, I am convinced, I never find them which pretty well means I didn’t need them in the first place.
Thus, it should be no surprise to find out that a couple of Sunday’s ago my Priest shared something in church that really caught my attention. It was a beautiful poem about the work God does in our soul when he “carries the trash out” and fills our soul by replacing it with His love and serenity Karen Pilman (Accessed  September 3 2013 at http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/article/poem-untitled).
The poem does an excellent job of describing the initial disorientation and discomfort associated with losing our habitual way of perceiving things and having it replaced by something new, different, and better. At first, it is irritating and scary to lose that to which we have become accustomed. Then, if we don’t go running back to our old ways of thinking and behaving, we realize what was problematic in our past has been replaced with the comfort of God’s love and constant presence. Once I Â let myself feel and fully appreciate the comfort and security of being held in God’s arms as I walk my spiritual path of recovery, Â the call of the “old and comfortable” cannot cause me to let go of God’s hand.
I am trying to locate the author of the poem to seek permission to print it in its entirety in my blog, but out of professional respect of one writer for another writer’s work, I will not do so until permission is granted. However, with the above cited link, you should be able to find and read the poem for yourself.
If this “just on the brink of being a hoarder” can gratefully allow God to slowly, one day at a time, do intensive reconstructive surgery on my soul so it can be filled with the Holy Spirit, then all things are possible. I don’t have to stack up piles and garbage bags of “old baggage” saved from my past. I don’t need it anymore. The beer cans, liquor bottles, junk food containers, cigarette rollers, papers, and the stuff you put in them have gratefully been thrown away. The self doubt, depression, self-centeredness, insecurities, and fears that have been my companions through the years can, and have, come down off the shelf to be tossed out with the trash also. When all that is no longer needed for the effective spiritual operation of my soul , both old and comfortable and old and uncomfortable, are removed from my mind and soul I can still find myself disoriented and uncomfortable at times. That is when I pause, take a deep breath, and take time to feel God holding my hand. Then I know nothing in this world or in my past can convince me to let go of His hand.
Please comment and share your thoughts about hoarding unnecessary baggage in your mind and soul and your thoughts about having  or having had God rearrange things. Thanks. May God bless and keep you.
Living One Day at a Time 
Well written, insightful as I am going through both emotional/mental as well as house uncluttering, too. Thank you for reminding me to “pitch it” instead of hanging on to those old thoughts and patterns of habit which no longer serve my Lord, if ever they did.
I am just a bit jealous of the amount of progress you are making on your house un-cluttering project! Keep up the good work!
Well, another post I need tremendously! I have a very hard time letting go of anything, whether it’s serving my needs anymore or not. So hard to remember that anything taking up space in your life or your heart is crowding out something else that could be much better. This does not, of course, apply to old dogs, which definitely are the best. 🙂
Old dogs and new—–always room until you hit the city’s imposed limit. Thanks for your comments!
This is so me that you can imagine what I’m addressing as Jerry and I sort all our stuff for a move. I’ve reached the point,however, that every time I empty a load for a special city curb pick up, I feel a real sense of exhilaration. Brenda
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I am almost at the point where I will “attack” the hoarded mess in my house so I can feel that exhilaration! Happy for you!
Addiction is a progressive disease; recovery is a progressive solution.
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