My greatest struggle of discontent lies with time. I want more.
So many things to do. Has taking out the trash NOT been one of things I’m doing? Is my desperation for more time a symptom of a larger problem? Am I wasting time managing my accumulated clutter, things I’m holding on too tightly or for too long after their purpose has passed?
Later, I’ll clean out the laundry room. For now, rearrange the piles. Later, I’ll purge the filing cabinets. For now, stuff everything into the “Temporary” folder. Later, I’ll visit that website. For now, just bookmark it.
All in the name of saving time. But in the process, am I losing time?
Attuning ourselves to divine breathings is spiritual work,
but without it our praying is vain repetition.
~ RICHARD FOSTER
Is my spiritual clutter costing me, too? Even the good things?
I see words everywhere. The overflowing lists and goals and “focus.” (Is it really a “focus” if there are five of them?) Could it be time to purge?
Set out the trash, Lisa. It’s garbage day.
• My little book of “Prayer Requests” is full as of yesterday. I’ll start over fresh.
• My list of people I want to minister to is too long. I’ll concentrate on the ones I’m most likely to help.
• My special interests for Bible studies are unmanageable. I’ll prune to one major topic at a time.
Oh, it hurts. It’s hard to let go. I don’t want to throw stuff away, especially good stuff. What if I need it later? Or what if I accidently throw out important spiritual lessons as I’m trashing my spiritual junk mail?
If I do? God is big enough to take care of it.
If it’s something I desperately need, he’ll bring it back to me, or give me an even better substitute. If not, he’ll hand it off to somebody else that needs it more than I do. All in his timing. So I won’t have to worry about mine.
Sometimes God reaches us profoundly
in the simple ways
if we will quiet ourselves
to listen.
~ RICHARD FOSTER
He wants me to travel light. Which, for today, means:
Empty it. Be the garbage man.
