My House Was Constipated :)

Spring makes me want to throw open the windows, shake out the rugs and clean the house. I love a clean, organized, fresh smelling house even though around here it only lasts about five minutes.:)

When I begin to spring clean the house, I usually start to deep clean the areas that I see every day. I do not want to tackle the hidden areas of the house like the basement or attic. Why? Because it’s not something I see every day and it would be a big job to clean it out, but if I ever do tackle those areas and the whole house is actually clean it feels great!

I stumbled on an article I wrote in January of ‘07 where I did a little basement cleaning and wanted to share what I discovered.

Constipation

I know… can you believe I would title my article constipation. Over the New Year holidays I discovered my house was constipated. Yes, you read that correctly. I bet some of your houses are constipated as well. It looks something like this. You walk down the stairs to your basement open the door and there it is stuff lots and lots of stuff. Of course, if you have attic storage I would say your house probably has a sinus infection and is in need of an antibiotic. I gazed at all those once useful item and thought this basement really needs a laxative and I guess that gets to be me.

Now Preacher Daddy and I have moved a number of times during our lives and every time we get rid of stuff. However, it just amazes me what I wouldn’t part with a year ago I can’t wait to get rid of now and how much new stuff we accumulated over the last year.

With determination I began to tackle the job, about half way through my oldest daughter comes down to see how I am progressing. My reply to her is “This is really a wreck. It looks worse now than when I started” Out of her mouth comes the very words I have spoken to her many times as she is in the process of cleaning her own room ” It always looks worse right before it gets better.” With words of encouragement from her, I began to finish the job that I had started. She was right, before long the basement looked great. I could just feel the house saying thank you for cleaning out my lower level. The whole house felt lighter. When I went upstairs, I felt free and more peaceful knowing that all the mess had been dealt with and we were ready for a new year.

During the basement cleaning process God spoke to me about several areas of my own life. My daughter’s words are so true in the thick of a struggle in our lives it always seems to be at its worst before it gets better. Overtime we also tend to store up stuff that happens in our lives and never rid ourselves of the excess clutter. It will hold you down and paralyze you so that you are not able to serve God, as you should. Let me encourage you if your life is constipated with past hurts or things that are not pleasing to God or productive for his Kingdom now is the time to take a good strong laxative. As you are told to examine yourself in 1 Cor. 11:28 before you take part in the Lords supper, so should we daily examine our hearts and minds in order to deal with stuff that has crept in so that we would not continue or begin ungodly habits.

We can also take comfort in these words…

It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1

Since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aide every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfector of faith.

Clean out your temple my friend and be free to serve Him who loves you.

Kim has been married for twenty-three years, a minister’s wife for  more than twenty years. She has eight children and   has homeschooled for fourteen years. She would like to say she reads, travels and does all kinds of wonderful things in her spare time, but the truth is she spends her spare time doing laundry.