Spring Cleaning
The other night, I was fed up with the disarray in my closet and set out to make it better. After weeks of travels and add in the daily laundry ritual, my wardrobe needed my full attention. To begin this task, I asked the Lord for forgiveness. As women, we may tend to hang on to things too long. Had I overindulged myself in outfitting my body beyond what was needed? Had I kept items past their fashion expiration only to collect dust? Here is what the Lord taught my heart as I cleaned and purged:
It's not a loss of investment.
Sometimes we spend a nice chunk of change on a great leather shoe or find an outrageous deal on a great suit. For years, as a stay-at-home mom, I had my two uniforms of workout pants and t-shirts. We worked from a tight budget as a young married couple with lots of kids, so, it wasn’t often that I could indulge in multiple outfits or desires. I was, however, always an efficient shopper. I found deals you wouldn’t believe! So, as I sifted through the textiles in my closet, some pieces were hard to part with. It felt like I was wasting my investment regardless of the price paid. But what good are our earthly treasures?
“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Matthew 6:19-21
The memories have been made.
As I continued my closet spring cleaning brigade, I was gaining momentum and was feeling almost refreshed until I came across a certain sweater set. This caused a pause in my progress. The set was worn at my daughter’s dedication 20 years ago! I needed to purchase it because I had surgery and the bandages required a certain clothing style to cover the mechanics. My husband cared for our infant daughter so I could go to a local department store and buy something appropriate. I haven’t sported that set for a long time! (Hysterically enough, sweater sets are back in style). But, the one I wore 20 years ago, is already infused with a memory and it was ok to let it go.
“A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.” Ecclesiastes 3:6
Change is ok.
As women, our bodies sure do change a lot. Many “hopefuls” still hung around in my closet representative of those days gone past. The ones that boasted slimmer waistlines and better measurements. Let’s just stop right here and remind ourselves;
“The truth will set you free.” John 8:32
We all need to level with ourselves- if it didn’t fit 5 years ago, it ain’t now! (lol). My mother always had this beautiful, linen, white skirt hanging covered in her closet for years. She never wore it, and as a child, it puzzled me. Now, as an adult myself I totally understand.
Old clothes have old memories. God continues to allow me to create new memories that require new clothes.
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
(Hmm, I wish that said WAISTland…..)
At the end of the evening, I had made several piles that would move in different directions to bless others. My closet is still full, and I am still blessed, but I learned a valuable lesson. Let go of the old things and move on to His best things. Even if the things of the past were part of His best things, He still has more for me!
