Why Tidying Is Not Always A Good Thing

Whenever people come round to my flat, I always feel the need to tidy things up a bit - even if all I do is 'neaten' the mess.

 

The other day, before a friend came round, I only had time to complete one task.  I found myself thinking: I'll do the washing up rather than the ironing.  Having my washing out is a sign that I am clean - I have done my washing.  But having dirty dishes stacked up seems dirty and unclean.

 

I made my mess 'acceptable'.

 

Or if I haven't had time to tidy, I find myself apologising and telling people to forgive or ignore the mess.

 

I was challenged today by how I do this spiritually as well: I present my 'problems' in a tidy package.  I make my mess 'acceptable'.  Or I apologise for it and ask people to ignore it.

 

I was trying to think of what would be an appropriate response to someone seeing the messiness of my life - both the literal mess and the spiritual mess.

 

Asking them to ignore it or forgive it or imagine it's not there is neither possible nor helpful.  Frantically rushing around before they arrive to tidy up (or panicking over unplanned guests), leaves me exhausted and wondering if I've missed a bit.

 

Perhaps a much better response would be to say, Here is my mess, please could you help me sort it out?

 

I want to be honest about my struggles and my mess.  Because in honesty there is freedom.  And because no one can help you clear up the mess if you don't let them see it.

 

The Psalmist wrote,

 

"And me?  I'm a mess.  I'm nothing and have nothing: make something of me. You can do it; you've got what it takes."

 

[Psalm 40:17 MSG] 

 

God does have what it takes to make something of us.  But first we have to acknowledge and own our mess.  Rather than hiding it, or ignoring it and asking others to ignore it too.

 

 

 

10,000 reasons

When I started writing my blog, I didn't plan to write every day. 

It just sort of happened. 

 

I kept seeing things throughout the day that were evidence of the overlap between the 'secular' and the 'sacred', the golden and the grey.  I read novels or articles, or heard things on the radio or overheard conversations, or watched something on TV or in a film which triggered my thoughts and helped me to evidence of the sacred in the secular.

Some days I haven't been sure what to write about at all.  But by the end of the day, something has come to me, something has been revealed.  There has always been something more to write about.  There is always more to discover of God and more of His goodness and kindness to unveil. 

 

And there is always more of His work to see in the world around us.

Matt Redman writes in his worship song, '10,000 Reasons' -

"You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find."

 

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find. 

 

My heart hasn't got anywhere near finding ten thousand reasons to praise God.  Sometimes I struggle to get to ten.

 

Sometimes I can let myself become distracted by all of the negative or difficult or painful things in life, and I forget to look past them, to the God that I love and who is worthy of my praise, regardless of how I am feeling.

 

I want to be like the Psalmist who wrote,  

 

           "Let all that I am praise the Lord;
           with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
           Let all that I am praise the Lord;
           may I never forget the good things he does for me.
           He forgives all my sins
           and heals all my diseases.
           He redeems me from death
           and crowns me with love and tender mercies.

           He fills my life with good things.
           My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!"

 

[Psalm 103:1-5 NLT]

 

Perhaps when I reach 10,000 posts, I might be closer to discovering all that there is of God and all that there is to praise Him for.  But I rather imagine that as I deepen my relationship with God and strengthen my understanding of Him, there will always be more things to discover, and more things for which to praise Him.